United States

As most market structure watchers are well aware, the biggest debate currently roiling the field of equity markets revolves around the August 21, 2015 submission by the dark pool made famous by Michael Lewis' Flash Boys, IEX, in which it seekis to become a public trading venue that will compete with the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market. What makes IEX different from all other "lit" venues and markets is its embedded technology which implements a 350 microsecond order delay which makes HFT frontrunning, spoofing, and quote stuffing of orders impossible.

One theme we’ve explored at length and on a number of occasions over the past 12 months is the global shift towards so-called “radical” political parties and candidates.

Whether it’s Syriza in Greece, Podemos in Spain, or Donald Trump in the US, voters are increasingly turning to candidates outside of the establishment.

Haruhiko Kuroda's move to NIRP and Mario Draghi's implicit promise to ramp up PSPP in March underscore the extent to which Janet Yellen has made a policy mistake by hiking at a time when the US economy (not to mention the global economy) looks to be decelerating and the disinflationary impulse looks to be gathering steam.

Moments ago, following last week's torrid crude oil price rebound driven entirely by now-denied hopes of some production cut consensus between oil suppliers, namely Russia and Saudi Arabia, oil halted its four-day rally as weak Chinese manufacturing data added to economic demand concern.

“The risk seems to be the greatest on the downside again” and speculation of OPEC production cuts has “faded fast,” says Saxo Bank head of commodity strategy Ole Hansen. “China and South Korea are both helping the market return to fundamental focus where it is worried about demand."

It didn't take much to fizzle Friday's Japan NIRP-driven euphoria, when first ugly Chinese manufacturing (and service) PMI data reminded the world just what the bull in the, well, China shop is...

... leading to a 1.8% drop on the first day of February after Chinese stocks slid 23% in January with the nation’s manufacturing sector faces strong galewind challenges as the government plans to reduce excess industrial capacity and unleash troubling mass unemployment, while a weakening currency is spurring capital outflows.