United States

Shortly after the most famous PIMCO alum, Bill Gross, unleashed today's dose of doom and gloom when he warned that market risk is the "highest since before the 2008 financial crisis" and warned that “instead of buying low and selling high, you’re buying high and crossing your fingers,” his replacement and current PIMCO CIO, Dan Ivascyn shared a similar dour outlook on the economy at the Bloomberg Invest summit, where he predicted that U.S.

In the latest red flag for the US economy, moments ago the Fed reported that consumer credit for the month of April rose a paltry $8.2 billion, barely half the consensus estimate of $15.5 billion, and 40% of march's $19.5 billion. This was the lowest monthly increase in consumer credit going back nearly 6 years to August 2011. The increasingly obvious downward trendline in crediting is hardly indicative of a confident consumer.

While revolving, i.e. credit card, debt rose a modest $1.5 billion, far below the increase in the prior two months...

In a stunning blow for US diplomacy in the Pacific rim region, Yonhap reported that South Korea’s newly elected president, Moon Jae-in said he has suspended the deployment of American THAAD anti-missile defense system, a major concession to China and a significant break with the United States on policy toward North Korea.

European and Asian stocks, as well as S&P futures were little changed ahead of "Super Thursday's" events which include the U.K. general election, Comey's testimony and the ECB policy decision. That however may change following a Bloomberg news report that the ECB is set to cut inflation forecasts through 2019 due to weaker energy prices, suggesting the "hawkish" ECB announcement some had expected tomorrow has been postponed.

Authored by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,

Elements of the charm offensive include the launch of a pro-Saudi Arabia media portal operated by high-profile Republican campaign consultants; a special English-language website devoted to putting a positive spin on the latest developments in the Yemen war; glitzy dinners with American political and business elites; and a non-stop push to sway reporters and policymakers.