The first trading week of the year continued the patterns of late 2018. Markets continue to be volatile, moving several percentage in each directions, not only daily but intraday. The main news of the week was Apple’s profit warning, blaming lack of sales in China and the trade-war. The question is will more companies come out with same type of comments as earnings start trickling in. In China, the economy continues to languish. Manufacturing is lagging, and the government cut bank reserve requirements to boost (dope) the economy. Could this proverbial kicking the can down the road help? On the “positive” side, Fed Chairman Powell said in round-table on Friday that they monitoring the markets and are cognizant of the changes. In another words, maybe more dovish fed ahead. Markets reacted accordingly rallying. In the coming weeks, the main drivers will be potential development of U.S. China trade-deal and companies reporting earnings.
Economy, Trade & Fed, Macro
Non Consensus Trump from Ask Brokers
Fed Chairman Powell Sees Flexibility on Rates This Year via WSJ
U.S. December Nonfarm Payrolls Grew by 312,000; Jobless Rate Rose to 3.9% by WSJ
U.S.-China trade war takes toll on global manufacturing via Reuters
The future might not belong to China by FT
Chinese manufacturing had an even worse December than expected, more data show via CNBC
China says will cut banks’ reserve requirements, taxes, as bad news piles up from Reuters
Xi Jinping asserts that Taiwan and China ‘will be unified’ by FT
Worse than Japan: how China’s looming demographic crisis will doom its economic dream via SCMP
UK Housing Bubble Swoons as Brexit-Day Nears. London Hit Hardest from Wolf Street
The Housing Bust in Sydney & Melbourne, Oh My! Via Wolf Street
Spurning Erdogan’s Vision, Turks Leave in Droves, Draining Money and Talent by NYTimes
Markets / Companies
Do you believe in Go(l)d or America? By Ask Brokers
Taking Stock of the World’s Debt by WSJ
Be Careful What You Hedge from Ask Brokers
Key Fed Yield Gauge Points to Rate Cuts for First Time Since 2008 via Bloomberg
What Happens When Bond Markets Get Weird from WSJ
Trump’s Favorite Barometer Is Warning Him by Bloomberg
The Rise After the Fall by Of Dollars and Data
Investors Might Be Paying Too Much for These Index Funds from Barron’s
Savings Accounts vs. CDs vs. Money Market Mutual Funds via The Simple Dollar
2018 Asset Class Total Return Performance — Bespoke’s ETF Matrix from Bespoke
THE BEST AND WORST FUTURES MARKETS IN 2018. From RCM Alternatives
Here’s (Almost) Everything Wall Street Expects in 2019 via Bloomberg
Bearish is Not Unique (here) by Ask Brokers
Apple’s Precarious and Pivotal 2019 500ish Words
Apple: Suppliers to Follow Post Profit Warning via Ask Brokers
If Tim Cook’s all-hands meeting doesn’t fix Apple’s pricing, it’s pointless via Venture Beat
Apple: Is M&A the Only Way Forward? Netflix the Obvious Target? From AskBrokers
Netflix takes on the movie industry by Axios
Netflix pulls episode of comedy show in Saudi Arabia from FT
Amazon Plans to Add Whole Foods Stores via WSJ
Roku, Taking Cues From Amazon, Adds Premium Subscriptions from WSJ
Tesla Shares Sink on Model 3 Delivery Miss, Price Cut by WSJ
Uber and Lyft’s valuations expose the gig economy to scrutiny by FT
2019 Will Be The Year JCPenney Flips — One Way Or Another from Forbes
Behind Lumber’s Collapse: A Perfect Storm of Housing and Trade by WSJ
For Hedge Funds This Year, $1 Billion Is the Loneliest Number via Bloomberg
Activist Elliott embraces private equity strategy by FT
China securities industry braces for influx of foreign competition from SCMP
Crypto
Crypto Theses for 2019 from Medium
Crypto funds appeal for patience after market rout by FT
Research / Interesting Reads
The 10 Most Valuable Financial Lessons I Learned in 2018 by The Simple Dollar
Canada Says, ‘Give Me Your MBAs, Your Entrepreneurs’ via Bloomberg
What Billy Beane and Jim Simons Have in Common by Institutional Investor
Alibaba and the Future of Business by HBR
The US Loves To Charge Other Governments’ Hackers With Crimes. What Happens When One Of Those Countries Returns The Favor? Via Buzzfeed
Books are good for your brain. These techniques will help you read more. From Popular Science