Author Archive
Iran Nuclear Deal Is Much Worse Than We Thought!
Gary D. Halbert Between the Lines The latest nuclear arms deal struck with Iran and six foreign powers on July 14 was already widely unpopular among most Americans. A Gallup poll in early August on how President Obama is handling Iran found that only one-third of Americans approve of the…
China Devalues Yuan Nearly 5% – Stocks Tumble Worldwide
Gary D. Halbert Between the Lines On Tuesday, Wednesday and again today, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) announced that it was devaluing its currency by 1.9%, 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively, against the dollar. Stocks responded by plunging around the world on Tuesday and early Wednesday before stabilizing by the…
Commodity Prices Are Tanking – Should We Worry?
Gary D. Halbert Between the Lines Commodity prices fell close to the lowest level since 2002 this week, under pressure from a rout in precious metals, lower oil prices and weakness in most agricultural and soft commodities. The Bloomberg Commodity Index, which tracks a basket of 22 materials, fell to…
No Fed Rate Hike At June 16-17 Policy Meeting
Gary D. Halbert Between the Lines For reasons not at all clear to me, there is growing talk the last few days that Janet Yellen & Company might raise the Fed Funds rate at the upcoming meeting of the Fed Open Market Committee (FOMC) on June 16-17. That seems surprising…
Russia, Iran & China Are Advancing As The U.S. Retreats
Gary D. Halbert Between the Lines Editor’s Note: Over the last several days, I have been more than a little preoccupied with the near-record level of rains we have received in Central Texas and elsewhere around the state and the resultant flooding in many areas. The bad news is that…
Federal Tax Receipts Surged In April To New Record
Gary D. Halbert Between the Lines Federal tax receipts surged in April to generate the largest monthly US budget surplus in seven years, the latest sign that climbing stock values, hefty corporate profits and rising incomes for wealthier Americans are improving the nation’s budget picture. The US Treasury collected a…