EconCurrents

Dow closed 0.7% down, S&P down 1.3%, NASDAQ down 2.2%, Bitcoin declined to 38,590, Gold declined to $1,984, and WTI crude up to $109.

None of this is good news for your investments or your pocketbook. Yesterday the Consumer Price Index showed inflation was up 7.9% year-over-year – and the cutoff date for the 7.9% figure was before the gasoline price spike resulting from the Russia-Ukraine War. The real inflation you are seeing is significantly higher than 7.9%.

The market is supposed to be forward looking – and it is signaling that there will be pain for business over the coming months,

And the current surge of pain has been caused by direct and indirect consequences of the Russia-Ukraine War. The U.S. continues to look for ways to further punish Russia, and President Biden is now concentrating on revoking Russia’s most favored nation trade status. The tea leaves are signaling things will be getting worse before we will begin to see improvement.

A summary of headlines we are reading today:

• Russia’s Huge Oil Tanker Fleet Struggles To Find Buyer Destinations
• Oil Prices Ease As U.S. Rig Count Jumps
• 50 Minerals Critical To U.S. Security
• Your 2019 leased car is now worth an average $7,200 more than expected.
• U.S. clears way for truly driverless vehicles without steering wheels

These and other headlines and news summaries moving the markets today are included below.

Headlines:

Gold Climbs Above $2,000 As Ceasefire Talks Crumble
The End Of The Global Economy As We Know It
Deutsche Bank Defends Decision Not To Exit Russia: It’s Not ‘Practical’ Right Now
Bonds, Stocks, & Crypto Crumble As Global Financial Conditions Tighten Drastically
Rising fuel and food costs push U.S. inflation to 7.9%

Wall Street started today’s session with the DOW gaping down, seeing a session low of almost 400 points on the negative side as U.S. inflation stays at a 40-year high. Mostly the result of a poor morning financial economy report. Higher Initial Jobless Claims and Continuing Jobless Claims reported higher numbers, and Inflation sped up in February to the fastest pace since January 1982, hotter-than-expected at nearly 8%.

Yesterday’s rally was a ‘Dead Cat Bounce’ by all observations. I didn’t think it could go any further higher, but I’m not particularly eager to gamble as I know only too well the market can stay irrational longer than one can stay solvent. Also, there are just too many unknowns that can take place with additional unknowns out there. (Or something like that!)

U.S. inflation rate climbs again to 7.9%, and if anyone has gone food shopping lately, they know food inflation is more like 20%. Oil prices end lower (WTI settles at 105), with Russia-Ukraine war headlines feeding trade volatility. When Joe Biden took office, the crude oil price increased 513%, and Ruskie Putin started bullying Ukraine. Crude oil prices have added 25% since the Ukraine invasion.

LAUGH FOR THE DAY:
Russia will recover with a ‘full bill of health,’ says Lavrov, vowing to cut ties with the West.

Tune in tomorrow for additional doom scrolling and disillusionment antics springing from Wall Street.

As usual, we have included below the headlines and news summaries moving the markets today.

Headlines:

Only OPEC Can Help The West Replace Russian Oil
Oil Prices Crash By 11% As UAE Calls On OPEC To Open The Taps
U.S. Oil & Gas Association President: Cut The Crap And Approve Our Permits
Here’s What Happens To Russian Oligarch Yachts After They’re Seized
Bonds, Bullion, & Black Gold, Dumped As ‘Hope-Hammered-Hedges’ Squeeze Stocks Higher

Another day, another hedge unwind-driven, negative-delta inspired melt-up in stocks, triggered this time by optimistic headlines (that were just ‘meh’ of the same sentiment) on the Ukraine situation.

Stocks soared the most since April 2020 today (2 days after the 2nd biggest daily drop since Oct 2020). Nasdaq soared almost 4% today while The Dow ‘lagged’ with a mere gain of 2.5% before some last-minute selling pressure spoiled the big day (taking The Dow back below yesterday’s roller-coaster highs).

READ EARLIER:

Higher crude prices will have a direct impact on Americans. Less oil supply? Higher oil prices? Higher gas prices. And higher gas prices are certainly upon us: The average price per gallon in the U.S. hit a record of $4.17 yesterday (up 55 cents in a week), and it’s likely to surge even more before it gets better. Biden admitted that the decision “is not without costs here at home,” he said.

Europe’s inability to ban Russian oil and gas has been a come-to-Jesus moment that it needs to wean itself off its Russian energy addiction. Yesterday, the E.U. drew up a goal to completely stop buying Russian fossil fuels by 2030.

The U.S. rejected a surprise announcement by Poland to hand over its MiG-29 fighter jets for Ukraine to use, saying the plan could potentially spark a broader conflict with Russia.

As usual, we have included below the headlines and news summaries moving the markets today.

Headlines:

Canceling Keystone XL May Have Been Biden’s Biggest Blunder
Nickel Trading Suspended As Prices Double In Short Squeeze
Crude Oil Jumps As Much As 7% On U.S. Ban Of Russian Imports, But Trades Off Session Highs
Expect To Pay $3,000 More This Year For Gas And Food As Prices Skyrocket

The U.S. stock market ends lower for a fourth straight session, with the DOW deepening slump in correction territory closing near the session bottom.

The U.S. ban on Russian oil is very important and reflects higher gas pump prices. Still, the U.S. only depends on Russia for only 3% of its crude imports – a European embargo, if it ever happens, would screw the pouch.

S&P 500 rebounded from the worst day yesterday as NASDAQ entered a bear market, the Dow entered a correction, and the S&P 500 suffered its worst single-day drop since October 2020. However, investors bet the worst of the sell-off was over after the U.S. banned Russian crude imports, with oil prices gaining nearly 4%, with gold settling above $2,000.

Wall Street lost steam in late afternoon trading after realizing the ‘Fat Lady’ hasn’t stopped singing and that the Russian ban wouldn’t be fully in effect until the end of the year. As a result, the graphs depicting today’s trading truly looked like a real roller-coaster heading straight down like the Russian Ruble ending the session for the fourth straight session.

“Unless something drastic happens, we are headed for average pump prices in the $4.50-$ 4.75-gallon range for motor fuel and beyond $5 gal for diesel,” said Tom Kloza, head of global energy analysis at Oil Price Information Services.

“Given Russia’s key role in global energy supply, the global economy could soon be faced with one of the largest energy supply shocks ever,” Goldman Sachs said Monday in a note to clients.

As usual, we have included below the headlines and news summaries moving the markets today.

Headlines:

Traders Are Now Betting On $200 Oil By The End Of The Month
Gas Prices In Europe Skyrocket Again As Supply Risks Grow
World Is Facing A ‘Game Changer’ As Russia’s War Roils Energy Markets, Says Opec’s Barkindo
“The Market Is Totally Dysfunctional” – Traders Concerned Russian CDS Won’t Pay Out In Event Of Default
Carnage Everywhere As Market “Begins To Break”
What soaring crude prices mean for the U.S. stock market, amid talk of Russian oil sanctions

NASDAQ Composite entered a bear market, and the DOW slid over 800 points as the market sell-off continued on the uncertainty of the Russia-Ukraine war affecting the Global economy. WTI tops 200 for the first time in 13 years as Biden considers banning Russian oil. Gold rises higher, posting the highest finish (1996) since August 2020 as investors shun Bitcoin in favor of other precious metals.

Sanction fears send palladium prices soaring and topping a record $3,400 an ounce overnight on Russian embargo fears. The June palladium futures pulled back slightly early on Monday after further weighing the extent of potential supply chain disruptions. However, the most expensive precious metal has still gained some 70% since the beginning of the year.

The proposed ban on Russian products in the EU threatened already broken supply chains and heaped further inflationary pressure on economies worldwide. Even the Russian tankers at sea are fretting over the ‘big unknown’ over who will buy their floating oil reserves.

As usual, we have included below the headlines and news summaries moving the markets today.