Royal Bank Of Scotland Share Discussion Threads

[ramco] 20/11/2013 14:30

Stock futures higher after retail sales data, Bernanke comments
Equities are poised for a higher open, with S&P 500 futures +0.2% and Nasdaq +0.3%, as October retail sales beat expectations and showed little impact from the government shutdown.
Also, inflation numbers don't look to be getting in the way of Fed policy, as the overall CPI fell 0.1% while rising just 0.1% when excluding energy and food prices.
Overnight, Ben Bernanke provided support after commenting that interest rates may remain low "well after" the unemployment rate reaches 6.5%.
Treasurys have climbed off their worst levels; the 10-year note is ahead 2 bps to send the yield just above 2.73%.
Still ahead: business inventories, existing home sales, EIA petroleum inventories, FOMC minutes.

[ramco] 20/11/2013 14:26

Caterpillar releases three-month dealer stats
Caterpillar (CAT) is out with three-month dealer stats on retail machinery sales.
October retail sales of machines by region: Asia/Pacific, -26%; EAME, -14%; Latin America, -8%; North America, -2%; ROW, -17%; Overall, -12%.
Power systems October performance: -9%.


Add: The recently strong Euro has apparently done for Corporate Results both core and periphery too....

[ramco] 20/11/2013 14:20

The Bundesbank's Weidmann seemed to draw his own line today, suggesting that monetary accommodation to this point is justified (though reports suggested he objected to the recent rate cut), but he said it was "not sensible" to signal further monetary easing now. There had been some speculation of additional action by the ECB next month, but Weidmann's comments would seem to reduce the chances. Although Weidmann may be in a minority, the way in which decisions appear to be made, some compromise would likely be reached after apparently out-voting Germany last time. Moreover, after adjusting the price of money, the ECB may be turning its immediate attention to the quantity - excess liquidity, contracting loans, collateral).

[ramco] 20/11/2013 14:18

Anyone who came late to this year's market party, may indeed be starting to feel a bit nervous. Here's why. The bull market is getting old. Valuations are starting to move into, or at the very least towards, the expensive zone. Divergences are starting to crop up. Sentiment indicators have been flashing yellow (if not red) lights for a while now. Corporate revenues haven't been improving at the same pace as earnings. The economy is still muddling forward at a painfully slow rate. And the Fed will have to turn off the QE spigot at some point.

To be sure, the stock market can continue to go higher. Remember, bull markets can and often do move much farther and last longer than anyone can imagine. However, given the extended nature of the bull market and the fact that algos can move the market in a hurry these days, it wouldn't take much to get a dance to the downside started. And if there was a decent reason behind the decline, well, some damage could be done.

So, despite the fact that stocks are enjoying the best year in the last fifteen, investors may be getting a little skittish at this time. Therefore, it is probably a good idea to dust off those risk management strategies as 2014 approaches. Because you just never know when something might come along to get the bears riled up.

[ramco] 20/11/2013 14:13

On the hour
S&P +0.21%.
10-yr -0.13%.
Euro -0.08% vs. dollar.
Crude +0.49% to $94.35.
Gold -0.95% to $1261.4.

[ramco] 20/11/2013 14:12

More on U.S. Retail Sales
The October read on U.S. retail sales showed general demand weakness in the U.S. unrelated to the government shutdown drama.
While the auto sector performed well, other categories including electronics and clothing only managed meager gains - while the building materials and garden equipment (HD, LOW, SHLD) category was a notable laggard.
Retail sales ex- auto were up 2.4% from a year ago.

[ramco] 20/11/2013 14:12

Retail Sales edged up 0.4%
Oct Retail Sales: +0.4% vs. +0.0% expected, +0.0% prior (revised).
Ex-auto +0.2% vs. +0.1% expected, +0.3% prior (revised).

[ramco] 20/11/2013 14:11

Consumer Price Index
Oct Consumer Price Index: -0.1% vs. +0.0% expected, +0.2% prior.
Core CPI +0.1% vs. +0.2% expected, +0.1% prior

[ramco] 20/11/2013 13:45

$2.75 - 3.5bn.....;

[ramco] 20/11/2013 13:42

The regularity in which it is occurring just before the London am fix has zerohedge pointing.... After all it is perfectly normal for someone to dump 1500 GC contracts in one trade and suck up all the liquidity from the market with zero regard slippage costs, or getting the best execution price possible. Well, it's normal if that someone is the Bank of International Settlements.

[dope007] 20/11/2013 13:38

As expected Ramco on JPM who are to big to jail

How much manipulation, sorry POMO today?

[ramco] 20/11/2013 13:36

JPM's record $13 billion deal to end probes into mortgage-bond sales may save the bank billions more because of what the agreement lacked: an explicit admission of wrongdoing.

Employees of JPMorgan and two firms it acquired knew some of the loans included in bonds didn't meet underwriting standards, a fact not shared with buyers of those securities, the U.S. Justice Department said yesterday in a statement. That doesn't mean the company misled investors, said Chief Financial Officer Marianne Lake, disputing how some state and federal officials characterized the deal.

[dope007] 20/11/2013 13:34

Yup Gold attacked with yet another massive trade designed purely to wipe out the stack.

[begorrah88] 20/11/2013 13:28

I dare say they'll look into that in about 3 years time

[leedskier] 20/11/2013 13:08

Shocking ;

[ramco] 20/11/2013 13:05

gold trading was halted for a whopping 20 seconds as the market tried to "reliquify" itself following what was a clear attempt to reprice the gold (and silver) complex lower.

[ramco] 20/11/2013 13:03

On the hour
S&P -0.06%.
10-yr -0.09%.
Euro -0.14% vs. dollar.
Crude -0.02% to $93.88.
Gold -0.97% to $1261.1.

[ramco] 20/11/2013 13:02

Same...;

Inflation seen easing
U.S. inflation data for October is scheduled to be released this morning, with economists estimating that CPI was flat on month after rising 0.2% in September.
On year inflation is seen slowing to 1% from 1.2%.
The data will be followed later in the day by the minutes of the latest FOMC meeting, which will no doubt be scrutinized for any hints as to when the Fed might finally start scaling back QE.
Given Ben Bernanke's comments yesterday that the Fed will continue its ultra easy monetary policy for as long as necessary, the taper might be a few months away yet.

[ramco] 20/11/2013 13:01

Futures little-changed with plenty of data on tap
Stock index futures are little-changed ahead a reasonably busy day of economic data topped with the release of the Fed minutes at 2 ET. Also on tap are retail sales and existing home sales.
Europe's off moderately and Asia was mixed overnight.
The 10-year Treasury yield is up 1 basis point at 2.72%.

[ramco] 20/11/2013 13:00

MBA Mortgage Applications
MBA Mortgage Applications: -2.3% vs. -1.8% last week.

[leedskier] 20/11/2013 12:57

There seem to be fresh worries every day for the boys and girls who work in the City.

Maybe they should get out and about more.

[leedskier] 20/11/2013 12:53

FTSE100 off 0.37%.

If some in the City think that cutting the legs off the Index will encourage the FCA qualified pension fund managers to switch from Gilts to Equities and provide overpaid employment and bonuses for buy side brokers, they are mistaken.

The fund managers will demand lower volatility not higher.