Back

Latest Forum Topics / Neptune Orient L Rg

Post Reply

NOL Post Reply Rate topic
counter Veteran	19-Aug-2014 08:33        counter About Contact  Quote this Post! Style: Fundamental   Mood:
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	As my post is quoted, I feel obliged to respond. It is good if Russia cooperates. However, thus far, we have seen little signs of Russian cooperation. The cooperation has been largely  been lip cooperation.  Putin is a sly  leader. For stance, on the day he said that  Russia would not want a confrontation with the world,  two UK newspaper reporters saw 20 armoured vehicles crossing into Ukraine a few hours after. On the following day, witnesses saw about 50 trucks crossing into Ukraine from Russia, with military personnel on the trucks. I do not know how the the crisis would unfold but we should not take what Russia says at face value. I hope it will not escalate further.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
Lucky03 Elite	19-Aug-2014 08:09        Lucky03 About Contact  Quote this Post!
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	U.S. stocks jumped on Monday, with the Nasdaq Composite rising to its highest level since March 2000 and the price of oil falling to its lowest in more than a year, as geopolitical tensions eased. The CBOE Volatility Index, a measure of investor uncertainty, fell 6.3 percent to 12.32. Russia said a dispute over its convoy of humanitarian aid to Ukraine had been settled, and a Ukrainian official said more than five hours of discussions in Berlin had brought about "moderate progress," according to media reports. The development "points to some degree of cooperation, which is probably a constructive environment for global and domestic equities," said Jim Russell, senior equity strategist for US Bank Wealth Management. The Federal Open Market Committee meeting in the middle of September is the "next really big capital-markets event, until then, geopolitical events will have a heavy influence, especially the Russia and Ukraine conflict, when something happens, that seems to really be lighter fluid, today being a good example," Russell added. Read MoreS&P 500 back on course to target 2,000 And, Iraqi and Kurdish troops reportedly reclaimed control of the Mosul Dam after increased U.S. airstrikes aimed to help them during the weekend. counter      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 17:08) Posted: You think that I don&rsquo t get it. Do I think the same of you? No, I don&rsquo t. Rather, I think you have got what I mean but you have deliberately misinterpreted it. I am an investor and not a military strategist or advisor. Am I interested in Ukraine? Yes I am, but not so much because of my investment, but more because of loss of precious lives. So what is the purpose of providing the information on the impact of a possible escalation of the Ukraine crisis on the stock market? I felt disturbed when you said that the Ukraine crisis would likely be confined to Ukraine. I understand that you have the right to express your opinion/assessment and I respect that. However, for a veteran investor like you who have experienced many crashes, it is hard for me to believe that you really thought that the Ukraine crisis would likely be confined to Ukraine. This is especially so given the wide discussion on the issue on the major news websites in recently weeks, unless you don&rsquo t read which I again find it hard to believe, as you are a veteran investor who should know the power of reading. I think that on the issue on Ukraine, you were arguing for the sake of arguing, and in doing so, may have inadvertently misled some bros here. I do not think that this is right. Although there is no denying that you are a great contributor, your obsession with NOL have caused you to be a little too sensitive and defensive. I am expressing my view here and I think I have the same right to do so as you. I hope that NOL share price will go up although I have disposed of my holdings as some of my close friends are still holding on to their shares. Can the price hit $0.975? Yes, it can. Can the price hit $1? Yes, it can. If so, will I have any regrets? No, I won&rsquo t as my portfolio warrants the disposable of my NOL holdings. Such are parts and parcels in the stock market. Lucky03      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 12:25) Posted: Sigh .... you still don't get it. I've enough of Ukraine with you. Shall leave it to you to cover the development.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
Qanghoo Supreme	18-Aug-2014 22:40        Qanghoo About Contact  Quote this Post!
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	BDI has been steady over the last few days.  If it continues to head north, hope it' d be indicative of overcapacity receding and help firm freight rates.  Then NOL' s fortunes may improve.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
spore1 Supreme	18-Aug-2014 22:35        spore1 About Contact  Quote this Post!
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	tdy seems buying interest/accumulating at 95 cents. let' s see how it fair going forward
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
Lucky03 Elite	18-Aug-2014 22:03        Lucky03 About Contact  Quote this Post!
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	PUBLISHED AUGUST 18, 2014 Global number of container ships peaks: Drewry PRINT |EMAIL THIS ARTICLE The number of container ships transporting goods around the world has fallen in the first half of 2014 but the total capacity of the global fleet continues to increase, consulting firm Drewry Maritime Research said in a note on Monday. - PHOTO: BLOOMERG [COPENHAGEN] The number of container ships transporting goods around the world has fallen in the first half of 2014 but the total capacity of the global fleet continues to increase, consulting firm Drewry Maritime Research said in a note on Monday. Drewry Maritime Research foresees a fall in the number of container ships on an annual basis this year for the first time in at least 20 years. The container shipping industry has been struggling with over capacity because of there are too few goods to transport on too many vessels as a result of the economic downturn. Despite fewer ships, nominal capacity of the global fleet continues to increase by about 6 percent a year, Drewry said.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
Lucky03 Elite	18-Aug-2014 21:59        Lucky03 About Contact  Quote this Post!
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	Even Taiwanese liners are benefiting from the economic recovery in US and improving economy in Europe to turn profitable. If NOL can't deliver a significant profit in Q3, they should be shame of carrying the 'AP' for American President in APL !!! Evergreen, Yang Ming return to profit in Q2 By Lee Hong Liang from Singapore Taiwanese lines Evergreen Marine and Yang Ming Marine Transport posted a profitable second quarter, reversing from their losses in the same period of last year. Taiwan?s leading container carrier Evergreen posted a second quarter net profit of TWD150.2m ($5m) as against a loss of TWD400.5m in the previous corresponding period. The second quarter profit also recovered from a first quarter loss of TWD1.7bn. Revenue, however, slipped by 4% year-on-year to TWD35.2bn. Bronson Hsieh, vice chairman of Evergreen, said earlier that the company is expecting to see profit in the third quarter. Yang Ming also returned to the black with a profit of TWD224.5m from a deep loss of TWD2.6bn in the same period of 2013m, as well as a loss of TWD1.6bn in the first quarter of this year. Yang Ming?s revenue rose 5.9% year-on-year to TWD12.23bn, boosted mainly by freight rate hikes for its US trade lines. Frank Lu, chairman of Yang Ming, said the ongoing economic recovery in the US is driving market demand, while the steadily improving European economy is helping to raise rates for Asia-Mediterranean sea routes.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
counter Veteran	18-Aug-2014 10:25        counter About Contact  Quote this Post! Style: Fundamental   Mood:
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	May close above $0.97 this week
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
phileasx Member	18-Aug-2014 10:13        phileasx About Contact  Quote this Post!   Yells: "The market and your trades and positions are all linked!"
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	0.96 level has to hold this week.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
Lucky03 Elite	17-Aug-2014 17:15        Lucky03 About Contact  Quote this Post!
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	NOL held onto 0.96 without skipping back into 0.95 was a good sign. In fact, selling was well absorbed throughout the day. The 50D MA is poised to swing upwards. Hope to see next week demonstrating further strength in line with the generally positive overall market growth sat over last few weeks. stevenk      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 14:11) Posted: Agreed. Must close above 97.5cents. counter      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 13:55) Posted: Possibl
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
counter Veteran	17-Aug-2014 17:08        counter About Contact  Quote this Post! Style: Fundamental   Mood:
x 0   x 1  Alert Admin	You think that I don&rsquo t get it. Do I think the same of you? No, I don&rsquo t. Rather, I think you have got what I mean but you have deliberately misinterpreted it. I am an investor and not a military strategist or advisor. Am I interested in Ukraine? Yes I am, but not so much because of my investment, but more because of loss of precious lives. So what is the purpose of providing the information on the impact of a possible escalation of the Ukraine crisis on the stock market? I felt disturbed when you said that the Ukraine crisis would likely be confined to Ukraine. I understand that you have the right to express your opinion/assessment and I respect that. However, for a veteran investor like you who have experienced many crashes, it is hard for me to believe that you really thought that the Ukraine crisis would likely be confined to Ukraine. This is especially so given the wide discussion on the issue on the major news websites in recently weeks, unless you don&rsquo t read which I again find it hard to believe, as you are a veteran investor who should know the power of reading. I think that on the issue on Ukraine, you were arguing for the sake of arguing, and in doing so, may have inadvertently misled some bros here. I do not think that this is right. Although there is no denying that you are a great contributor, your obsession with NOL have caused you to be a little too sensitive and defensive. I am expressing my view here and I think I have the same right to do so as you. I hope that NOL share price will go up although I have disposed of my holdings as some of my close friends are still holding on to their shares. Can the price hit $0.975? Yes, it can. Can the price hit $1? Yes, it can. If so, will I have any regrets? No, I won&rsquo t as my portfolio warrants the disposable of my NOL holdings. Such are parts and parcels in the stock market. Lucky03      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 12:25) Posted: Sigh .... you still don't get it. I've enough of Ukraine with you. Shall leave it to you to cover the development. counter      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 10:15) Posted: Thank you for spending much time reading and providing this important infomation for the forummers here. I believe you now have a better understanding of the impact of an escalation of the Ukraine crisis on the stock as a whole. However, in times of uncertainty, although businesses will go on, they may or may not grow, and this explains why recession does occur. The effects here are not only on NOL and the stock market as a whole, but also on many other aspects of life.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
stevenk Senior	17-Aug-2014 14:11        stevenk About Contact  Quote this Post!
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	Agreed. Must close above 97.5cents. counter      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 13:55) Posted: Possible spore1      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 12:51) Posted: attempting 97.5 cents soon
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
counter Veteran	17-Aug-2014 13:55        counter About Contact  Quote this Post! Style: Fundamental   Mood:
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	Possible spore1      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 12:51) Posted: attempting 97.5 cents soon
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
Lucky03 Elite	17-Aug-2014 13:03        Lucky03 About Contact  Quote this Post!
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	That I support. spore1      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 12:51) Posted: attempting 97.5 cents soon
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
spore1 Supreme	17-Aug-2014 12:51        spore1 About Contact  Quote this Post!
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	attempting 97.5 cents soon
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
Lucky03 Elite	17-Aug-2014 12:25        Lucky03 About Contact  Quote this Post!
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	Sigh .... you still don't get it. I've enough of Ukraine with you. Shall leave it to you to cover the development. counter      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 10:15) Posted: Thank you for spending much time reading and providing this important infomation for the forummers here. I believe you now have a better understanding of the impact of an escalation of the Ukraine crisis on the stock as a whole. However, in times of uncertainty, although businesses will go on, they may or may not grow, and this explains why recession does occur. The effects here are not only on NOL and the stock market as a whole, but also on many other aspects of life. Lucky03      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 08:46) Posted: Below is a good summary of the gloom and doom of world geopolitical state from Yahoo site. Make your own assessment and decide your investment strategy and horizon. These issues will always be there in different shapes, scale and impact and time horizon. Businesses and livelihood will go on and grow even in such times of uncertainty. It is not merely NOL but the market as a whole. https://m.yahoo.com/w/legobpengine/finance/news/why-global-turmoil-hasnt-sunk-170457458--finance.html?.b=index&.cf3=TOP+STORIES&.cf4=4&.cf5=Associated+Press&.cf6=%2F&.ts=1408235351&.intl=sg&.lang=en-sg&.ysid=.abgU4bZojiCbSSN3bk6eJod NEW YORK (AP) -- Europe appears on the brink of another recession. Islamic militants have seized Iraqi territory. Russian troops have massed on the Ukraine border, and the resulting sanctions are disrupting trade. An Ebola outbreak in Africa and Israel's war in Gaza are contributing to the gloom. It's been a grim summer in much of the world. Yet investors in the United States have largely shrugged it off ? so far at least. A big reason is that five years after the Great Recession officially ended, the U.S. economy is showing a strength and durability that other major nations can only envy. Thanks in part to the Federal Reserve's ultra-low interest rates, employers have ramped up hiring, factories have boosted production and businesses have been making money. All of this has cushioned the U.S. economy from the economic damage abroad. And investors have responded by keeping U.S. stocks near all-time highs. Not even reports Friday of a Ukrainian attack on Russian military vehicles unnerved investors for long, with blue chip stocks regaining nearly all their midday losses by the close. "We're in a much better place psychologically," says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. "And it's allowing us to weather the geopolitical threats much more gracefully." Still, the global turmoil comes at a delicate time. China, the world's second-biggest economy, is struggling to contain the fallout from a runaway lending and investment boom that's powered its growth since before the 2008 financial crisis. The economies of Japan and Germany, the world's third- and fourth-largest, shrank in the spring. So did Italy's. It might not take much ? an oil-price spike, a prolonged recession in Europe, a plunge in business or consumer confidence ? to derail the global economy. Here's a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S economy and others, and why the calm in markets may or may not last: STRENGTHS: ? MORE JOBS Hiring in the United States has surged in the first seven months of this year. Monthly job gains are averaging a solid and steady 230,000, based on government figures. That's roughly an average of 35,000 more jobs each month compared with last year. Fewer people are applying for unemployment benefits. And fewer new hires are working as temps. Both trends suggest stronger job security. Economists say the cumulative effect of all those additional paychecks should propel growth and help insulate the U.S. economy from trouble abroad. Though low-paying industries account for much of the hiring, many economists foresee more jobs coming from higher-wage industries such as construction, engineering and consulting. Zandi expects monthly job growth to accelerate to an average of 275,000 sometime next year. ? RECORD PROFITS Earnings at companies in the Standard and Poor's 500 index are on track to jump 10 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, according to S&P Capital IQ, a research firm. That would be the biggest quarterly gain in nearly three years. That news has helped the S&P 500 index climb nearly 6 percent this year, extending a bull market into its sixth year. The gains have been remarkably steady, too. The stock market hasn't suffered a "correction" ? a drop of 10 percent ? in nearly three years, twice as long as is typical. Still, some markets outside the U.S. are falling. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 is down 6 percent this year. Germany's DAX has lost nearly 5 percent, and France's CAC 40 is down 3 percent. At the same time, global investors have been pouring money into U.S. Treasurys, long seen as a safe bet in troubled times. The yield on Treasury notes maturing in 10 years, which falls when demand rises, hit 2.3 percent on Friday, its lowest level in more than a year. Christine Short, a director at S&P Capital IQ, worries that more grim news from abroad could send U.S. stocks tumbling. "Markets are ripe for correction," she says. "The only question is, What is the catalyst?" ? HELP FROM CENTRAL BANKS The Fed has been paring its pace of bond purchases and will end them altogether this fall. The purchases have been intended to hold down longer-term rates and prod consumers and businesses to borrow and spend. But the Fed has stressed that it will keep short-term rates at low levels even if unemployment reaches a level usually linked to rising inflation. Before raising rates, the Fed wants to see "the whites of the eyes of a real recovery and wage growth," says Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial. Many economists project that the Fed won't lift short-term rates until mid-2015. Another plus for economies, at least in the short-term: The Fed's low-rate policies have influenced other central banks. The Bank of Japan is buying bonds to stimulate growth and the European Central Bank is facing calls to do so itself. THREATS: ? FOREIGN EXPOSURE Though the U.S. economy has managed so far to withstand the economic and geopolitical turmoil abroad, it isn't immune to it. And the bad news kept coming this past week. The 18-country eurozone, a key region that emerged from recession last year and accounts for nearly a fifth of global output, failed to grow at all in the second quarter of the year. "The European recovery is faltering," says Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank. Escalating tension between the West and Russia isn't helping. Exports from the eurozone to Russia account for less than 1 percent of the region's economic output. But Germany, Europe's largest economy, is vulnerable. It gets nearly all its natural gas from Russia. The German economy contracted 0.2 percent in the second quarter compared with the previous quarter. And business confidence in Germany is plummeting. Tom Stringfellow, chief investment officer at Frost Investment Advisors, says the tit-for-tat sanctions between the West and Russia over Ukraine could push the eurozone over the edge. "Unless that is resolved quickly, you could see another recession," he says. Nearly half of revenue in the companies in the S&P 500 comes from selling abroad. And exports contributed 14 percent of U.S. economic output last year, up from 9 percent in 2002. ? WHERE ARE THE SHOPPERS? Retail sales stalled in the United States last month. Wage growth has failed to surpass inflation, leaving many consumers unwilling or unable to spend more. Sales at auto dealers and department stores fell in July. Wal-Mart this week cut its profit outlook. Macy's trimmed its sales forecast. "Consumers are finding they can live without a lot of the stuff they used to buy automatically," says Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors, in a research note. "Right now, people are just not parting with their hard-earned funds." It's not just U.S. consumers who are spending less. Japan's economy cratered in the April-June quarter, due to a sales tax hike. The economy there shrank 6.8 percent from a year earlier. And shoppers face another sales tax increase in October 2015. ? OIL SPIKE Will fighting in Iraq and Ukraine upend global energy markets, and raise the cost of filling your gas tank and heating your home? Europe is worried because it gets much of its natural gas from Russia. And Iraq is the second-biggest OPEC oil producer. Before dropping last month, crude oil prices hit a 10-month high in June on news of victories by Islamic State fighters. In the United States, gasoline is averaging $3.47 a gallon, according to AAA. That's down 7 cents from last year. But the benefits of cheaper gas could be erased if supplies were disrupted. Consumers would be hit by what economists consider the equivalent of a tax increase. One positive to come out of the dire economic situation? Because so many countries are struggling to grow, demand for oil is restrained. On Tuesday, the International Energy Agency lowered its forecast for global demand this year.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
counter Veteran	17-Aug-2014 10:15        counter About Contact  Quote this Post! Style: Fundamental   Mood:
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	Thank you for spending much time reading and providing this important infomation for the forummers here. I believe you now have a better understanding of the impact of an escalation of the Ukraine crisis on the stock as a whole. However, in times of uncertainty, although businesses will go on, they may or may not grow, and this explains why recession does occur. The effects here are not only on NOL and the stock market as a whole, but also on many other aspects of life. Lucky03      ( Date: 17-Aug-2014 08:46) Posted: Below is a good summary of the gloom and doom of world geopolitical state from Yahoo site. Make your own assessment and decide your investment strategy and horizon. These issues will always be there in different shapes, scale and impact and time horizon. Businesses and livelihood will go on and grow even in such times of uncertainty. It is not merely NOL but the market as a whole. https://m.yahoo.com/w/legobpengine/finance/news/why-global-turmoil-hasnt-sunk-170457458--finance.html?.b=index&.cf3=TOP+STORIES&.cf4=4&.cf5=Associated+Press&.cf6=%2F&.ts=1408235351&.intl=sg&.lang=en-sg&.ysid=.abgU4bZojiCbSSN3bk6eJod NEW YORK (AP) -- Europe appears on the brink of another recession. Islamic militants have seized Iraqi territory. Russian troops have massed on the Ukraine border, and the resulting sanctions are disrupting trade. An Ebola outbreak in Africa and Israel's war in Gaza are contributing to the gloom. It's been a grim summer in much of the world. Yet investors in the United States have largely shrugged it off ? so far at least. A big reason is that five years after the Great Recession officially ended, the U.S. economy is showing a strength and durability that other major nations can only envy. Thanks in part to the Federal Reserve's ultra-low interest rates, employers have ramped up hiring, factories have boosted production and businesses have been making money. All of this has cushioned the U.S. economy from the economic damage abroad. And investors have responded by keeping U.S. stocks near all-time highs. Not even reports Friday of a Ukrainian attack on Russian military vehicles unnerved investors for long, with blue chip stocks regaining nearly all their midday losses by the close. "We're in a much better place psychologically," says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. "And it's allowing us to weather the geopolitical threats much more gracefully." Still, the global turmoil comes at a delicate time. China, the world's second-biggest economy, is struggling to contain the fallout from a runaway lending and investment boom that's powered its growth since before the 2008 financial crisis. The economies of Japan and Germany, the world's third- and fourth-largest, shrank in the spring. So did Italy's. It might not take much ? an oil-price spike, a prolonged recession in Europe, a plunge in business or consumer confidence ? to derail the global economy. Here's a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S economy and others, and why the calm in markets may or may not last: STRENGTHS: ? MORE JOBS Hiring in the United States has surged in the first seven months of this year. Monthly job gains are averaging a solid and steady 230,000, based on government figures. That's roughly an average of 35,000 more jobs each month compared with last year. Fewer people are applying for unemployment benefits. And fewer new hires are working as temps. Both trends suggest stronger job security. Economists say the cumulative effect of all those additional paychecks should propel growth and help insulate the U.S. economy from trouble abroad. Though low-paying industries account for much of the hiring, many economists foresee more jobs coming from higher-wage industries such as construction, engineering and consulting. Zandi expects monthly job growth to accelerate to an average of 275,000 sometime next year. ? RECORD PROFITS Earnings at companies in the Standard and Poor's 500 index are on track to jump 10 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, according to S&P Capital IQ, a research firm. That would be the biggest quarterly gain in nearly three years. That news has helped the S&P 500 index climb nearly 6 percent this year, extending a bull market into its sixth year. The gains have been remarkably steady, too. The stock market hasn't suffered a "correction" ? a drop of 10 percent ? in nearly three years, twice as long as is typical. Still, some markets outside the U.S. are falling. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 is down 6 percent this year. Germany's DAX has lost nearly 5 percent, and France's CAC 40 is down 3 percent. At the same time, global investors have been pouring money into U.S. Treasurys, long seen as a safe bet in troubled times. The yield on Treasury notes maturing in 10 years, which falls when demand rises, hit 2.3 percent on Friday, its lowest level in more than a year. Christine Short, a director at S&P Capital IQ, worries that more grim news from abroad could send U.S. stocks tumbling. "Markets are ripe for correction," she says. "The only question is, What is the catalyst?" ? HELP FROM CENTRAL BANKS The Fed has been paring its pace of bond purchases and will end them altogether this fall. The purchases have been intended to hold down longer-term rates and prod consumers and businesses to borrow and spend. But the Fed has stressed that it will keep short-term rates at low levels even if unemployment reaches a level usually linked to rising inflation. Before raising rates, the Fed wants to see "the whites of the eyes of a real recovery and wage growth," says Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial. Many economists project that the Fed won't lift short-term rates until mid-2015. Another plus for economies, at least in the short-term: The Fed's low-rate policies have influenced other central banks. The Bank of Japan is buying bonds to stimulate growth and the European Central Bank is facing calls to do so itself. THREATS: ? FOREIGN EXPOSURE Though the U.S. economy has managed so far to withstand the economic and geopolitical turmoil abroad, it isn't immune to it. And the bad news kept coming this past week. The 18-country eurozone, a key region that emerged from recession last year and accounts for nearly a fifth of global output, failed to grow at all in the second quarter of the year. "The European recovery is faltering," says Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank. Escalating tension between the West and Russia isn't helping. Exports from the eurozone to Russia account for less than 1 percent of the region's economic output. But Germany, Europe's largest economy, is vulnerable. It gets nearly all its natural gas from Russia. The German economy contracted 0.2 percent in the second quarter compared with the previous quarter. And business confidence in Germany is plummeting. Tom Stringfellow, chief investment officer at Frost Investment Advisors, says the tit-for-tat sanctions between the West and Russia over Ukraine could push the eurozone over the edge. "Unless that is resolved quickly, you could see another recession," he says. Nearly half of revenue in the companies in the S&P 500 comes from selling abroad. And exports contributed 14 percent of U.S. economic output last year, up from 9 percent in 2002. ? WHERE ARE THE SHOPPERS? Retail sales stalled in the United States last month. Wage growth has failed to surpass inflation, leaving many consumers unwilling or unable to spend more. Sales at auto dealers and department stores fell in July. Wal-Mart this week cut its profit outlook. Macy's trimmed its sales forecast. "Consumers are finding they can live without a lot of the stuff they used to buy automatically," says Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors, in a research note. "Right now, people are just not parting with their hard-earned funds." It's not just U.S. consumers who are spending less. Japan's economy cratered in the April-June quarter, due to a sales tax hike. The economy there shrank 6.8 percent from a year earlier. And shoppers face another sales tax increase in October 2015. ? OIL SPIKE Will fighting in Iraq and Ukraine upend global energy markets, and raise the cost of filling your gas tank and heating your home? Europe is worried because it gets much of its natural gas from Russia. And Iraq is the second-biggest OPEC oil producer. Before dropping last month, crude oil prices hit a 10-month high in June on news of victories by Islamic State fighters. In the United States, gasoline is averaging $3.47 a gallon, according to AAA. That's down 7 cents from last year. But the benefits of cheaper gas could be erased if supplies were disrupted. Consumers would be hit by what economists consider the equivalent of a tax increase. One positive to come out of the dire economic situation? Because so many countries are struggling to grow, demand for oil is restrained. On Tuesday, the International Energy Agency lowered its forecast for global demand this year.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
Lucky03 Elite	17-Aug-2014 08:46        Lucky03 About Contact  Quote this Post!
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	Below is a good summary of the gloom and doom of world geopolitical state from Yahoo site. Make your own assessment and decide your investment strategy and horizon. These issues will always be there in different shapes, scale and impact and time horizon. Businesses and livelihood will go on and grow even in such times of uncertainty. It is not merely NOL but the market as a whole. https://m.yahoo.com/w/legobpengine/finance/news/why-global-turmoil-hasnt-sunk-170457458--finance.html?.b=index&.cf3=TOP+STORIES&.cf4=4&.cf5=Associated+Press&.cf6=%2F&.ts=1408235351&.intl=sg&.lang=en-sg&.ysid=.abgU4bZojiCbSSN3bk6eJod NEW YORK (AP) -- Europe appears on the brink of another recession. Islamic militants have seized Iraqi territory. Russian troops have massed on the Ukraine border, and the resulting sanctions are disrupting trade. An Ebola outbreak in Africa and Israel's war in Gaza are contributing to the gloom. It's been a grim summer in much of the world. Yet investors in the United States have largely shrugged it off ? so far at least. A big reason is that five years after the Great Recession officially ended, the U.S. economy is showing a strength and durability that other major nations can only envy. Thanks in part to the Federal Reserve's ultra-low interest rates, employers have ramped up hiring, factories have boosted production and businesses have been making money. All of this has cushioned the U.S. economy from the economic damage abroad. And investors have responded by keeping U.S. stocks near all-time highs. Not even reports Friday of a Ukrainian attack on Russian military vehicles unnerved investors for long, with blue chip stocks regaining nearly all their midday losses by the close. "We're in a much better place psychologically," says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. "And it's allowing us to weather the geopolitical threats much more gracefully." Still, the global turmoil comes at a delicate time. China, the world's second-biggest economy, is struggling to contain the fallout from a runaway lending and investment boom that's powered its growth since before the 2008 financial crisis. The economies of Japan and Germany, the world's third- and fourth-largest, shrank in the spring. So did Italy's. It might not take much ? an oil-price spike, a prolonged recession in Europe, a plunge in business or consumer confidence ? to derail the global economy. Here's a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S economy and others, and why the calm in markets may or may not last: STRENGTHS: ? MORE JOBS Hiring in the United States has surged in the first seven months of this year. Monthly job gains are averaging a solid and steady 230,000, based on government figures. That's roughly an average of 35,000 more jobs each month compared with last year. Fewer people are applying for unemployment benefits. And fewer new hires are working as temps. Both trends suggest stronger job security. Economists say the cumulative effect of all those additional paychecks should propel growth and help insulate the U.S. economy from trouble abroad. Though low-paying industries account for much of the hiring, many economists foresee more jobs coming from higher-wage industries such as construction, engineering and consulting. Zandi expects monthly job growth to accelerate to an average of 275,000 sometime next year. ? RECORD PROFITS Earnings at companies in the Standard and Poor's 500 index are on track to jump 10 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, according to S&P Capital IQ, a research firm. That would be the biggest quarterly gain in nearly three years. That news has helped the S&P 500 index climb nearly 6 percent this year, extending a bull market into its sixth year. The gains have been remarkably steady, too. The stock market hasn't suffered a "correction" ? a drop of 10 percent ? in nearly three years, twice as long as is typical. Still, some markets outside the U.S. are falling. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 is down 6 percent this year. Germany's DAX has lost nearly 5 percent, and France's CAC 40 is down 3 percent. At the same time, global investors have been pouring money into U.S. Treasurys, long seen as a safe bet in troubled times. The yield on Treasury notes maturing in 10 years, which falls when demand rises, hit 2.3 percent on Friday, its lowest level in more than a year. Christine Short, a director at S&P Capital IQ, worries that more grim news from abroad could send U.S. stocks tumbling. "Markets are ripe for correction," she says. "The only question is, What is the catalyst?" ? HELP FROM CENTRAL BANKS The Fed has been paring its pace of bond purchases and will end them altogether this fall. The purchases have been intended to hold down longer-term rates and prod consumers and businesses to borrow and spend. But the Fed has stressed that it will keep short-term rates at low levels even if unemployment reaches a level usually linked to rising inflation. Before raising rates, the Fed wants to see "the whites of the eyes of a real recovery and wage growth," says Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial. Many economists project that the Fed won't lift short-term rates until mid-2015. Another plus for economies, at least in the short-term: The Fed's low-rate policies have influenced other central banks. The Bank of Japan is buying bonds to stimulate growth and the European Central Bank is facing calls to do so itself. THREATS: ? FOREIGN EXPOSURE Though the U.S. economy has managed so far to withstand the economic and geopolitical turmoil abroad, it isn't immune to it. And the bad news kept coming this past week. The 18-country eurozone, a key region that emerged from recession last year and accounts for nearly a fifth of global output, failed to grow at all in the second quarter of the year. "The European recovery is faltering," says Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank. Escalating tension between the West and Russia isn't helping. Exports from the eurozone to Russia account for less than 1 percent of the region's economic output. But Germany, Europe's largest economy, is vulnerable. It gets nearly all its natural gas from Russia. The German economy contracted 0.2 percent in the second quarter compared with the previous quarter. And business confidence in Germany is plummeting. Tom Stringfellow, chief investment officer at Frost Investment Advisors, says the tit-for-tat sanctions between the West and Russia over Ukraine could push the eurozone over the edge. "Unless that is resolved quickly, you could see another recession," he says. Nearly half of revenue in the companies in the S&P 500 comes from selling abroad. And exports contributed 14 percent of U.S. economic output last year, up from 9 percent in 2002. ? WHERE ARE THE SHOPPERS? Retail sales stalled in the United States last month. Wage growth has failed to surpass inflation, leaving many consumers unwilling or unable to spend more. Sales at auto dealers and department stores fell in July. Wal-Mart this week cut its profit outlook. Macy's trimmed its sales forecast. "Consumers are finding they can live without a lot of the stuff they used to buy automatically," says Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors, in a research note. "Right now, people are just not parting with their hard-earned funds." It's not just U.S. consumers who are spending less. Japan's economy cratered in the April-June quarter, due to a sales tax hike. The economy there shrank 6.8 percent from a year earlier. And shoppers face another sales tax increase in October 2015. ? OIL SPIKE Will fighting in Iraq and Ukraine upend global energy markets, and raise the cost of filling your gas tank and heating your home? Europe is worried because it gets much of its natural gas from Russia. And Iraq is the second-biggest OPEC oil producer. Before dropping last month, crude oil prices hit a 10-month high in June on news of victories by Islamic State fighters. In the United States, gasoline is averaging $3.47 a gallon, according to AAA. That's down 7 cents from last year. But the benefits of cheaper gas could be erased if supplies were disrupted. Consumers would be hit by what economists consider the equivalent of a tax increase. One positive to come out of the dire economic situation? Because so many countries are struggling to grow, demand for oil is restrained. On Tuesday, the International Energy Agency lowered its forecast for global demand this year.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
counter Veteran	16-Aug-2014 18:06        counter About Contact  Quote this Post! Style: Fundamental   Mood:
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	To the bros in this forum, the Ukraine crisis may or may not escalate further. That said, it is important not to totally ignore the issue and its impact on  your portfolio. The effect of the of the crisis on the stock market last night is a good reminder of the importance of consideration of geo-political factors when making investment decisions, especially with a mid-term view. Further, what triggered the temporary sell-off last night was only  20 Russian armoured vehicles. Try to image the impact of a deployment of the 45000 Russian troops currently stationed on the border.  I personally do not wish the crisis to further escalate as I still have quite a substantial stock holdings, many more lives will be lost aside. Although I remain optimistic about the future of NOL, my portfolio and the circumstantial and development factors warrant my sale of NOL shares. However, as your portfolio would probably be different from mine, what applies to me may not apply to you. Indeed, for some bros here, your portfolio may warrant the acquisition of even more NOL shares. Whatever it is, it is good to keep abreast of times.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
counter Veteran	16-Aug-2014 17:41        counter About Contact  Quote this Post! Style: Fundamental   Mood:
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	You may also want to think about the impact of an escalation of the Ukraine crisis on oil prices and the subsequent impact on the world economy.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me
counter Veteran	16-Aug-2014 17:27        counter About Contact  Quote this Post! Style: Fundamental   Mood:
x 0   x 0  Alert Admin	quote Back to Ukraine, history will reveal that at the end of the day, the US and European will not do things that will hurt themselves ultimately. unquote (Lucky03) Are you sure about your above statement? You can do some basic reading before answering the question.
Useful To Me  Not Useful To Me

                                                         First   < Newer   6961-6980 of 11177   Older>   Last