Global Markets and Currency Strategy by Axel Merk
Axel Merk: Gold historically adds value as a portfolio diversifier
Axel Merk discusses the role of gold in investment portfolios. He notes that, historically, gold has contributed value as a diversification tool. Merk addresses ongoing reluctance among ...
Lagarde expresses regret on forward guidance duration, Axel Merk notes
Axel Merk shares insights from the ECB Forum, highlighting that ECB President Christine Lagarde expressed regret for having maintained forward guidance for too long. Merk also references Warsh, ...
Axel Merk: Wealthy may relocate to lower tax states amid financial pressure
Axel Merk comments that wealthy individuals who feel financial pressure may consider relocating to states with lower taxes. He adds that such decisions can have broader implications beyond ...
Market will learn Warsh reaction function, Axel Merk notes
Axel Merk highlights that the current market environment gives the Federal Reserve limited options. Merk also observes that Warsh is working behind the scenes during this period. He suggests that ...
Axel Merk: Warsh aims to show new leadership with rate hold and shorter statement
Axel Merk outlines expectations for Warsh's approach to upcoming policy actions. According to Merk, Warsh is seeking to demonstrate new leadership, with a focus on indicating no change to current ...
France upgraded gold holdings for a profit, Axel Merk notes
Axel Merk reports that France repatriated its gold, exchanging nonstandard bars stored at the NY Fed for London Bars now held in France. The transaction generated a profit, driven by fears of ...
Axel Merk: California wealth tax disproportionately affects entrepreneurs with illiquid paper wealth
Axel Merk argues that California's proposed wealth tax, promoted under the idea of fairness, would disproportionately impact entrepreneurs with significant illiquid paper wealth. He notes that ...
ECB sees services decline and manufacturing gains, Axel Merk notes
Axel Merk summarizes recent comments from European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde. According to Merk, the ECB chief highlighted that services are down while manufacturing is up, partly ...
Axel Merk: Nasdaq 100 futures drop 5.5 percent with weekly return at minus 4.5 percent
Axel Merk reports that Nasdaq 100 futures are down 5.5 percent on the day. Despite this drop, Merk points out that the weekly return of minus 4.5 percent remains within two standard deviations, ...
Gold reacts to real yield changes during Iran conflict, Axel Merk notes
Axel Merk explains that gold prices have been influenced by changes in real yields. He notes that the recent conflict in Iran has been reflected as a short-term shock rather than a fundamental ...
Axel Merk: Confusion in AI, gold and markets is common
Axel Merk comments that confusion is a natural state for those closely following developments in artificial intelligence, gold, and financial markets. The statement was shared in a tweet ...
Fed faces credibility test as Powell recedes into background, Axel Merk notes
Axel Merk highlights that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell views the current environment as a stress test for the central bank, raising questions about its credibility. Merk adds that Powell's ...
Axel Merk: Dubai real estate market is showing signs of recovery
Axel Merk highlights that Dubai's real estate market is recovering. He suggests this rebound may indicate that market participants view the Iran war as being in the past, though he characterizes ...
Bond yields rose sharply last week, Axel Merk notes
Axel Merk questions why the recent sharp increase in bond market yields did not occur earlier, rather than focusing on why yields rose so much in the past week. This observation points to broader ...
Axel Merk: Politically attractive responses often outweigh economic logic in supply shocks
Axel Merk suggests that the most effective economic response to a supply shock is rarely implemented because it is politically unpopular. Instead, he observes that decision makers tend to choose ...
Sweden's economic growth outpaces Europe, Axel Merk notes
Axel Merk highlights that Sweden has shifted from its socialist system to embrace capitalism. Public social spending in Sweden has dropped to 24% of GDP, closely aligning with the U.S. figure of ...
Axel Merk: Fed independence featured at monetary policy conference
Axel Merk, industry influencer, draws attention to several noteworthy topics presented at a monetary policy conference held today. Among these, the independence of the Federal Reserve emerged as a ...
FOMC closed-door talks by Kevin Warsh preceded crisis, Axel Merk notes
Axel Merk, industry influencer, draws attention to closed-door comments by Kevin Warsh of the Federal Open Market Committee made before the financial crisis. These remarks focused on ...
Axel Merk: Easing bias behind most dissents at U.S. central bank meetings
Axel Merk, industry influencer, comments that most dissents arise from the 'easing bias' present in the U.S. central bank statement. Merk refers to a discussion by journalist Nick Timiraos on ...
Excessive regulatory requirements hinder public listings, Conor Sen notes
Conor Sen, industry influencer, draws attention to the challenges facing companies in a K-shaped economy, emphasizing that excessive regulatory hurdles—a form of red tape—make it difficult for ...
Eric Parnell: U.S. bond yield movement follows CNBC announcement on Powell investigation
Eric Parnell, industry influencer, highlights the movement in the 10-year U.S. bond yield following CNBC's announcement at 10:17 a.m. ET that the investigation into Powell has been dropped, ...
