The Best One can do Now !

  The best one can do now is hold onto sections of stocks one knows are going to be needed in future to supply the needs of the world popula...

About Me

Retired but always looking for new challenges.
Showing posts with label European Union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label European Union. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

THE BREXIT IMPASSE CONTINUES

 19/10/2019 TODAY SATURDAY
   COULD BE THAT THE "LETWIN "AMENDMENT IS A BACK DOOR BY THE CONSERVATIVES TO PREVENT THE OPPOSITION FROM SEIZING THE HIGH GROUND AND DICTATING EVENTS FROM HERE ON!  IT CAN WORK! 
HOWEVER IT CAN GO HORRIBLY WRONG AND RESULT IN "HUNG" DECISIONS IF ALLOWED TO DRAG ON INDEFINITELY!


1THE BREXIT IMPASSE IS NOT BOUND UP 
IN VIRTURIOUS REASON OF NOT 
SUCCEEDING BUT IN SELF INTEREST.
THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS NOBLE OF 
GIVING THE VOTE TO THE POPULACE 
THROUGH 
A REFERENDUM AS THERE HAS ALWAYS 
BEEN DISATISFACTION BY THE UNITED KINDOM CITIZENS OF RULE FROM BRUSSELS AS THE FEELING THAT THEIR NEEDS WERE NOT UNDERSTOOD BY MAINLAND EUROPE.
   Underlying this these independent peoples of the British Isles enjoyed the structures of no written constitution which a great deal of trust to make the system work and having a constitutional monarch at the head guaranting that this would continue for all time.
Europe was slowly whittling these freedoms away.
  Now of course opposition parties to the government are more interested in winning power than  finding a way out of this mess and by-passing the populace,while filling the voters heads with heads with horror stories of what awaits them if they leave the European Union!
   All this delay is having a horrendous effect upon industry as preparing for exit at each given date costs individual companies many millions of pounds.
 What is required if only a blip in this most democratic of all countries is for a strong leader to proceed with the exit as soon as possible,then sort out all processes that are 
skewed later.Self interest of the stayers and those afraid of their own shadow must be overcome.

SEE LATEST PAGE UPDATES IN THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN ABOVE HOME
 1.MEDIUM CAP UPDATE 9/10/2019
 2. REAL ESTATE UPDATE 10/10 2019
 3.Spring final update in top 40 now time to concentrate on summer and autunm updates.
 4.My new specialist watchlist updated 18/10/2019 
  5. UNDER THE RADAR updater October 2019
 6. SEE THE NEW MINING UPDATE OCT 28 ,2019

Thursday, December 1, 2016

The year that was !

This has been a year  in which there have been more financial  and political shocks worldwide than normal.Growing  populations have become more restive and even rebellious as the recession lingered on. At year end America is well on the way to recovery and the first sprigs of recovery are seen in Europe and Asia. As always Africa is lagging. 
How ever a pleasing change has been seen on the African Continent as populations strive for more accountability and less graft  top of government officials. This is playing itself out especially here in  South Africa as we strive to avoid  downgrades in our borrowing to junk status. As many other major countries have failed this test of morality we have for a second time avoided this fate.
It must be remembered that we produce 80% of the world platinum group metals and also a full range of base metals and minerals.
How ever at the present price of platinum, around $900 per ounce it is being produced at a loss. There is already a shortage of 20% in  ounces, per annum, built up and as fuel cells and other catalytic converters are needed for cleaner air become the vogue. In the last ten years the price has suddenly spurted by a couple of hundred USA dollars per ounce! this exciting event can happen again. Do remember it takes five years to ramp up and open mothballed areas in existing mines and a great deal longer in new developments!
I wish all our readers,Google and our advertisers all the best for 2017.




Saturday, July 2, 2016

RAND STRENGTH

During the whole Brexit fiasco the Rand held up surprisingly well, losing very little against the US Dollar.
 As Soon as the initial panic ended it made it all back in three days! Compare this with other countries through out the world where a rout took place as if a comet was threatening the world.
The reason was that longer term mutual funds, large conglomerates and longer term traders  are looking to receive a better returns on their investments.  Most first world investments such as bonds are now in negative territory ,so large investments are losing money. 
 First our bonds were in demand again and large cash flows are coming in. Our bonds are still around 7% positive.
Now our mining shares are starting to take off as modest demand  to return and risk on investments are coming into vogue again.
                                         ALSO


1.The British Commonwealth will in the long run be better off ,as will British relations with those countries as the European grouping have been urging Britain to cut favourable trade deals to its former empire! South Africa is also a member of the commonwealth.
2. The reason for the no vote winning was the European Union showing little resolution to curb illegal immigration, which any thinking person could see would lead to  WORK BECOMING VERY SCARCE AND COUNTRIES STRUGGLING WITH MONIES TO PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES FOR THEIR OWN POPULATIONS ,LET ALONE ILLEGAL FOREIGNERS !

Friday, October 2, 2015

October Updates and Notes

 UPDATES SEE ABOVE  INDEX

TOP 40 UPDATES SEE ABOVE 19/10/2015

SMALL CAP UPDATE 16/10/2015

MY SPECIALIST WATCH LIST UPDATE 12/10/2015


NOTE 2  A SURVEY CARRIED OUT IN EUROPE SHOWS THAT THE WORKERS  THAT WORK THE LONGEST HOURS ARE NOT IN GERMANY OR FRANCE BUT IN GREECE. IT ALSO SHOWED THAT IN ALL THE MAIN COUNTRIES PRODUCTION IS FALTERING AND THERE NOT ENOUGH JOBS FOR THEIR CITIZENS,NOW EXCREBRIATED BY THE INFLUX OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS!


NOTE 1 Some newspapers now are predicting that mineral production will never again produce any profits.Yes there has been a seven year decline in prices and many mines and mining houses are in trouble.
  The main reason is that in the twenty years preceding the decline prices soared as there were shortages for the main part of most types of minerals ,resulting in ramping up supplies resulting in over supply. Even when the writing was on the wall ,copious amounts were produced, such as iron ore.
  Many mines are now being moth-balled or going bankrupt. Minerals will always be needed for our growing world populations and the cycle will eventually be reversed again.
  LET  HOPE MORE SENSE WILL BE USED IN FUTURE SO AS NOT TO GET INTO THE BOOM , BUST CYCLE AGAIN!

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Greek Default

The 30 June 2015 was default day. It has been obvious that this day has been coming for a number of years. This has not been a purely Greek fault and  the main drivers  such as France and Germany have been responsible for much of the pain Greece will now have to bear. The Euro monetary unit is certainly not based on democracy as last year when Greece was first entering a greater discomfort zone and they proposed a  democratic referendum to decide if they should break ranks with the Euro Unit ,draconian action was promised against  the then government, who were then incidently pro Euro.  So resentment was built up against the union. Obviously the main drivers of the Euro monetary unit wanted give their private citizens time to unwind their exposure to Greece.
Now towards the end of the saga they seemed to impose more impossible conditions upon Greece, knowing full well that Greece could not meet them so as to shift the blame fully to them and away from the Union. Greece gave in on most points ,but then always more was required.
  To say that Greece only represents about 4% of the Euro trade and will have only minimal effect upon the union in a break up is also not true. Do remember the citizens and their government have withdrawing Euros from those been injected into their banks which might now might be billions.
So when Greece returns to their original currency,  which say they devalue by 40% then they will still have the Euros which could threaten the stability of the European Union. These moves of the major countries in Europe are not lost on other Mediterranean  countries I am sure.
 Another worrying aspect of this debacle is that Greece has always been a staunch member of Nato.  No doubt Russia would help Greece and those ties would weaken!

Sunday, February 1, 2015

THE WORLD DEFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT

   This state of affairs has been well documented  and commented upon. I therefore wish only then to point out some of the effects upon our  Southern African region.
Rest  of   this post below notes
1.Latest update at bottom of index above.
2,Use the left hand side bar to cluster articles on various subjects.
3 Read Our Mining and Mineral News for latest on those subjects see above for address.  See the NEW page in the side-bar on Mining houses and Holding companies.
   At this stage we have to believe that the bond buying programme ,now called their "quantitative easing  programme " despite all its inefficientcies in the Euro zone will help reverse the deflation which is now gripping this region. After all the American QE has definitely left the economy there in a better mode. 
   As far as we go on our REITS on the JSE that concentrate on Europe are flying as they are now buying European property portfolios in their depressed markets and will hopefully provide good growth as they restore their confidence.
   On the negative side is our export of all kinds minerals . There is really not a market now for our base and industrial metals with falling prices as well as our precious metals, and only rare metals prices are holding up. As mines become unprofitable they forced to either close or cut back drastically on staff ,leading to social unrest which might come back to bite the Western world sooner than they think. Another unfavourable outcome is that Eastern Socialist countries are moving into Africa mining whole sale and buying up these assets at fire sale prices!

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Currency Surprises

   Well  Quantitative Easing (QE) has finally ended in the United States and there was a quick nervous retreat in the market ,how ever the turn around in the States continues with business improving visibly. Which ever way we look at it there was not enough money as before floating around in the world to kick-start the rest of the world economies.
See the rest of this post below the following notes
5.See the summer update above 24/11/2014
4.See first Autumn update above 17/11/2014
3. The newest update is always at the bottom of the index above.
2.  See our small cap list we chose for 2014 ,we are happy that it has performed so well to date! Also 12/11 update
1.See parts A and B of my specialist watchlists which been updated above 10/11/2014 
   The Ukraine crises had crimped Europe's economies as the trade war with Russia intensifies. Even the two main drivers of the Euro zone, namely France  and Germany were starting to
feel the head-winds with exports falling and work becoming scarcer.
    The Far East had its own problems with the Chinese boom stagnating and Japan trying to break out of a three decade deflationary cycle. In China  there have been signs that they are starting to stimulate their property sector as this in the past led to a boom that then extended to other sectors of the market.       
   This then has a knock on effect on all other economies that supply China with resources especially and then other goods benefit as well.
 Japan's population have also recently chosen  a more radical government that that is prepared to take on a new course of action. As soon as they entered office they increased the money supply. This helped awhile then the status quo began to reappear. Now they have taken the gamble to create  money ,increasing by another two thirds, their own "Quantitative Easing  !". This has had an  electric effect upon the world as they have stated that will pump some of this money into surrounding economies. This all happened on the 30 of October. This has come just at the right time to fill the gap left by the ending of the QE gap. Our South African stock market shot up by over 1000 points  which is very unusual as this is more than double the usual daily moves. The rest of the world also improved.
   The Eurozone is also heading in the direction of easing credit after seeing the effect it had in America and the rest of the world is following this example.
   Our South African Rand has began to stabilize again as the IMF seems pleased at the moves our minister s taking to improve our currency.

Monday, July 1, 2013

IMPORTANT VISITOR

President Obama has visited our shores.This is of great  importance to us as we are the leading most advanced  country on the African continent. He has agreed to push congress to pass an extension to the AGOA agreement which gives forty four countries in Africa almost duty free entry  for a variety of products.He also asked for South Africa to consider an agreement which let USA products into our country duty free. Such a free trade agreement could only be to our advantage in the future.
Rest of article below Alerts and Notes
18/7 ALERT
Great news for us is that the private sector will also help to overcome our electricity shortage by generating and selling direct to ESCOM,our largest
coal mining group ,namely EXXARO will also get in on the act by setting up ,with the help of a French firm a power station on the new Limpopo coal field.This is still in the first phase so power shortages are likely to be with us for at least five years.Coal burning power stations are eco friendly these days ,so are not likely to decrease our carbon credits.

9/7 ALERT
The Gold price is shrinking and some econominsts and traders  think it could plummet to around $300 per ounce.
I myself think this is highly unlikely as Gold forms part of every reserve bank in the world.It is the source of last resort in a crises ,when paper money fails.As an example Cyprus was told to pay over their entire gold holding  over,when they ran into trouble last year by the European Union.

For the sakes of the reserve banks they are likely to buy in gold around $700 per ounce if for now other reason than to preserve their assets. 
At the moment the Indian wedding gold market is dead as they are relying on scrap gold to fund their needs.They and every other buyer are not buying to see how low gold will go  as then they can get in at bargain prices.

NOTE 4 Go to Pawsitively Adorable Pets to see how to train potty train your puppy with out bribery or harsh methods.See Naomi's blog below for the address.

NOTE 3 See Naomi's latest Resource update 17/7/2013

http://2010plusstocktrends.blogspot.com

Note 2 Remember the latest update is always at the bottom of the index above. 
Note 1 See Naomi's Technical update mentioned above.


He also pledged funds for the supply of electricity for some of the most backward countries in Africa, a  good start.Hopefully other major countries will add to this fund.As we all know,electricity leads to a higher standard of living and will lead to the advancement of the continent .
Finally I heard him say in one of his speeches that corruption must be eliminated as no company would be willing to enter a new mining venture say if they had to employ a relative of a government official! Also our government and others on the continent must keep taxes realisticly lower to encourage trade so all can make a living and make it worthwhile to invest.