Saturday, March 12, 2011

GEOPOLITICAL NEWS IMPACTING MARKETS

The last couple of months have really been a roller coaster ride for the world economy.

Whether its the unrest in the Middle East leading to surging Crude Oil prices, or rising food prices or EU Sovereign debt troubles, or the recent Japanese Quake and resulting Tsunamis...... a lot has been going on.
The incredible damage to property and the loss of innocent lives in case of the Japanese quake is really tragic.

There was another important bit of news that went by unnoticed.
"" Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Friday signed into law the controversial bill that eliminates most union rights for public employees""
Wisconsin governor signs anti-union rights bill World DAWN.COM
Wisconsin governor signs into law union curbs Reuters
Clearly the crisis on Main Street is not over yet. As David Rosenberg recently said, the impact of cost cutting and downsizing at the state and local government level will really undermine the '''ongoing consumer recovery'''
So I think that it's time that the guys on Wall Street sit up and take notice.
.
The Dow Jones may continue to brush off the impact of rising gasoline & food prices and the discontent on Main Street for now, but the prudent investor must realise that its now too late to join the equity market bandwagon. The risk reward ratio is not in favour of the ''long only'' investor and his margin of safety is far too inadequate at the current time.

No comments: