Seven years ago the US dollar index was at 81. Today it is at 81.

cohodk · January 5, 2012 12:26AM

Where will it be 7 years from now?

derryb · January 5, 2012 1:15AM

dollar index is a measure of the value of the U.S. dollar relative to a majority of its most significant trading partners. The fact that it is where it was seven years ago does not indicate it's relative value to what it will buy as opposed to seven years ago. It only indicates that the US is keeping par with its trading partners when it comes to strengthening or weakening the value of the currency. If all trading partners are destroying their currency at the same rate as the US, the dollar index will remain unchanged.

I propose that fiat currency destruction is a coordinated effort (or at least a "matching" effort) among central banks. Seven years from now I expect the dollar index to be where it is now, unless central banks begin to differ in their philosphy. The fact that it will be unchanged in seven years is no indication of what it will be worth. with an unchanged index it will just mean trading partner currencies have taken the same ride down (or up) in value.

Of course when central bank and government policy manipulate economic conditions and markets all bets are off. What's good for them may very well not be good for you and I. Unfortunately they are in the driver's seat. In a free economy you and I are the driving forces with how we choose to spend or buy and what we are willing to pay or accept.

roadrunner · January 5, 2012 1:16AM

I could guess but does it really matter? It could be .5 or .6 or even .9 or 1.0....and we could still be looking at $5,000 gold in any of the cases.
I'd say the level of the USDX is irrelevant in the long term. It makes sense over days, weeks, and months, but not years. I would guess that in
7 yrs the USDX will have been revamped. Either the basket will look much different or it will canned in place of something else. The Euro certainly won't
be 57% of the index in 7 yrs.

The USDX measures a basket of currencies that are all falling in value. The index can stay at 81 forever while all the currencies lose 99% of their value.
So while the USDX is the same as 7 yrs ago, how does that compare against what we could buy with our dollars from 7 yrs ago? Over the last 7 yrs I definitely feel
my purchasing power is much less (food, clothes, cars, energy, land, professional services, taxes, fees, etc.). But real estate is definitely cheaper. Even the bogus CPI-U
says that what cost $1,000 in 2004 requires $1,200 to buy it today. And that basket of goods is ever-changing in both quality and quantity.

roadrunner

Baley · January 5, 2012 1:18AM

the average house costs as many dollars as it did in 2002, and in terms of gold it is even cheaper.

What a huge gift to Americans 25-35 years old. Most won't realize what an opportunity this recession was until housing is making new highs again?

In 7 years the dollar index will be between 80 and 85 is my guess.

derryb · January 5, 2012 1:20AM

<< the average house costs as many dollars as it did in 2002, and in terms of gold it is even cheaper.

What a huge gift to Americans 25-35 years old. Most won't realize what an opportunity this recession was until housing is making new highs again? >>

IF they have jobs and see no decrease in their net take home pay after taxes.

Keep in mind that labor costs are also deflating. Less jobs (and job security), reduced benefits. Since minimum wage is propped up by law, business owners have to attack the labor costs where they are legally allowed to.

roadrunner · January 5, 2012 1:35AM

The last housing downturn lasted 6-8 yrs depending on your location (1989-1997). We're still only at most only about 4-5 yrs into this one.
But this last one was possibly the blow-off top of a 30-40 yr up move. It certainly got to mania proportions. The pull back to that could be
much deeper than just 6-8 yrs. One would think that housing would generally follow the trends of the stock market. Looking at the chart
below there are periods of 20 yrs or longer where prices are flat. The blow-off we just saw could require a reversion to the mean which would
take another 5-8 yrs. Cohodk would like that the price projections of the cup w/handle on that chart were met and exceeded. Nice!

Case-Shiller long term housing prices chart

If I had to put a number on USDX in 7 yrs I'd go with .6 to .9. Can't refine it any more than that. The US will exert pressure to ensure that we don't come
out on the short end of a revamping of the index. Of course a revaluation of the dollar or a shift to a new currency within 7 yrs will shoot a hole in this.

roadrunner

Baley · January 5, 2012 1:36AM

That's right. The market for goods and services is not exempt from competition among it's participants.

Naturally, in any market, healthy or not, the better suited and effective participants achieve improved performance, and the weaker suffer. In a very challenging market (or a changing Natural environment) the tougher conditions create what's sometimes called a "selection event".

Humans try to be less cruel than mother nature, and prop up the less well adapted. This is expensive, and allows the burden to grow to an unsupportable level, which sometimes leads to a Crash.

But what are you gonna do? let people who can't feed, clothe, and shelter themselves starve and die?

Malthus knew something about the "carrying capacity" of a system

edit: that is an awesome link RR. I particularly like this, at the head of the "comments" section:

Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data, ability to repeat discredited memes, and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Also, be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor even implied. Any irrelevancies you can mention will also be appreciated. Lastly, kindly forgo all civility in your discourse . . . you are, after all, anonymous.

I think I've found a new sigline

secondrepublic · January 5, 2012 2:44AM

Hard to foresee a strong U.S. dollar given the massive government debt, which will require inflation to work through. An article in the WSJ a few weeks ago made the astute observation that ultra-low interest rates (like those currently) are a silent form of debt restructuring. U.S. short-term interest rates are already far below the inflation rate. It would be impossible for the government to meet its interest obligations on the debt in a higher interest-rate environment. Existing government debt is $15 trillion. Because of ultra-low rates they only paid $206 billion in interest in 2011. If government had to pay even 6% interest on the debt, that's $900 billion a year. Can't see any realistic possibility of them paying that, when total government revenues are $2.3 trillion and there's already a $1.3 trillion+ plus yearly deficit (i.e., they're spending $3.6 trillion+ annually). No, there will be inflation, because they need it to increase tax revenues in nominal terms and therefore lower the burden of the debt. Not sure the Europeans will do likewise... the Germans are bankrolling the Euro projects and they are very inflation-averse. Americans have forgotten the lessons of the 1970s and are not.

Baley · January 5, 2012 3:02AM

Secondrepublic, i tend to agree with all that, but, if we're repeating the mistakes of the 1970's and it leads to a 2 decade bull market in everything BUT precious metals like it did in the 1980's and 1990's, maybe that will be ok? It sure does feel a lot like late late 1979/early 1980 out there

jmski52 · January 5, 2012 3:56AM

if we're repeating the mistakes of the 1970's and it leads to a 2 decade bull market in everything BUT precious metals like it did in the 1980's and 1990's, maybe that will be ok? It sure does feel a lot like late late 1979/early 1980 out there

Baley, the difference between then and now is that Paul Volker chose to raise rates (dramatically) while the CFTC squeezed the Hunts out of their margin position in silver by changing the rules in mid-stream. That signaled a new paradigm and helped to precipitate a recession.

I believe that our debt position is proportionately worse than it was in 1980, so if rates are pushed up by reality (or anything else), it will definitely precipitate a recession. Except for the fact that we are already in one.

Therefore, the impetus for low rates, which when combined with the real inflation data, in effect produces a real interest rate effect that is positive for gold. It will remain so until the debt load is worked lower and until rates can be allowed to rise.

secondrepublic · January 5, 2012 5:49AM

We're closer to mid-1970s than 1979/80. We still haven't seen anything like the raging inflation of the 1970s. The government still needs higher inflation to "clear away" the burden of the debt. Then they can jack up interest rates to kill of the high inflation as they did in 1980.

golfer72 · January 5, 2012 6:26AM

<< dollar index is a measure of the value of the U.S. dollar relative to a majority of its most significant trading partners. The fact that it is where it was seven years ago does not indicate it's relative value to what it will buy as opposed to seven years ago. It only indicates that the US is keeping par with its trading partners when it comes to strengthening or weakening the value of the currency. If all trading partners are destroying their currency at the same rate as the US, the dollar index will remain unchanged.

I propose that fiat currency destruction is a coordinated effort (or at least a "matching" effort) among central banks. Seven years from now I expect the dollar index to be where it is now, unless central banks begin to differ in their philosphy. The fact that it will be unchanged in seven years is no indication of what it will be worth. with an unchanged index it will just mean trading partner currencies have taken the same ride down (or up) in value.

Of course when central bank and government policy manipulate economic conditions and markets all bets are off. What's good for them may very well not be good for you and I. Unfortunately they are in the driver's seat. In a free economy you and I are the driving forces with how we choose to spend or buy and what we are willing to pay or accept. >>

derryb, Great explanation. I am continuously impressed by your knowledgs base and ability to explain things in a way the "layman" can understand. You are a real asset to these boards.

roadrunner · January 5, 2012 8:25AM

I'd vote for mid-70's as well, or maybe even earlier. That PMs bull market actually began in 1961-1962 and went on for 18-19 yrs.
Don't know if we'll see "raging" inflation or not because how we measure inflation today is dramatically different from the 1970's. Getting
even to 10% official CPI-U would be chore. And of course the other big difference between now and 1980 is the pile of otc derivatives that
skew everything, even perception of what is going on with the world economies.

roadrunner

cohodk · January 5, 2012 8:33AM

<< if we're repeating the mistakes of the 1970's and it leads to a 2 decade bull market in everything BUT precious metals like it did in the 1980's and 1990's, maybe that will be ok? It sure does feel a lot like late late 1979/early 1980 out there

Baley, the difference between then and now is that Paul Volker chose to raise rates (dramatically) while the CFTC squeezed the Hunts out of their margin position in silver by changing the rules in mid-stream. That signaled a new paradigm and helped to precipitate a recession.. >>

The difference between then and now, is demographics. In 1980 the baby boomers were gross contributors to the economy (forming families, buying cars, real estate, ect). Today those same people are gross takers from the economy (health care, SS, medicare, saving).

Baley · January 5, 2012 9:28AM

You make an excellent point. These boomers caused booms in whatever they were buying... toys and bikes and B&W TVs in the '50's, cars and little houses and calculators and Hi-Fi sets and the first color TVs in the 60's and 70's, bigger houses and better cars and stereos and TVs and video game consoles and college educations for the kids in the 80's and 90's, second (and third) homes, collector cars, computers, and coins in the 2000's..

Now it's 2010's and beyond and they're in the market for buying more and more of what?

health care.

The sector is weak, due to uncertainties of Obamacare and the threats of cost controls and nationalized medicine, just exactly as the sector was weak in 1992-1994 due to HillaryCare (remember that?).... a huge boom in biomedical stocks followed the 1994 election... and my largest stock holding in the sector in 1995 went from $2 a share to $20, my first 10-bagger (a stock that now trades for a split-adjusted $678) ah, those were the days. Maybe happy days are just a year or two away? we'll see, we'll see... If all that money is going to be spent on health care, it's going to be going somewhere

jmski52 · January 5, 2012 9:34AM

The difference between then and now, is demographics. In 1980 the baby boomers were gross contributors to the economy (forming families, buying cars, real estate, ect). Today those same people are gross takers from the economy (health care, SS, medicare, saving).

This actually potentiates the point I was making.

halfhunter · January 5, 2012 10:45AM

Also 7 years ago silver was $12.70 & gold was $609.50 . . . Just saying . . .

Edited to add: GSR then was 47.99. Now it is 55.38 . . . Kinda makes Ag look a little under valued . . . Maybe ! ? ! ?

HH

cohodk · January 5, 2012 11:06PM

<< Also 7 years ago silver was $12.70 & gold was $609.50 . . . Just saying . . . >>

Priceline.com was $22, now $485.
Amazon.com was $48, now $191.
IBM was 88, now 183
Biogen was 45, now 115.

I wont even mention AAPL, or BIDU, or even NFLX or Ross Stores.

derryb · January 5, 2012 11:19PM

<< 

<< Also 7 years ago silver was $12.70 & gold was $609.50 . . . Just saying . . . >>

Priceline.com was $22, now $485.
Amazon.com was $48, now $191.
IBM was 88, now 183
Biogen was 45, now 115.

I wont even mention AAPL, or BIDU, or even NFLX or Ross Stores. >>

Best arguement for inflation yet!

Baley · January 5, 2012 11:32PM

We'll take your winkie emoticon to mean that you understand that the proportionally large increase in the share price of stocks with strong earnings growth, relative to the broad market, has absolutely nothing to do with monetary inflation, and has everything to do with well-run organizations and successful products

derryb · January 6, 2012 12:19AM

<< We'll take your winkie emoticon to mean that you understand that the proportionally large increase in the share price of stocks with strong earnings growth, relative to the broad market, has absolutely nothing to do with monetary inflation, and has everything to do with well-run organizations and successful products >>

The winkie is an indication that I am fully aware of the flooding of funny money into equities market thanks to FED/FOMC shinanigans. Naturally the strongest equities will show the strongest gain, but it's still because of cash infusion into the market. When Average Joe turns on the CNBC and sees green indicators, he knows that all is well and his politicians deserve re-election. I, and hopefully you, know differently.

Baley · January 6, 2012 12:41AM

When Average Joe turns on the CNBC and sees green indicators, he knows that all is well and his politicians deserve re-election

I have better regard for the average American than to belive that the above statement (or it's converse) is the totality of his political, economic, or psychosocial thinking, or that the first statement leads directly to the conclusion. At least, if everything were green, he'd check to see if the securities he actually owns were under or over-performing. He may also incorporate some local thinking in deciding who to vote for as representative, senator, or mayor

Sure, at one end of the bell curve of understanding of "how things work" are simpletons, and then at the other end, the good end, are folks like you who have a deep understanding of every nuance of the financial and political spheres of influence. I'd hope the Average American is getting a little smarter because of communication from such policy wonks.

pf70collector · January 6, 2012 1:16AM

the average house costs as many dollars as it did in 2002, and in terms of gold it is even cheaper.

Not here in Baltimore. I wish I could buy a new single family home for 2002 prices. Prices in 2002 were averaging around $200K for new single family homes. Today that same home will cost you a minimum of $340K. It depends where you live.

derryb · January 6, 2012 1:19AM

<< Sure, at one end of the bell curve of understanding of "how things work" are simpletons, and then at the other end, the good end, are folks like you who have a deep understanding of every nuance of the financial and political spheres of influence. I'd hope the Average American is getting a little smarter because of communication from such policy wonks. >>

What separates the two is whether they accept information fed to them or they seek out information from independent sources and decide for themselves.

cohodk · January 6, 2012 3:37AM

So the only reason AAPL, or IBM or ROSS went higher is because the FED printed money? Oy vey!!

Maybe thats the only reason why PMs went higher, as I suppose thats all they got going for them. Gonna hurt when the music stops.

Yukoncornelius1 · January 6, 2012 5:33AM

<< So the only reason AAPL, or IBM or ROSS went higher is because the FED printed money? Oy vey!!

Maybe thats the only reason why PMs went higher, as I suppose thats all they got going for them. Gonna hurt when the music stops. >>

The reason the stocks listed went higher is mainly because they produce products that people want to own, the sales increase so earnings increase and with rising earnings mutual fund managers want to own them. QE has also helped as more money has flowed into the system plus the fed policy of near zero interest rates has forced some people out of fixed investments paying virtually nothing into so called risky investments like stocks and PM's.

I would argue that owning good quality companies is a very wise strategy as is owning things with tangible value such as real estate or PM's especially if purchased at a good price.

You do realize that the music stops for stocks as well as real estate, PM's, fiat cuurency or anything else at some point in time so I don't know where you're going other than to continue hammering PM's and portray the people owning them as quacks.

roadrunner · January 6, 2012 8:47AM

Netflix and Green Mountain went higher because people (and speculators) wanted what they offered. Over the past few months it seems they
no longer had what "people" or specs wanted. The HFT bots target something going up and keep it going up. I would suspect that's how some stocks become
darlings and the bulk of them have remained dreck. We see the same thing in rare coins where the top 1-5% of the market keeps moving higher while
the other 95% goes nowhere or continues down.

roadrunner

cohodk · January 6, 2012 9:46AM

You do realize that the music stops for stocks as well as real estate, PM's, fiat cuurency or anything else at some point in time so I don't know where you're going other than to continue hammering PM's and portray the people owning them as quacks.

I dont think I ever used that term to describe someone. Have you seen my avatar? Its made of gold.

Perhaps an insecurity issue?

Im also not hammering PMs. I simply view them as an alternative asset class. I hope gold goes to $10,000 and everyone on the boards is rich, rich, rich!!!

I will be long dead before the music stops for RE, Stocks, PMs, Fiat, ect, so I aint really worried about it.

The simple point of the thread was to point out that the dollar index is in fact just where it was 7 years. And since there has been a tremendous increase in Govt debt. There have been calls for the dollar index to go to 60 ot 50 or even lower. Yet it hasnt happened. I was the one who was called a "quack" when I said several years ago that the dollar would not go lower because Europe was in worse condition. Hmmmmmm.

derryb · January 6, 2012 11:37AM

<< The simple point of the thread was to point out that the dollar index is in fact just where it was 7 years. And since there has been a tremendous increase in Govt debt. There have been calls for the dollar index to go to 60 ot 50 or even lower. Yet it hasnt happened. I was the one who was called a "quack" when I said several years ago that the dollar would not go lower because Europe was in worse condition. Hmmmmmm. >>

Index is unchanged because the race to the bottom includes all currencies used to determine dollar index. If I claimed "my standard of living remains the same as that of my neighbors" it does not mean my standard of living has not gone down hill. It only means we have all gone down hill together.

Like I said, FED and FOMC are in the driver seat, it is no longer a free market:

Yukoncornelius1 · January 6, 2012 2:37PM

<< You do realize that the music stops for stocks as well as real estate, PM's, fiat cuurency or anything else at some point in time so I don't know where you're going other than to continue hammering PM's and portray the people owning them as quacks.

I dont think I ever used that term to describe someone. Have you seen my avatar? Its made of gold.

Perhaps an insecurity issue?

Im also not hammering PMs. I simply view them as an alternative asset class. I hope gold goes to $10,000 and everyone on the boards is rich, rich, rich!!!

I will be long dead before the music stops for RE, Stocks, PMs, Fiat, ect, so I aint really worried about it.

The simple point of the thread was to point out that the dollar index is in fact just where it was 7 years. And since there has been a tremendous increase in Govt debt. There have been calls for the dollar index to go to 60 ot 50 or even lower. Yet it hasnt happened. I was the one who was called a "quack" when I said several years ago that the dollar would not go lower because Europe was in worse condition. Hmmmmmm. >>

Not sure how long ago you made your prediction on Europe but obviously you were correct.
I am not insecure as I have only around 15% of my net worth in PM's and perhaps another 2% in my coin collection, I also am invested in farmland, stocks and have little debt as my house and all vehicles are paid for so I am not a PM "nut".
I do believe that I will continue adding PM's when I have extra money rather than put my money into a 0.15 % savings account, PM's and silver art bars are my savings account but if PM's get to high I will stop buying and start selling some of my holdings.

cohodk · January 7, 2012 1:19AM

I understand your point derryb and agree, but it is a separate issue. In some cases standard of living has increased---a new home buyer can attain a much nicer house than 5 years ago.

Baley · January 7, 2012 4:41AM

Standard of Living? some would have you believe it was better in the past..

Isn't this pretty much a graph of Standard of Living as measured by access to information, opportunity, travel, health care, or expected life span upon birth?

just change the label on the Y axis

edit: couldn't attach the pic. It's that famous bar graph of the national debt going geometric

the graph sure doesn't describe the cost to keep a roof over yer head, cost per megabyte of data storage, cost of a flat panel tv, cost of a car, cost of gas, or even cost to fill yer belly with nutritious food

BigRick · January 7, 2012 7:21AM

81

jmski52 · January 7, 2012 8:52AM

Doesn't that "zero interest rate policy" concern anyone? It kinda looks like the accelerator is jammed to the floorboard and for some reason, the car just won't go. Kinda like a broken toy.

roadrunner · January 7, 2012 12:28PM

<< Doesn't that "zero interest rate policy" concern anyone? It kinda looks like the accelerator is jammed to the floorboard and for some reason, the car just won't go. Kinda like a broken toy.

>>

The interest rates won't change much as long as our largest 25 banks hold over $260 TRILL in otc interest rate contracts. And rates have no chance of going higher if these
guys continue to add $80 trillion more per year as they did this year. It's like trying to get your boat to move with the anchor still out. The economy is Zirp-bound until
the derivatives "anchor" is removed.

jmski52 · January 8, 2012 5:47AM

It's like trying to get your boat to move with the anchor still out.

It's, it's ................

An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day

It's a black fly in your Chardonnay
It's a death row pardon two minutes too late

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take

A traffic jam when you're already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife

It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife

And isn't it ironic...don't you think
A little too ironic...and, yeah, I really do think...

"Ironic"

ALANIS MORISSETTE

Baley · January 9, 2012 8:58AM

It kinda looks like the accelerator is jammed to the floorboard and for some reason, the car just won't go

It's like trying to get your boat to move with the anchor still out

It's like trying to get up and get to work after a night of partying, with a hangover, dirty clothes, sore feet and knuckles, a black eye, and a mouth that tastes like ashtray pennies

It's like trying to spur investment in capital equipment, hiring, and ramping up production, while there are still significant uncertainties and events in flux with respect to regulation, taxation, organized labor (unions), health care mandates, and the larger political and economic environment.

pf70collector · January 11, 2012 6:18PM

The Fed has moved from fighting inflation and unemployment to propping up housing, the EU and the stock market with funny money. Their tentacles are far reaching. The more they spread out, the more they will weaken. They will cause their own downfall taking the U.S. with them.

Overdate · January 11, 2012 11:21PM

History repeats itself, but there's no history to guide us in today's conditions.

For example, unrestricted money printing has occurred numerous times in the past, but never before involving so many major currencies simultaneously (including the world's reserve currency), never in the presence of so much global debt, never in the presence of such sustained low nominal interest rates, never in the presence of such massive worldwide currency manipulation, never in the presence of such a mountain of derivatives, and never in the face of such rapid technological change.

Compelling arguments can be made for massive inflation, massive deflation, or hundreds of other scenarios, by focusing on only one or a few of the above factors. But it is much harder to predict specific outcomes, or their timing, when considering all of these factors (plus numerous others) together. The most sensible course of action, IMO, is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Baley · July 14, 2013 1:20AM

<< 

<< Also 7 years ago silver was $12.70 & gold was $609.50 . . . Just saying . . . >>

Priceline.com was $22, now $485.
Amazon.com was $48, now $191.
IBM was 88, now 183
Biogen was 45, now 115.

I wont even mention AAPL, or BIDU, or even NFLX or Ross Stores. >>

Wow, take a look at the prices of those stocks today

VanHalen · July 14, 2013 2:40AM

<< The Fed has moved from fighting inflation and unemployment to propping up housing, the EU and the stock market with funny money. Their tentacles are far reaching. The more they spread out, the more they will weaken. They will cause their own downfall taking the U.S. with them. >>

No doubt about it. The only question is when.

cohodk · July 14, 2013 2:52AM

Very bad investment decisions usually happen when people dont know "when".

jmski52 · July 15, 2013 5:42AM

People don't always know "when". Happy Bastille Day!

Whoops, a day late.

Baley · July 16, 2013 1:59AM

Maybe the other currencies activity will keep the dollar index relatively high?

derryb · July 16, 2013 2:06AM

<< Maybe the other currencies activity will keep the dollar index relatively high? >>

that is exactly what they are doing. Dollar index is strictly a comparative measurement of:
Euro (EUR), 57.6% weight
Japanese yen (JPY) 13.6% weight
Pound sterling (GBP), 11.9% weight
Canadian dollar (CAD), 9.1% weight
Swedish krona (SEK), 4.2% weight and
Swiss franc (CHF) 3.6% weight

It's an ugly pig contest and the dollar is currently the prettiest ugly pig.

cohodk · July 16, 2013 1:37PM

<< 

<< Maybe the other currencies activity will keep the dollar index relatively high? >>

that is exactly what they are doing. Dollar index is strictly a comparative measurement of:
Euro (EUR), 57.6% weight
Japanese yen (JPY) 13.6% weight
Pound sterling (GBP), 11.9% weight
Canadian dollar (CAD), 9.1% weight
Swedish krona (SEK), 4.2% weight and
Swiss franc (CHF) 3.6% weight

It's an ugly pig contest and the dollar is currently the prettiest ugly pig. >>

Gold is a currency (money), right?

derryb · July 16, 2013 3:32PM

<< 

<< 

<< Maybe the other currencies activity will keep the dollar index relatively high? >>

that is exactly what they are doing. Dollar index is strictly a comparative measurement of:
Euro (EUR), 57.6% weight
Japanese yen (JPY) 13.6% weight
Pound sterling (GBP), 11.9% weight
Canadian dollar (CAD), 9.1% weight
Swedish krona (SEK), 4.2% weight and
Swiss franc (CHF) 3.6% weight

It's an ugly pig contest and the dollar is currently the prettiest ugly pig. >>

Gold is a currency (money), right? >>

Yes it is money, no it is not a currency.

Baley · February 7, 2015 5:17AM

<< 

<< 

<< Also 7 years ago silver was $12.70 & gold was $609.50 . . . Just saying . . . >>

Priceline.com was $22, now $485.
Amazon.com was $48, now $191.
IBM was 88, now 183
Biogen was 45, now 115.

I wont even mention AAPL, or BIDU, or even NFLX or Ross Stores. >>

Wow, take a look at the prices of those stocks today

>>

Wow, take a look at them now

Dollar index = 94.65

derryb · February 20, 2015 7:40AM

burp

derryb · February 20, 2015 7:44AM

Seven years ago our banks were out of control and it caught up with them. Today. . .

Deutschebank Fails Fed Stress Test

"So a bank which has €54.7 trillion, or a little over $62 trillion at today's exchange rate, in derivatives - a number that is 20 times greater than the GDP of Germany - just failed a central bank stress test due to lacking governance and risk management controls and, just maybe, has insufficient capital? What can possibly go wrong."

Baley · February 20, 2015 9:06AM

What can possibly go wrong."

a loud noise causing a lot of the most skittish sheeple stampeding for the exit at the same time would be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

keep on whistlling past the grave yard and get under the next street light and for god's sake, don't say "bank run" or else you'll cause the avalanche

geez, did I mix enough metaphors in there for ya?

Seven years ago the US dollar index was at 81. Today it is at 81.

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