- The true nobility is being superior to your previous self, not to other men.
- Hindustani proverb
Trump Pump
The market set new records in the three indexes immediately after the election and it is a "go" according to Dow Theory. Last week, the effects of the "feel-good" party ended. Trump's return to power helps the same sectors as his last term: energy, commercial real estate, financials. He opposes "green energy," programs for the poor like food stamps, housing assistance, social security and medicare. Don't fall for his rhetoric on not taxing SS benefits. Republicans are anti-social security and medicare. His tax cuts will cause the dollar to fall in value and that alone will create inflation. This will also push our national deficits even higher. It is obvious that Trump does not read Hindu proverbs or John Wooden's ideas for self-improvement.
Other Worries
With Jewish relatives in Trump's family, the prime minister of Israel, Netanyahu can continue to annex parts of Palestine with his war-mongering and the backing of the US military. This is a big, big worry. Then, we have Putin with his aggression in Ukraine. Europe had better start spending serious money in national defense. They need to remind Putin that Moscow is within its range.
Trump changes from day-to-day with his thinking on NATO and the UN. His tariffs on China and other nations is only tokenism. It will only cause anger, inflation and world tension. When you decide to do something, you must go all-in or don't even bother. For example, VietNam was a mistake, but the real supidity was doing it have-ass, fighting with hands tied your back. We continued this same idiocy in the Middle-East Wars, both in policy and combat.
Economy
We have written about our fears like in commercial real estate, lack of quality jobs and protecting sectors from more destruction by foreign subsidized competition. We can see the effects of the phony concept, globalism in the rise of homelessness with the additional problem of excessive immigration. We have an economy that provides subsistance work and pay with no benefits. The "Trump Pump" effect will fall sharply with the cold winds of February and by the Ides of March, public sentiment will follow the fall. The stock market will consolidate around the highs, but Wall St. and Main St. are different animals.
The lie of growth in consumer spending and GDP lays in price levels. Consumers have to pay more for the same product and therefore the bottom line shows higher spending. It is not. It is the same spending, but the costs by inflation brings a higher total. This data gets mixed into the manipulated formula to show growth in GDP and the economy. It is not. We are not buying eggs, cars or homes. Consumers are doing everything that they can to avoid inflation, but it shows itself everywhere, eventually. The only true indicator and chart is...
King $Dollar
It exploded from the election and October low of $100. to touch a yearly high at $107. and close last Friday at $106.61. This killed off the rally in metals and commodities. Gold broke below resistance at $2585 and oil is falling to resistance at $65. With economies slowly, oil faces a serious challenge. However, the gold rally will return with avengence to hit $3000 in 2025. When nothing tangible gets done to keep the dollar strong, it will sink again. Keep the faith! Peace.