Montreal, Canada.

If this is genuinely a new bull market then why are the same groups that led the previous bull dominating the primary trend since March?

Montreal, Canada.

The Baltic Dry Index is turning over. And that might portend to weaker commodity and stock market values over the short-term because lease rates are declining. Also confirming weak economic activity since early August is the action in Treasury and Euro-zone bonds – suggesting broader trends in soft consumption as long-term bond yields fall sharply from their summer highs.

Montreal, Canada.

Two weeks ago in the Sovereign Individual (TSI) I decided to recommend our first reverse China index fund. So far, we’re up almost 13% as stocks in Shanghai have plunged over the last several days on profit-taking and fears of an imminent credit squeeze as government officials curb easy credit and manic bank lending since last November. This “bubble” is now popping.

Montreal, Canada.
The emerging markets “bubble” appears to be pricked. Though it’s still too early to tell if this big rally off the October lows is finally over for emerging markets, investors are glued to the price action in Shanghai this summer for clues if this is a correction or the “beginning of the end” for the asset class.

Montreal, Canada.

According to InsiderScore.com, U.S. corporate insider selling reached its highest levels for the week ending August 11 since June 5, 2007. Insiderscore.com tracks publicly traded buying and selling activity in the United States and is the best service I’ve seen focusing on this discipline.

London, England

With the exception of Norway, which recently signaled the likelihood of higher interest rates this fall, the rest of Europe is mired in a severe slump that will keep short-term interest rates low for the foreseeable future. Long-term bonds, however, are another story altogether and should be shorted as pressure continues to mount on bloated government balance sheets thereby forcing longer rates higher.

-Dugald Malcolm

Montreal, Canada.

Technical analysis is a great and helpful tool for making investment decisions. I particularly like it as a good way to make emotion free, simple and logical timing decisions with regards to whether or not to buy or sell. Sometimes, however, the charts throw you a curve ball and indicators start becoming anything but simple.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen is a beautiful city. I’ve been coming here since 1996 when I opened my first private baking relationship with The Bank of Copenhagen – later sold by its parent, Swedish furniture giant, Ikea.

Oslo, Norway

Traders who bet against the S&P 500 Index reduced their shorts to the lowest levels since February – a strong contrarian indicator that now might be a good time to wager against the broader market.

Since March 9 the S&P 500 Index has rallied 47%.

Short interest on the S&P 500 Index declined to 8.77 billion shares as of July 31 -- a 12% decline compared to two weeks earlier, according to data compiled by U.S. exchanges and Bloomberg yesterday. That’s the steepest drop since September 30.