Who Is The Next Wirecard?

Now that the multi-year saga of German fintech megafraud Wirecard is finally over, the pain is only just starting for disgraced German regulator BaFin (with the EU launching an investigation into its borderline criminal “regulation” which punished short sellers while never once looking at the real fraud). Also let’s not forget about the company’s “auditor” EY (aka…

Read More

COVID-Crunch? Fed Begins Rationing Coins As Americans Horde Cash

Having closed the US Mint and halted production (blaming COVID-19)  after a surge in demand for gold and silver coins, and warned of the danger of using bills (once again blaming the pandemic and choosing to “quarantine” cash for the sake of Americans’ health), Fed Chair Powell quietly admitted to lawmakers this week that The Fed will be rationing coins…

Read More

HSBC Resuscitates 35,000 Job Cut Plan As Banking Troubles Persist

Back in February, HSBC, Europe’s largest bank and troubled lender, announced a plan that would slash upwards of 35,000 jobs. Shortly after, the lender put restructuring plans on hold for three months due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Now, Bloomberg reports, HSBC is resuming plans to cut tens of thousands of jobs as a way to boost profitability in today’s challenging environment.  “Since February, we have pressed…

Read More

Soaring Food & Energy Costs Spark Rebound In Producer Prices

Producer Prices rebounded MoM in May with headline Final Demand PPI rising 0.4% (against +0.1% exp) but it left PPI YoY still down 0.8%… Source: Bloomberg Some serious dispersion in the various sector’s price swings… This rebound was driven by a record surge in food prices… Source: Bloomberg Two-thirds of the May increase in the index…

Read More

Pandemic, Economic Collapse, Full Societal Breakdown

“And the will of Zeus was moving towards its end.”  – Homer Symbiotic Disharmony The recline and flail of western civilization beats on.  Pandemic, economic collapse, full societal breakdown.  The sequence grooves from one to the next with the symbiotic disharmony of a minor pentatonic scale. Peaceful protests devolved to rioting, looting, and structure fires…

Read More