Washington, DC has been turned into a military outpost under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, President Donald J. Trump.
In addition to the supposed 25,000 National Guardsmen securing the grounds of the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court and other government buildings, members from other services - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Special Ops, etc. - are on the ground, in the air, on the water around the capitol of the United States of America.
There is no doubt that President Trump is in charge though his whereabouts may change by the hour as his security and well-being are of paramount importance. He may be anywhere - Mar a Lago, Camp David, Philadelphia, elsewhere - but more than likely he'll be aboard Air Force One at many junctures over the coming days.
Now, the scene in Washington, DC may appear to many to be a military coup, a junta, but it is not. Troops are on the ground as a security measure as the President and the armed forces under his command take back the country from the forces which have occupied it for a very long time.
The fences erected around the Capitol, White House, and the National Mall serve a dual function. One is to keep criminals in, the other is to keep imposters out, the main culprit being Joe Biden, the presumed incoming president. Joe Biden will not be inaugurated on January 20, 2021, or at any time after that. The election of November 3, 2020, was won, overwhelmngly, by President Donald J. Trump and there is ample proof of that victory.
Democrats and some Republicans in congress conspired to steal the election, to impeach the rightfully-elected President of the United States, and plan on appointing Joe Biden as president. It's not going to happen. More than likely, many of these politicians and criminals will be arrested and tried for various crimes and likely convicted.
Major changes are coming to the United States and to the world, so it is best for everybody to stay informed (mainstream media is full of lies and propaganda; it's best to seek out the truth from alternative sources if available) and safe as this process proceeds. With that in mind, markets around the world are certain to be impacted in ways that nobody can accurately predict.
Here's what we know:
Stocks spent the past week foundering until Friday, when all of the indices took one for the team. Leading the charge downhill were banking stocks, which is surprising, because Citi, Wells Fargo, and JP Morgan Chase all reported fourth quarter and full year results Friday before the opening bell. Something big in terms of money and currency is about to come down. Price action in the banking sector is telling.
BAC Bank of America Corporation: 33.01, -0.98 (-2.88%)
C Citigroup, Inc.: 64.23, -4.78 (-6.93%)
JPM JP Morgan Chase & Co.: 138.64, -2.53 (-1.79%)
WFC Wells Fargo & Company: 32.04, -2.71 (-7.80%)
GS Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.: 301.01, -6.86 (-2.23%)
Tech stocks took a small hit, led by Apple, (AAPL) (127.14, -1.77 (-1.37%)). Facebook (FB) (251.36, +5.72 (+2.33%)) was up sharply on Friday. Twitter is down about six points, or a little more than 10% since banning President Trump's account and laying waste to over 75,000 accounts. Censorship and declining user base pays, maybe, one assumes. Go figure.
Treasury yields were tame. Outflows were modest. Yield on the 10-year note and 30-year bond were each down two basis points over the week, from 1.13% to 1.11% and 1.87% to 1.85%, respectively. Nothing to see there or on the short end, maintaining at the zero-bound.
Oil prices are encountering little resistance at $53.83 a barrel for WTI crude. Further price gains are expected for the time being, though geo-political events could swing prices wildly in either direction. Everybody is paying more for fuel at the gas pumps.
Bitcoin and Etherium, the two main cryptocurrencies are bouncing around. There's too much uncertainty in global politics and markets currently for institutions and individuals to make meaningful investment commitments. Bitcoin ranged, over the week, between $30,000 and $40,000, currently holding the middle ground around $35-37,000.
Etherium (ETH) fared better, dipping down near $900 after ripping as high at $1300. On Sunday morning it is found closer to the highs than the lows, around $1200.
Precious metal continue to underperform thanks in no small part to the futures market controllers. Gold, which was as high as $1949.48 (January 5), slumped to $1828.45. It used to be that moeny flowed to gold in times of crisis, though that seems not to be the case, at least in the manipulated, paper markets. Instead, it is being shunned, though dealers will speak otherwise, citing high demand for physical with appropriate premiums attached.
Silver was also beaten down. On January 10, it topped out at $27.55 per ounce. It closed Friday at $24.78.
Presented below are the most recent prices for commonly-purchased items on eBay (numismatics excluded, shipping - often free - included:
Item: Low / High / Average / Median
1 oz silver coin: 33.75 / 44.95 / 38.42 / 37.80
1 oz silver bar: 30.50 / 41.00 / 36.68 / 37.45
1 oz gold coin: 1,925.00 / 2,051.31 / 1,970.14 / 1,963.36
1 oz gold bar: 1,850.00 / 2,295.00 / 1,974.85 / 1,947.09
Finally, there's no shortage of opinion on what's next for America and the world. While the mainstream media (MSM) continues to spew the false prophecies of a Joe Biden presidency, millions of Americans are watching in eager anticipation the days leading up to the scheduled inauguration on January 20. With troops spread out across the District of Columbia, fencing with barbed wire enclosing many locations, there's ample indications that something out of the ordinary is imminent.
The second impeachment of President Donald J. Trump is a complete hoax, a sham, nonsense. By the time a trial is commenced in the Senate, the president would be out of office in that case, the conviction or acquittal not binding by any law.
The most optimistic outcome, and increasingly likely, is that the troops on the ground will defend the actual, real constitution. They have taken an oath, as has the president. President Trump will restore the Republic, stolen after the Civil War, at various stages between 1870 and 1878.
It's best for people to make up their own minds about the direction they wish the country to take and think freely. The mainstream media is not to be trusted. There is an abundance of mis- and disinformation disseminated by the TV networks, the New York Times and Washington Post. Notice how Democrats in congress continually use the word "democracy" as opposed to republic, as in "saving our..." Democrats want to save a democracy, whereas the roots of the American experience and governance are as a constitutional representative republic.
Social media has crossed the line on censorship and bearing false witness to millions of users. Their executives should be behind bars rather than lounging in the luxury of their billions.
Seek information and do research. Do not accept anything on the airwaves, in newspapers, or on the internet at face value. Verify sources. Think. Keep a close eye on President Trump and his remaining cabinet. Investors and economists might do themselves a favor by watching and listening to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who remains loyal to the president. Ditto for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Until we meet again...
At the Close, Friday, January 15, 2021:
Dow: 30,814.26, -177.26 (-0.57%)
NASDAQ: 12,998.50, -114.14 (-0.87%)
S&P 500: 3,768.25, -27.29 (-0.72%)
NYSE: 14,894.17, -150.21 (-1.00%)
For the Week:
Dow: -283.71 (=0.91%)
NASDAQ: -203.47 (-1.54%)
S&P 500: -56.43 (-1.48%)
NYSE: -72.66 (-0.49%)
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