Research & News
Weekly Energy Update (March 18, 2021)
by Bill O’Grady, Thomas Wash, and Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF Here is an updated crude oil price chart. Prices are consolidating in the low $60s. Crude oil inventories rose 2.4 mb which was in line with forecast. There was no change in the SPR. We did see a recovery in refinery operations but not… Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – The Geopolitics of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC): Part I (March 15, 2021)
by Bill O’Grady | PDF There has been a surge in interest in digital currencies among the world’s central banks. The triggering event was probably Facebook’s (FB, USD, 264.28) unveiling of the LIBRA project in June 2019. Digital currencies of various stripes have been around for some time; bitcoin (BTR, USD, 49,989.80), introduced in 2009,… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly (March 12, 2021)
by Asset Allocation Committee | PDF With the U.S. dollar apparently poised for what could be a long phase of depreciation, investors are naturally looking more closely at foreign stocks for future growth. Japan has been a prime focus, not only because it sports the world’s third-largest economy and the third-largest equity market, but also… Read More »
Weekly Energy Update (March 11, 2021)
by Bill O’Grady, Thomas Wash, and Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF Here is an updated crude oil price chart. Prices are consolidating in the low $60s. Crude oil inventories rose again, defying expectations of a draw. Stockpiles increased 13.8 mb when a draw of 3.0 mb was forecast. There was no change in the SPR. … Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – The Western Sahara: Part II (March 8, 2021)
by Thomas Wash | PDF In Part I of this report, we examined the U.S. decision last December to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara territory, which was part of an agreement in which Morocco formally recognized Israel. This week, in Part II, we focus on why Morocco wanted recognition of its sovereignty over… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly (March 5, 2021)
by Asset Allocation Committee | PDF In our 2021 Outlook, we had a forecast for the S&P 500 of 3918/4050. Since the index is close to that level, we have received questions about whether we are expecting little upside from here or if we intend to calibrate our expectations. This week’s Asset Allocation Weekly is… Read More »
Weekly Energy Update (March 4, 2021)
by Bill O’Grady, Thomas Wash, and Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF Here is an updated crude oil price chart. Prices are consolidating in the high $50s to the mid-$60s. Crude oil inventories jumped 21.6 mb when a draw of 4.0 mb was forecast. There was no change in the SPR. The build in stockpiles was… Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – The Western Sahara: Part I (March 1, 2021)
by Thomas Wash | PDF To facilitate a restoration of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel, the Trump administration acknowledged Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara territory on December 10, reversing the three-decade U.S. policy of supporting self-determination for the Sahrawi People who make up most of the region’s population. The reconciliation between Morocco and… Read More »