Why So Many Secret High Level #Meetings?

Three Unprecedented Meetings Set the Markets on Edge  

Demand for both physical and paper currencies is through the roof. What is happening? What has the markets so spooked and why is the canary in the coal mine crying out in pain? Perhaps there is more to this market than meets the eye.

Of course, it has been that way ever since the banking elite took control of the money system and systematically dismantled what little freedom we once had in regards to our money. Yet, from time to time, information leaks out and the tinfoil hat that so many of us in the precious metals community are accused of wearing can safely be removed.

The latest leaked news has set conspiracy and market speculators’ heads spinning. Last week saw an unprecedented event occur, when both the President and Vice President attended a "closed-door" meeting with Janet Yellen and FED board members.

This is unheard of and is truly shocking to market participants, as rumors now abound as to what could have caused such a serious meeting to occur. Is an unknown disaster rapidly approaching? Are the markets set for an implosion of epic proportions? Or were they just sitting down for a friendly chat? The latter is very unlikely and is, of course, sarcasm, even if we wish it were not.

After this meeting, two more extraordinary meetings were leaked that occurred over the course of a few days. What has been rumored is that a crisis is indeed in the works, and it is in regards to a "bank supervisory matter." What bank? What is happening? Why is it happening? These are just a few of the questions that people are desperately grasping answers for.

Sprott Money

What Is the ‘Magic Number’ for the Price of Oil?

There are some signs that the influence of oil on other assets may be fading…. Here’s a number to focus on: $50. That’s per barrel, the price of Brent crude oil at which falling prices started to hurt rather than help shares and other risky assets. Monday’s 6% fall and rebound in oil pushed equities down and back up, once again demonstrating its importance. Brent prices rose 2.6% to $44.03 Tuesday, well within sight of $50. Despite the obvious impact on Monday, there are some signs that the influence of oil on other assets may be fading. If the price keeps going up, the question is not only whether it will carry on, but whether more expensive oil will continue to be good news for shares. The answer depends to a large extent on the explanation for why the link was so tight to begin with. Wind back to […]

 wsj.com

Brent signals traders to release oil stocks: Kemp

Crude oil storage helped commodity traders and refiners make strong profits last year and in the first quarter of 2016 but now the price structure which made it possible is evaporating. In a typical storage strategy, known as “cash and carry”, traders buy physical crude and put it into storage in a tank farm, or more rarely on a tanker at sea. Traders simultaneously sell crude futures for a nearby contract, hedging their exposure in case prices fall while the oil is stored. As the futures contracts near expiry, traders buy them back and sell more contracts for a date further in the future. The strategy continues until the trader is ready to release the stocks back to the market. But the strategy only works if the futures market trades in contango, with contracts near expiry […]

  www.reuters.com

Oil bulls will be the losers as technology upends demand

The bullish camp, which includes Opec and EIA, has recently reinforced their $80/bbl target by 2020 based mainly on “battle for supply” (competition among oil producing nations and technologies) arguing that low prices will result in postponed or cancelled investments and permanent loss of production capacity, which combined with their optimistic outlook for oil demand, would allow the cartel to regain control and sustain high prices.

The bearish camp believes in “lower for longer”, below the current spot, and much lower than the $50/bbl currently implied by the 2020 futures. The bearish view acknowledges the “battle for supply”, not only for crude oil but also for natural gas, as well as the “battle for demand” (competition among fuels) where refined oil products (such as gasoline, diesel or jet fuel) compete for market share in transportation demand with alternative energy sources and technologies (such as natural gas, renewables, electricity or batteries); a dramatic change that would erode the cartel’s oligopolistic power.

  www.ft.com

 Saudi Arabia Takes Out $10bn in Bank Loans   

Saudi Arabia is raising $10bn from a consortium of global banks as the kingdom embarks on its first international debt issuance in 25 years to counter dwindling oil revenues and reserves.  The landmark five-year loan, a signal of Riyadh’s new found dependence on foreign capital, opens the way for Saudi to launch its first international bond issue. It comes as the sustained slump in crude encourages other Gulf governments, such as Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Oman, to tap international bond markets.  The oil-rich kingdom, which last weekend blocked a potential deal among oil producers to freeze output and bolster prices, has burnt through $150bn in financial reserves since late 2014 as its fiscal deficit is set to widen to 19 per cent of gross domestic product this year...  

 First Financial Insights Note:

Saudi is producing every barrel they possibly can. They will be lucky to hold this level for much longer.

...Strong interest in the loan, especially from Asian banks, came despite rating agency downgrades on Saudi creditworthiness since the oil price collapsed. The government raised the amount it wanted to borrow from $6bn-$8bn to $10bn after the deal was oversubscribed.

  next.ft.com