Weekend Links 3-4 January 2015

Global Macro / Markets / Investing:

• US puts more sanctions on North Korea due to Sony hack – Reuters
• Oil declines as USD surges in thin NY trading – Reuters
• Global factory growth tapers at end of 2014 – Reuters
• Brilliant yearly asset performance chart – Wealth of Common Sense (must see and great insight into asset allocation)
• 7 economic events you can’t miss next week – ForexLive (and I’ll be back covering them all, plus Macro Morning etc etc)

Americas:

• 2015 will be the year of uncertainty as decoupling meme buckles – ZH
• US housing enters 2015 on high note but on poor affordability – WSJ
• US construction spending falls unexpectedly – Reuters
• December ISM manufacturing also declines – Econintersect (this is a interesting trend in prints….)

Europe:

• The Pro-european voice is missing in Britain – FT (for good reason chaps)
• As Europe returns to Franco-German nexus – Reuters (hmm…has hallmarks of the 1920’s)
• Euro forecasters see more pain in 2015 – Bloomberg
• As its slides to new 5 year low on Mario Draghi comments – FT
• Scotland’s separatists lost the vote but winning the battle – FT (keep going lads, independence will come eventually!)

Asia:

• Can India be a driving force in the region? The Diplomat
• China’s hard landing in 21 charts – ZH
• China is ready for reform breakthrough – Caixin
• Shrinking Japan in charts – ZH

Local:

• New Zealand looks beyond The Hobbit – FT (they seem to have milked Tolkien enough!)
• As Auckland drives the rest of the economy, according to ANZ – Interest.co.nz
• Aussie employers step up efforts to get rid of penalty rates – Fairfax (ruh roh…this could be easier if houses weren’t so expensive you know?)
• RBA (and Mad Adam) play the confidence game – Fairfax (but what if no one takes the bet? Who then holds the cards?)
• Rising iron ore price lifts Aussie markets – AFR
• Shortage in domestic gas supply made worse by lower oil price – The Australian (gee, an energy reservation policy would have helped here a bit hey? Oh well..)
• Aussie dollar skirts to new lows to end the week (and start the year) – ForexLive (only 20 pips off long term support and then we’re off!)

Other:

• The petrol engine for cars is fast going away – BI (personally I want to see mandatory electric motors on trail bikes first! Less noise makes them more palatable!)
• Robot cheetah! BI (where can I buy one?)
• And robot shark! Wired (US military really love their toys don’t they?)
• First SpaceX launch for 2015 is this Tuesday – don’t miss it! BI (reusable rocket technology is paradigm shifting for space transportation)
• Probably the best Porsche 911 ever: