15Sep2016 Market Close: Burnt Fingers In The Commodities Markets Today, Short-Term Indicators Bullish, But Spell Caution

Wall Street ends up on lower rate-hike bets

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks ended sharply higher on Thursday, buoyed by Apple’s best four-day run since 2014, higher oil prices and lackluster economic data that further dimmed expectations for an interest rate hike next week.

Fiat Chrysler recalling 1.9 million vehicles for air bag defect

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said on Thursday it is recalling 1.9 million vehicles worldwide for an air bag defect linked to three deaths and five injuries.

Exclusive: Central banks seek global standards in wake of Bangladesh heist

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) – The world’s major central banks, stung by this year’s $81-million heist in Bangladesh, have launched a task force to consider setting broad rules to protect the vast network of cross-border banking from cyber attacks, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter.

U.S. consumer safety agency plans recall of Samsung Galaxy Note 7: source

(Reuters) – U.S. consumer safety agency plans a recall of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd’s Galaxy Note 7, according to a person familiar with the plans.

Federal Reserve stress test may be illegal: banking group

(Reuters) – The Federal Reserve may have violated the law in adopting key parts of the bank stress tests, according to a study released on Thursday from a group whose members include large Wall Street banks.

Apple stock heads for best four days since 2014; short sellers flee

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple extended its Wall Street rally on Thursday, with enthusiasm over demand for its newest iPhone putting the stock on track for its strongest four-day streak in over two years and clobbering short sellers who bet against it.

Activist Naylor calls on Wells Fargo to study breakup

BOSTON (Reuters) – Activist investor Bart Naylor said on Thursday he has filed a shareholder resolution calling on Wells Fargo & Co to study breaking up its business in the wake of a fake accounts scandal.

U.S. retail sales, factory output slump; third-quarter growth forecast cut

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. retail sales fell more than expected in August amid weak purchases of automobiles and a range of other goods, pointing to cooling domestic demand that further diminishes expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate increase next week.

Revisiting the Run on Deutsche Bank: Making the Hypothetical Frightenighly Realistic – You’ve Been Warned!

Following up on “What Happens to Banks When the Real Funding Rate Appears?”, we will take a look at could happen to Deustche Bank when LIBOR does this…

… and depositors realize Deutsche Bank as Ground Zero?, thus contemplate

The Mainstream Media Bet The Farm On Hillary… And Lost

Submitted by Charles Hugh-Smith via OfTwoMinds blog,

The MSM has forsaken its duty in a democracy and is a disgrace to investigative, unbiased journalism.

The mainstream media bet the farm on Hillary Clinton, confident that their dismissal of every skeptical inquiry as a “conspiracy” would guarantee her victory. It now appears they have lost their bet. Let’s do something radical and be honest for a moment: the mainstream media has smoothed the path to Hillary’s coronation in countless often subtle ways.

MSM “Opinion” hacks have unleashed unrelenting attacks on legitimate inquiries with accusations of “conspiracy” and obsequious kow-towing headlines such as “Can we please stop talking about Hillary’s health?”

Suggestions that the Clinton Foundation engaged in “pay to play” during Hillary’s term as secretary of state are glossed over; yes, it looks bad, the MSM reluctantly admits, they they hurry to add that no impropriety can be proven in court.

Given the foundation is run by attorneys who obfuscate the meaning of the word “is,” do you really think they’re going to leave tracks that can make it to court?

The Democratic National Committee’s corruption was downplayed, and the mainstream media’s pathetic lack of inquiry was of a piece with old Soviet “news”: a scapegoat or two is cut out of the leadership photo, and the DNC corruption machine moves on untouched.

This Is How Much It ‘Costs’ To Get An Ambassadorship: Guccifer 2.0 Leaks DNC ‘Pay-To-Play’ Donor List

Consider the subtle Orwellian play …

Merkel Braces For More Misery With Humiliating Berlin Election Rout

Two weeks ago we reported that chancellor Angela Merkel was facing humiliation, political defeat in in an election in her home state. Sure enough, she lost by a wide margin, with the anti-immigrant AfD party soaring in the first shock result of the current political cycle. That, however, was only the beginning because as Reuters writes today, still reeling from the state election rout, Angela Merkel’s conservatives “are bracing for further losses in the Berlin city vote on Sunday.”

Following the CDU’s disastrous performance in the election in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Merkel’s home state, which pushed Merkel’s party into an unprecedented third place by the AfD, her conservative CSU allies in Bavaria have blamed Merkel personally and demanded a migrant cap, which she rejects. Polls show the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) may be able to drop Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) as coalition partners in the capital’s assembly.

Meanwhile, with the ruling coalition in shambles as a result of Merkel’s widely unpopular immigration policies, the AfD, which has won seats in nine of Germany’s 16 states, has soared by successfully playing on immigration concerns, validated most recently on Wednesday night by the violence between locals and refugees in the German town of Bautzen.

Meanwhile, even the locals are pushing back against Merkel: Berlin candidate Georg Pazderski has said: “I favor educating these people (immigrants) but not integrating them. We must prepare them for going back.”

Not surprisingly, then, after its humiliation in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the CDU continues to slide. An INSA poll this week put the CDU on …

New iPhone Could Be Bad News for Wireless Industry

The success of Apple’s latest smartphone could spell the end of record-high wireless margins.

Apple: Why Early iPhone Data Spells Relief

Apple was due for a relief rally, even as early iPhone 7 sales data remains murky.

China’s Credit Fire Hose Floods Housing Market

The boom in mortgage loans adds to the list of strains tugging at China’s fragile—and interconnected—financial system.

What We Read Today 15 September 2016

Econintersect: Every day our editors collect the most interesting things they find from around the internet and present a summary “reading list” which will include very brief summaries (and sometimes longer ones) of why each item has gotten our attention. Suggestions from readers for “reading list” items are gratefully reviewed, although sometimes space limits the number included.

This feature is published every day late afternoon New York time. For early morning review of headlines see “The Early Bird” published every day in the early am at GEI News (membership not required for access to “The Early Bird”.).

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Driver’s ed industry is dying even before Tesla and Uber wipe it out completely

In the era of self-driving cars, will driver’s ed go the way of the milkman?

Energy companies may be spending again, but lean times aren’t over yet

A rash of recent deals and capital expenditure increases doesn’t mean energy companies are out of the woods yet.