Warren Buffett's Final Word on Stocks Is 'Hold'

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Warren Buffett

Buffett's Final Word: Hold

Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway CEO, explains why investors should not "buy" or "sell" on current news, adding, "it's just crazy."

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Marc Faber: Europe, UK, USA in a Colossal Mess

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Marc Faber

West in a ‘Colossal Mess’ in Five to 10 Years: Marc Faber

The debt burden in the U.S. and other Western countries will continue to increase, Marc Faber, author of the Gloom, Boom and Doom report told CNBC on Monday, leading to a “colossal mess” within the next five to 10 years.

“I think the regimes will try to keep the system alive as it is for as long as possible, which means there’s no “fiscal cliff,” there’s a fiscal grand canyon,” Faber told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

Faber argued that the political systems in place in the West would allow the debt burden to continue to expand. Under such a scenario of never-ending deficits, the Western world would rack up huge deficits. One day, the system would break, he said.

“Eventually, you have either huge changes occurring in a peaceful fashion through reforms, or, usually, through revolutions,” he said. The U.S. is getting closer to such a revolution, he said, as is Europe.

“I think the timeframe would be within five to ten years you have a colossal mess … everywhere in the Western world,” Faber said. “I think the deficit here (in the U.S.) — irrespective of who is in the White House — will stay above a trillion dollars per annum for at least as far as the eye can see.”

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USA Consumer Sentiment Skyrockets to 5-Year High!

USA Consumer Sentiment: Thomson Reuters / University of Michigan

Caesar's bread and circus policies have made the Romans giddy! Nowhere to go but up from now on! See you at the top! Willus Nelsonus has captured the citizen sentiment with his monster Colosseum hit, Blue Skies:
Blue skies smilin' at me
Nothin' but blue skies do I see
Bluebirds singin' a song
Nothin' but bluebirds all day long

Oh wait, I'm talking about the wrong Empire here. Sheesh, erase and rewind. Let's roll forward some centuries from that corrupt and fallen killing-machine Empire to the current American Empire. Wait, it's the same scenario!

Washington's bread and circus policies have made the Americans giddy! Nowhere to go but up from now on! See you at the top! The Republicans and Democrats have conclusively proven you can literally "have what you say"! No problem! The mass media corporate advertising delivery system confirms this everyday, so it has to be true.

Just give the citizens and special interests all they want, wage endless wars, issue debt to pay for all this, and have the central bank, the Federal Reserve, buy all debt that can't be foisted upon China, Americans, or other suckers, er, I mean sold to investors. It is all so simple, so easy. Those dimwitted Romans were so primitive, they had no clue how a real Empire operates. Duh.

American optimism has surged upwards as the Index of Consumer Sentiment is now at 83.1 (preliminary October 2012). What does this mean? We're talking the highest since September 2007. This reading is well above the long-term average of 75.9. That's the monthly average from January 2005 through October 2012.





"What changed was how they (consumers) evaluated economic conditions," survey director Richard Curtin said in a statement. "Economic conditions during the year ahead were expected to be 'good' by more consumers, and more consumers expected 'good' economic times over the next five years."

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USA Consumer Confidence Surges to 7-Month High!

The Conference Board: Consumer Confidence Index

The September 2012 Consumer Confidence Index surged +9.0 to 70.3 (preliminary) to a 7-month high, after descending to a 7-month low last month. Fickle Americans: last month Armageddon was on the horizon and this month happy days are here again! The September reading is below the 74.2 monthly average from January 2005 through August 2012. However, this reading is significantly above the dismal October 2011 reading of 40.9, which was a 30-month low, the lowest since April 2009. Compared to the Pre-Great Recession peak of 111.9 in July 2007 consumer confidence continues at historically low levels regardless of the monthly ups and downs.

Says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, "The Consumer Confidence Index rebounded in September and is back to levels seen earlier this year (71.6 in February 2012). Consumers were more positive in their assessment of current conditions, in particular the job market, and considerably more optimistic about the short-term outlook for business conditions, employment and their financial situation. Despite continuing economic uncertainty, consumers are slightly more optimistic than they have been in several months."

Consumer Confidence Index by Month The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) reached a Post-Great Recession peak of 72.0 in February 2011. The Great Recession cyclical low was 25.3 in February 2009. The Pre-Great Recession peak was 111.9 in July 2007.



Consumer Confidence Index by Year For each year, the related months are averaged. The Great Recession low was in 2009 at a 45.2 average and the Post-Great Recession peak has been 2011 at a 58.2 average, which was a 4-year high. For the 9 months ended September 2012, consumer confidence is at a 5-year high of 66.2.



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Peter Schiff: Inflation #1 Concern Among Registered Voters

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Peter Schiff

Fox News poll confirms: Inflation #1 concern among registered voters A just released Fox News Presidential Poll confirms that inflation is a bigger concern for voters than unemployment and the housing market combined. In fact, more than twice as many registered voters are concerned about the "inflation" tax as are worried about all other federal taxes combined!

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Marc Faber: Global Crash Coming!

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Marc Faber

Marc Faber's Biggest Warning Yet: Global Crash Coming! Dr. Doom, Marc Faber, warns of a global crash. He discusses China, as well as gold's next move, with CNBC's Jackie DeAngelis and the Futures Now Traders, Rich Ilczyszyn, iiTrader LLC, and Anthony Grisanti, GRZ Energy.

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USA CEO Confidence: "Increasingly Pessimistic"

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Measure of CEO Confidence = 42%

Economic Conditions Have Improved Compared to Six Months Ago = 9%

Economic Conditions Expected to Improve Over the Next Six Months = 12%

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Peter Schiff: Unemployment, GDP, Debates, Dollar, Gold!

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Peter Schiff

Peter Schiff: Unemployment, GDP, Debates, Dollar, Gold

Peter Schiff, Euro Pacific Capital.

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Peter Schiff: USA Is Already In A Recession!

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Peter Schiff

Peter Schiff: We are Already in a Recession

Peter Schiff, Euro Pacific Capital, on why he believes the economy is already contracting, and what, if any, impact the 2012 elections will have on the economy.

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