Archive for August 2018
USDA Partners to Provide Transitional Housing for Rural People in Recovery from Opioid Misuse
PIKEVILLE, Ky., Aug. 31, 2018 – On International Overdose Awareness Day, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett announced that USDA has formalized an innovative agreement in which a nonprofit organization will purchase homes from the Department and convert them to transitional housing for people recovering from opioid misuse. “From quality of life…
Read MoreUSDA Launches Webpage Highlighting Resources to Help Rural Communities Bridge the Broadband e-Connectivity Infrastructure Gap
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2018 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today unveiled a new webpage featuring information about the importance of rural e-Connectivity and the ways the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing to help deploy high-speed broadband infrastructure in rural America. “Rural high-speed broadband e-Connectivity is as important for economic development as…
Read MoreSecretary Perdue Statement on Senate Confirmation of James Hubbard
Release & Contact Info Statement Release No. 0169.18 Contact: USDA PressEmail: press@oc.usda.gov (Washington, D.C., August 28, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today issued the following statement regarding Senate Confirmation of James Hubbard, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment: “I’m very excited for Jim to finally…
Read MoreUSDA Announces Assistance to Pecan Growers Affected by 2017 Weather Events
WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2018 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that additional assistance has been made available for pecan growers to replant and replace trees through the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) as they recover from the impacts of 2017 weather events, which was made available by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018.…
Read MoreDid you Know? History and Bull Markets
USDA Announces Details of Assistance for Farmers Impacted by Unjustified Retaliation
(Washington, D.C., August 27, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced details of actions the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will take to assist farmers in response to trade damage from unjustified retaliation by foreign nations. President Donald J. Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a short-term relief strategy to protect agricultural…
Read MoreStatement of Secretary Perdue on U.S.-Mexico Trade Agreement
(Washington, D.C., August 27, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today issued the following statement regarding the announcement on trade between the United States and Mexico: “President Trump is delivering on his promise to renegotiate the old, outdated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), making good on his pledge to strike the best…
Read MoreImpact of US Shale on Asian Producers
Chart 1: US overtakes the Russians and Saudis to claim top spot Southeast Asian crude oil benchmarks still fit for purpose? The largest oil producers in Southeast Asia switched to using Dated Brent to price their crude oil exports in 2011-12 on the understanding that the North Sea marker would continue to reflect regional market…
Read MoreFed's Fork in the Road: Even Higher Rates or Pause
Hedging U.S. Equities with Treasury Options
Adding to the risks facing equity investors are valuation levels. The S&P 500® trades at 21x trailing earnings while the Nasdaq is at 27.7x trailing earnings. Moreover, as a percentage of GDP, S&P 500®’s market cap has only been higher once before: in late 1999 into early 2000, on the eve of a 50% bear…
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