There were only two stories worth paying attention to this afternoon. The first was the increase in inventory in the existing homes sales report. A positive read on actual sales was largely expected for this month as the home buyers tax credit ended in April, but the continuing rise in inventories is further concern that the shadow inventory will continue to come on the market in the coming months. We have detailed the outlook for housing and continue to believe the pressures are mounting in real estate. Today’s surge in inventories is worrisome to say the least. Home sellers are clearly trying to sell into the brief strength we’ve seen in housing. The massive supply on the market is not a good sign for what is likely to be lower and lower demand as the year wears on.
The other story of note is the CajaSur Takeover in Spain. The Spanish central bank initiated the takeover this weekend. The move rippled thru the credit markets as investors begin to see real signs that the sovereign debt crisis is impacting the banking sector. The Ted Spread jumped to 36.96 on the news and banking stocks were down 2.85% on the day.
Mr. Roche is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Discipline Funds.Discipline Funds is a low fee financial advisory firm with a focus on helping people be more disciplined with their finances.
He is also the author of Pragmatic Capitalism: What Every Investor Needs to Understand About Money and Finance, Understanding the Modern Monetary System and Understanding Modern Portfolio Construction.
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