Sell everything! 2016 will be a 'cataclysmic year,' warns RBS

[Straight Shooter]

The main thrust of my point BP is not aimed at the sheeple....its aimed at our prepper community ....not withstanding most all of us carry out growing activity....its a wake up call for those who do not yet partake in growing stuff ! being prepared means the hard work that go,s into growing your own food .....year round....something i am yet to achieve truth told.

[bigpaul]

I couldn't agree with you more SS, whilst many in the prepping community try to grow their own food or at least a part of it, there are many who think a stack of tins and a torch is all there is to prepping.
we cannot do anything about governments and politics and big business, which is why I get annoyed when some seem to dwell on these subjects .

[Straight Shooter]

Baltic Dry Index latest......DOWN ( 369 )....note for visitors to this site.....if you are not preparing at this moment......START RIGHT NOW....

[NorthernRaider]

Official Chinese economic growth reported to be down to +6% which is very bad by Chinese expectations, commentators feel it may be much worse as the Chinese and noted for fibbing about how well they are doing and they think the economy may be down to 1%.

[bigpaul]

China's growth forecast is down, its now at 6.9% which is strange as in Europe that would be an excellent growth figure but apparently in China that is down on the last quarter, seems they are now concentrating on internal sales, I wonder how that will impact on our imports of their goods?
as you know, I am more interested in what happens HERE in the UK, but this could I suppose impact on what is available in the shops.
that would be good if it made the government and big business think about the UK being more self reliant, but i'm not holding my breath on that one.

[Devonian]

I can't help but think that we are trying to create a situation here that doesn't exist.

Markets will and always do go both up and down and after the last few years, a readjustment of the markets must be expected. People are also not necessarily spending as freely as they once did, hence possibly why the shipping volumes are down.

But as BP has pointed out 6% growth (yes growth) would actually be quite phenomenal in any Western Economy, even during the good times, the UK economy would struggle to get to say 3% Growth, but the fact it is in China and isn't up at the unsustainable levels of 8 or 9% which were experienced several years ago, mean that some people seem shocked!! Really, what do they expect??

If anything the Chinese growth rate is slowing/levelling out to a sustainable level, last year it was 7.3%; the year before 7.7%; and the year before that 7.8%, so it is hardly crashing, they are still somehow growing their economy at a rate 2-3 times faster than almost anyone else!

Also look at the UK economy, it's actually doing OK, not great, but yes OK it is growing and heading in the right direction and look at employment, it's at the highest level ever.

Maybe people are simply buying less tat from China, but are still spending in the shops just not on the disposable goods etc which China has traditionally excelled at producing and shipping to the rest of the world.

[bigpaul]

good post Devonian, exactly what I was thinking too.
I think some people see problems where none actually exist, markets as you rightly said rise and fall and that's just a normal part of finance and economies.
I suppose when the Iranian oil floods on to the markets and prices fall as a result we will have the "usual suspects" complaining that the bottom has dropped out of the oil markets? cant please everybody it seems.

[Devonian]

Yep also the UK FTSE 100 at this particular point in time is actually up nearly 2% on the day, which is a big daily increase and yes doesn't reverse all of the recent falls, but does illustrate how the markets go up and down.

[Steve]

I don't see a reason to panic either, but perhaps that's not the point - perhaps we should be worried that the general population will panic. If people do panic they will start taking money from their accounts, if the government acts quickly it will put a limit on how much can be withdrawn, this will prompt everyone to try to get their ration of cash out - and it will force me to do the same whilst there is still cash to be had.

So, even a rumour can affect us.

On the bright side, my pigs don't give a stuff about the stock market and are very likely to carry on eating grass if oil reaches $10 a barrel. Your preps don't care either.

[Straight Shooter]

Bit more perspective is required here.

The Baltic dry index is compiled by London based Baltic Exchange, and covers prices and transportation such as coal,grain and iron ore,
the index is based on a daily survey of agents world wide.

Highest the index reached was 11,793 in may 2008.

The lowest ever recorded is 369 on 18th jan 2016.

Stock Markets ......sighting stock markets as some sort of shinning successful example....is sheer illusion but not my illusion ... i could and can explain ....but....why should i really bother....do some research for yourselves but i doubt you will even bother ....so who really cares.......not me any longer.