(Reuters) – The second dose of Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine could be delayed in order to cover all priority groups as the first one is highly protective, two Canada-based researchers said in a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The vaccine had an efficacy of 92.6% after the first dose, Danuta Skowronski and Gaston De Serres said, based on an analysis of the documents submitted by the drugmaker to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These findings were similar to the first-dose efficacy of 92.1% reported for Moderna Inc’s mRNA-1273 vaccine, according to the letter https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2036242 on Wednesday. In its response, Pfizer said alternative dosing regimens of the vaccine had not been evaluated yet and that the decision resided with the health authorities. Some countries, grappling with low supplies, are looking at dosing patterns or volumes that differ from how the vaccines were tested in clinical trials. There are differences over the merits of such strategies, with some arguing the urgency of the pandemic requires flexibility, while others oppose abandoning data-driven approaches for the sake of expediency. Skowronski and De Serres cautioned that there may be uncertainty about the duration of protection with a single dose, but said the administration of the second dose a month after the first provided “little added benefit in the short term”. Skowronski works at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, while De Serres is from the Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec In Britain, authorities have said that data supported its decision to move to a 12-week dosing schedule for Pfizer’s COVID vaccine. Both Pfizer and partner BioNTech have warned that they had no evidence to prove it. Pfizer’s vaccine is authorized to be taken 21 days apart. The U.S. FDA and the European Medicines agency have stuck by the interval tested in the trials. Nick Note: Drug companies are in the business to sell drugs. I am told by reliable sources that their are 7 mutants of the corona19. Of those 3 are more contagious and deadlier since they are more infectious it makes since they are becoming the dominant strains.. The English, South African and now the Brazialain mutations, Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines attack 6 markers on the spike protein. They have not disclosed which markers they are. But the mutants ALL have BIG changes on the spike protien. From the start i felt this was a mistake. They should have gone after the Sphere proteins. They are slow to mutate. But harder to isolate. Bottom Line: after this last wave subsides and they set the captives free and increase global vaccinations i am afraid mother nature has a surprise in store for us. Another wave of a even deadlier Coronvirus that the vaccines are useless to stop. As we speak i can tell you that Phizer and Moderna are sequencing the new variants and are gearing up to sell the world booster shots. One more thing i believe that the new varietals could have been spliced using the DNA splicing scissors of Nobel plastic explosive science prize fame.
US producer prices up 1.3% in January
Seasonally adjusted producer prices for final demand in the United States grew by 1.3% year-on-year in January, the largest increase since the index was established in 2009, the country’s Department of Labor reported on Wednesday. The final demand services index advanced 1.3%, while the prices for final demand goods grew 1.4%. For services, the 9.4% increase in prices for portfolio management contributed the most, while a 13.6% jump in gasoline prices affected the goods indicator the most. On an unadjusted basis, the index for final demand climbed 1.7%. Nick Note: this is simply a fluke as the supply chain recovers. THEIR IS NO INFLATION AND THEIR WILL BE NO INFLATION. As you can see by this next story the Fed will not jump. The numbers we have seen today further affirms our view that a monster stock market rally is in progress followed by the mother of all stock market wipe outs!
Inflation unlikely to hit 2% goal within a year – Fed’s Rosengren
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s President Eric Rosengren said on Wednesday that if a problem with inflation was to occur, “the Fed will take care of it.” Although Rosengren noted he would be surprised if sustained inflation rate hit Fed’s 2% goal within the next year or two. He also mentioned that the major inflation measures right now are “quite low”. Rosengren added that payroll creation was very low in January and the United States still has “a lot more to do” to fix the labor market and its “quite large” existing gap. According to Rosengren, the coronavirus and vaccination developments still lead the economy and the labor market is disrupted. Nick note: It remains to be seen how effective the mass vaccinations really are and how long they will last. The bigger issue are the mutations and how fast the booster shot will take to develop and deploy. Markets are not bothered by such details. One thing this global plague has done its made the masses crazy as in stir crazy with a dose of cabin fervor. So look fpr the masses to go absolutely bonkers crazy and the markets will join in the fun. Like the stock market after WWII. But in the wings lurks two problems. the first being market valuations that can never be justified by profits never mind by dividends. And the second is the mathematical probability a strain of the virus emerges that starts killing the mass vaccinated people……
ESMA: Investments based on data from social media are risky
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s securities markets regulator, has released a statement to highlight to retail investors the risks connected with trading decisions based exclusively on exchanges of views, informal recommendations and sharing of trading intentions through social networks and unregulated online platforms – or as we call it for short, social trading. The statement was issued as part of ESMA’s investor protection objective to safeguard retail investors. ESMA stated that several recent episodes have seen certain US stocks experience high price volatility based on information shared on social media. Although market rules and structures are different in the European Union, the regulator stated that it cannot be ruled out that similar circumstances may develop in the EU. And it is clear that ESMA wants to work to prevent that from happening. The US events ESMA refers to were a large group of retail traders, sharing views on Reddit “Wallstreetbets”, ended up initiating short squeezes in a number of heavily shorted US stocks such as GameStop and AMC Entertainment in late January and early February. The social-driven action caused huge losses to (primarily) large institutional investors who had large short positions, but the wild up-and-then-back-down short squeeze play also drew in a large number of unprepared retail traders looking to make a quick buck. Some did, but some also lost big. The market craziness also caught a lot of brokers unprepared, some of which limited trading in certain stocks while others simply stopped taking on new clients for a while. The ESMA statement highlights the following issues:
❑ Investors need to use reliable information for investment decisions;
❑ Increased risk of investor loss due to price volatility; and
❑ Risk of committing market abuse.
ESMA said that alongside the EU’s various national financial regulators it will continue analysing market events and consider adopting further initiatives aimed at preserving investor protection and market integrity as appropriate. Social trading has been around in various forms for as long as social networking has been with us (anyone remember Currensee?), but has really just taken off lately. Some FX and CFD brokers have made social trading a mainstay of their offerings, with some very good results being seen by firms such as eToro and NAGA.com. The full statement issued by ESMA reads as follows:
17 February 2021
STATEMENT
Episodes of very high volatility in trading of certain stocks
Recent episodes have shown very high volatility in certain US stocks, linked to a significant accumulation of net short positions and concerted action by some retail investors, based on information shared on social media.
Although market rules and structures are different in the EU, it cannot be ruled out that similar circumstances may occur in the EU as well.
An increased participation of retail investors in stock markets is welcome for the development of the Capital Markets Union. Nonetheless, ESMA urges retail investors to be careful when taking investment decisions based exclusively on information from social media and other unregulated online platforms, if they cannot verify the reliability and quality of that information.
A key step for any investor before making an investment decision is to gather investment information from reliable sources, while keeping in mind one’s investment objectives, the benefits of diversification and the ability to bear losses.
Price volatility increases investors’ risk of loss Retail investors face significant risks when investing in stocks characterised by very high price volatility. Volatility could be increased by many factors including when stocks are subject to heavy short selling. Price trends can suddenly come to a halt and reverse, quickly exposing retail clients to heavy losses.
Those using trading strategies that involve leverage are exposed to even greater risks as leverage increases investor’s exposure to potential losses. Examples are day-trading strategies in which margin trading, i.e. trading with money borrowed from the firm, or derivatives are used. ESMA stresses that trading with leverage is complex and should be entered into with a full understanding of the risks.
Market abuse risks
Discussing the opportunity to buy or sell the shares of an issuer does not constitute market abuse. However, organising or executing coordinated strategies to trade or place orders at certain conditions and times to move a share’s price could constitute market manipulation.
Similarly, special care should be taken when posting information on social media about an issuer or a financial instrument, as disseminating false or misleading information may also be market manipulation. Additionally, care should be taken when disseminating investment recommendations through any media, including social media and online platforms, as they are subject to a number of regulatory requirements.
ESMA and the National Competent Authorities will continue analysing market events and consider adopting further initiatives aimed at preserving investor protection and market integrity as appropriate. Nick Note: we monitor social media 24?7 and i get reports constantly. I have never seen a bigger bunch of stupid fucks. It will be the biggest stock market wipe out ever with the biggest loses of the retail investor…….I cannot wait!
UK gives go-ahead to expose volunteers to COVID in medical trial
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain on Wednesday became the first country in the world to allow volunteers to be exposed to the COVID-19 virus to advance medical research into the pandemic. The trial, which will begin within a month, will see up to 90 healthy volunteers aged 18-30 exposed to COVID-19 in a safe and controlled environment to increase understanding of how the virus affects people, the government said. In order to make the trial as safe as possible, the version of the virus that has been circulating in England since March 2020 will be used rather than one of the new variants. The study will initially seek to establish the smallest amount of virus needed to cause infection, it said. Volunteers could then be given vaccine candidates before being exposed to the virus. The volunteers will be compensated for taking part. British Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the study would help to find the best and most effective vaccines for use over the longer term. “These human challenge studies will take place here in the UK and will help accelerate scientists’ knowledge of how coronavirus affects people and could eventually further the rapid development of vaccines,” he said. .The government’s vaccines task force, Imperial College London, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and clinical company hVIVO, which has pioneered viral human challenge models, are working on the study. Nick Note: The English do not get the Dr Mengele human research price. Equivalent to the Nobel high explosive funded peace prixe. The Chinese first infect its population to see what the virus would do. And when they saw how devastating it is they sent Chinned (tourists) infected citizens to infect the world. As i point in fact i prefer they do research on humans and spare my beloved dogs….. who are much nicer to me then people!
US government extends foreclosure moratorium
https://youtu.be/zoWlxbGhdiw
The Biden administration announced Tuesday that it would extend the foreclosure moratorium and mortgage forbearance through the end of June. The actions would block home foreclosures and offer delayed mortgage payments until July, as well as offer six months of additional mortgage forbearance for those who enroll on or before June 30. The actions are an extension of an order that was originally enacted under the Trump administration in March of last year. President Joe Biden — as one of 17 orders he signed on his first day in office — initially extended the eviction and foreclosure moratoriums through the end of March. The eviction moratorium remains in effect through March but was not included in the actions announced Tuesday. The departments of Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture will work together to enact the actions, according to the announcement from the White House. Resources for homeowners will be consolidated on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website. The White House announcement also pushed for quick passage of
Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package, arguing the bill would provide states with $10 billion to assist homeowners with mortgage and utility costs.
The Biden administration said Tuesday that 2.7 million homeowners are enrolled in the Covid-19 mortgage forbearance program, which remains available to an additional 11 million government-backed mortgages. Nick Note: Happy season is upon us. No mortgage payment, no rent… more money for Robin Hood trading.
Bitcoin vaults above $50,000 for first time ever
World stocks look to extend bull run to 12th day on economic optimism
TOKYO (Reuters) – Global shares held firm on Tuesday, with a solid foundation in place to extend their bull run to a 12th consecutive session as optimism about the global economic recovery and expectations of low interest rates drive investments into riskier assets. Oil prices soared to a 13-month high as a deep freeze due to a severe snow storm in the United States not only boosted power demand but also threatened oil production in Texas.
S&P500 futures traded 0.5% higher to a record level and MSCI’s all country world index (ACWI), which has risen every single day so far this month, ticked up slightly.
“Global markets have started the week higher as investors remain confident that the pandemic will soon give way to an economic boom,” wrote Mihir Kapadia, chief executive of Sun Global Investments in London. “Unless any drastic moves take place this week, we could expect equity markets to remain strong.” Successful rollouts of COVID-19 vaccines in many countries are raising hopes of further recovery in economic activities hampered by range of anti-virus curbs. U.S. President Joe Biden is pushing ahead with his plan to pump an extra $1.9 trillion in stimulus into the economy, in a further boost to market sentiment. “The pace of the market’s rally has been pretty fast but there’s no denying that it’s pretty comfortable time for stocks with expectations of low interest rates helping inflows to stocks,” said Masahiro Ichikawa, chief strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management. The bullish view on the economy lifted bond yields, with the 10-year U.S. Treasuries gaining 5 basis points to 1.252% in early Asian trade, its highest since late March. Investors are looking to the minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s January meeting, due to be published on Wednesday, for confirmation of its commitment to maintain its dovish policy stance over the near future. That in turn is set to keep a tab on bond yields. Oil prices soared to their highest in about 13 months as a U.S. winter storm added fuel to their rally on hopes of further demand recovery. U.S. crude futures traded up 1.1% at $60.11 per barrel. Prices have rallied over recent weeks on tightening supplies, largely due to production cuts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allied producers in the wider OPEC+ group of producers. Rising oil prices supported commodity-linked currencies such as the Canadian dollar while safe-haven currencies including the U.S. dollar took a back seat. MSCI’s emerging market currency index hit a record high as well. Nick Note: This is a broad based global stock market rally this is a powerful force not to be denied. Of course it is a mindless rally SO! I want to ride the wave for as long as we can. Of course this will end in tears for the people who are practicing mindless buying. Call it stock market madness SO!
Crude oil rises more than 1% on stimulus optimism
THe Bros are showing the hunkies how to get stimulus checks…… Its welfare by another name and at the trailer park they are experts at staying high and sucking off the system. We are reducing Americans to a nation of beggars. And as far as the racial bit I hate every ethnic group especially old fat white babby boomers of which I am one. .I can not be called racially prejudiced since i hate all races especially my own. I have no problem with a police state as long as i own the police.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oil prices rose about 1% on Monday as optimism around U.S. stimulus plans and some supply concerns boosted futures, but demand worries prompted by coronavirus lockdowns limited gains. Brent crude futures rose 47 cents, 0.9%, to settle at $55.88 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude ended 50 cents, or 1%, higher at $52.77 a barrel. Officials in U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on a Sunday call with Republican and Democratic lawmakers tried to head off Republican concerns that his $1.9 trillion pandemic relief proposal was too expensive. “Newly inaugurated President Biden seems to be pushing for a quick approval of his proposed $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, a development interpreted by the market as a clear indication that the new U.S. administration aims to kick-start an economic recovery, which will naturally benefit fuel consumption,” said Bjornar Tonhaugen, Rystad Energy’s head of oil markets. European nations have imposed tough restrictions to halt the spread of the virus, while China reported a rise in new COVID-19 cases, casting a pall over demand prospects in the world’s largest energy consumer. Nick Note: You got the happy checks and the golden shot… Whats not to like. I vote for a mindless rally followed by the biggest wipe out ever. And if i can GUESS right its worth one of two things to us.. A wipe out or a kinds ransom… Like i said i vote for the kings ransom.
US closes higher, finishes week with new record highs
Shares on the major stock market indexes in the United States ended the trading session with gains on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq 100, and the S&P 500 setting new record highs. Despite a drop in the consumer confidence registered in February, the traders’ hopes that economic stimulus might come soon, fueled by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s advice to other members of the Group of Seven, helped the major benchmarks wrap up the week’s final trading bout above the flatline. The Dow Jones gained 0.09% as the session came to a close as Intel lead the gains with a 1.9% rise. The Nasdaq 100 jumped 0.53% at the closing bell with Illumina surging 11.87%. At the same time, the S&P 500 increased by 0.47%. The euro declined by 0.11% versus the dollar, selling for 1.21190 at 3:59 pm ET. Nick Note: It is my belief now that the Trump circus has left town the focus will be on the happy checks to the masses. PARTY TIME! Come on millennials be quick come on in for the free money the stock market has to give…….. Show us old fart boomers what cool dudes you little dick assholes really are. Why are all the millennial women truing to their best friend Meg. Simple the no dick quarter men millennias can not do the job. The term FLASH Gordon comes to mind.
WHO team doesn’t rule out virus escaping Wuhan lab – official
A World Health Organization (WHO) official investigating the cause of the pandemic has said he “can’t rule out” the possibility that COVID originated from a Wuhan laboratory. Dr David Nabarro, who is conducting the probe into how the virus developed, said the WHO is currently working with Chinese authorities. He told He told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday that “everything will be looked at” by the investigators. Asked if he could rule out the theory that the virus escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, he said: “The thing about theories is you have to have them as a way to set up the reason why things might be occurring in a particular way. “I can’t rule anything out and I know the team on the spot, as well as those they’re talking to in China, they’re not ruling anything out either. “All options are on the table and everything will be looked at.” As part of the investigation, the WHO is scheduled to visit the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Chinese researchers at the institute say they have handled coronaviruses but have previously strongly rejected claims that COVID-19 came from their lab. Former US president Donald Trump said in April last year that he had seen evidence it had come from a laboratory in China. But health experts and intelligence communities have previously said it is more likely that COVID-19 was naturally occuring rather than man-made. Dr Nabarro added the investigation was getting “exemplary co-operation” from Chinese authorities. He continued: “All the sites that WHO people wanted to visit are being visited, there is an openness for all kinds of communication to take place. “But it’s early days, this is detective work. We’re anticipating this will take quite a lot longer.” Elsewhere in the interview, Dr Nabarro added that “the world should be accessing vaccines in an equal way” as he praised the UK for its rollout. “We have some excellent vaccines that can stop people from dying,” he said. “The only way to deal with a global pandemic is to get fair shares across the world now, that’s the right thing to do. “I’m really hopeful that world leaders in the coming weeks will realise that to have a few countries vaccinating a lot of people and poorer countries have very limited vaccines is not really the way to go ahead economically, socially, environmentally and indeed morally.” Nabarro said the UK having 400 million doses of vaccine on order was “totally understandable” but that once all over-50s in the UK have been inoculated it should consider sharing vaccines with poorer countries through the WHO’s Covax scheme. “At the moment politicians believe that their primary duty is to make sure they get vaccines to perhaps everybody in their countries,” he said. “We think citizens can perhaps talk to their politicians and say ‘wait a minute, we’re actually part of the world, we think the first priority is to make sure everybody in the world gets what they need’.” He said 100 countries have signed up to the WHO’s vaccine-sharing Covax scheme, adding they are “ready to receive vaccines” and there is money available to buy doses. He added: “Do we want to be remembered as a world where those who had the cash could afford to vaccinate their whole populations and countries that didn’t have the cash had to cope with a possibly quite dramatically increasing death rate among their health workers? I don’t think so.” Nick Note: Their are 2 problems with PC…. The first its usually not true and in a pandemic it can kill you dead.