BREAKING: Fitch downgrades the United States' long-term credit rating from AAA to AA+
Fitch says that "repeated debt-limit political standoffs and last-minute resolutions" are to blame. They note that debt-ceiling standoffs have "eroded" confidence in fiscal management. Source: The Kobeissi Letter, Bloomberg
JUST IN - MicroStrategy to raise up to $750 million to buy more Bitcoin and fund other corporate purposes.
Business intelligence company MicroStrategy—one of the largest institutional holders of Bitcoin in the U.S.—reported a $24.1 million impairment charge on its crypto holdings today but nonetheless returned to profitability this quarter. MicroStrategy said in its Q2 2023 earnings report that it bought even more Bitcoin in July. The largest publicly traded company with Bitcoin on its balance sheet now says it holds 152,800 coins—worth about $4.4 billion. In July, MicroStrategy acquired an additional 467 BTC for $14.4 million and now holds 152,800 BTC. MicroStrategy stock—MSTR on the Nasdaq—is up 197% since the first Bitcoin buy. The price of the biggest cryptocurrency by market cap has risen 156% since then, too, from $11,398 per coin to $29,238 today. Source: Bitcoin Magazine, Decrypt
It's now been 40 days since the SP500 had a down 1% day...
Source: Bloomberg, www.zerohedge.com
The US saw a total of 340 bankruptcies in the first 6 months of 2023.
This is more than the first half of 2020 when the US went into a full lockdown. It’s the highest number of first half bankruptcies since 2010. Businesses are feeling the pain of higher interest rates. Source: The Kobeissi Letter
Debt Tsunami Begins: US To Sell $1 Trillion In Debt This Quarter, 2nd Highest In History, As Budget Deficit Explod
The $1.007 trillion in upcoming marketable borrowing is the second highest on record; only the $2.753 trillion in Q2 2020 surpasses it. Source: www.zerohedge.com, US Treasury
The Citi US Economic Surprise Index is at the highest levels since early 2021.
Source: Bloomberg
US housing -> Lots of US Homeowners Want to Move. They Just Have Nowhere to Go
Locked into cheaper borrowing costs and unable to find a new place that fits their budgets, countless people are opting to remain in their current homes, adding to an acute shortage of available properties Source: Bloomberg
The top 10 stocks in the S&P 500 now account for a record 31% of the ENTIRE index
Just 8 years ago, the top 10 stocks accounted for 17% of the index. A few stocks continue to drive the entire market. Source: The Kobeissi Letter
