NEW YORK/LONDON, April 28 (Reuters) - Gold rose 1 percent on Tuesday after disappointing U.S. data hit the dollar and dampened expectations that the Federal Reserve will hint at this week's policy meeting at an interest rate hike in coming months. Spot gold climbed 1.1 percent to a three-week high of $1,215 after the data showed U.S. consumer confidence dropped in April to its lowest since December. It was up 0.9 percent at $1,212.13 an ounce at 2:42 p.m. EDT (1842 GMT) after a 2 percent rise on Monday, while U.S. gold futures for June delivery settled up $10.70 an ounce at $1,213.90.

Complete Article

Trade Precious Metals at HC Precious Metals www.hagan.trade

Total swivel folks, new products...Just read the press release.
Regardless, it is worth the read -

LightSquared said its emergence from bankruptcy will let it bring the company's "valuable spectrum resources and existing satellite and terrestrial networks to the marketplace. Post-consummation, LightSquared will be better equipped to continue to provide services to a wide range of private and public users--including the transport and energy industries, as well as first responders and federal government agencies--who depend on those services every day for safe, secure communication."

Complete Article

Japan Times:

Oil traded near the highest price since December on concern that Middle East supplies may be disrupted as Saudi Arabia expanded its military campaign against Yemen. Futures were little changed in London after capping a third weekly gain. Saudi Arabia deployed National Guard troops to its southern borders, state-run Saudi Press Agency reported, a month after launching airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. In Libya, members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard shut the Elephant oil field Saturday over unpaid salaries, said Mohamed Elharari, a spokesman at National Oil Corp.

Complete Article

Speaking at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in Johannesburg, Goldman Sachs chairperson and CEO Lloyd Blankfein said in response to Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly Online that he would give the exact same answer if asked about investment in China. He said he was generally bullish about South Africa as a favourable investment destination, but that it would be appropriate to scale the investment to this country’s risky.

Complete Article 

THAT America’s stockmarkets dropped by 10% in a few minutes on May 6th 2010 was worrying enough, even if they did bounce back quickly. Worse still was the realisation that nobody understood why or how it had happened. After pointing the finger in various directions, American authorities have settled on an unlikely culprit: Navinder Singh Sarao, a 36-year-old British day-trader they now want to extradite to face an assortment of criminal and civil charges.

Market watchdogs would not have expected the source of the "flash crash", as it came to be known, to be a lone trader based in a nondescript semi-detached house in Hounslow, an unfashionable suburb nestled between central London and Heathrow airport. But they would be less surprised by the methods he is accused of using, most notably "spoofing", a common form of market manipulation.

Original Article, The Economist

BUENOS AIRES, April 20 (Reuters) - Argentina will reopen the 
sale of local law Bonar24 bonds on Tuesday in order to fund 
infrastructure projects, Argentine Economy Minister Axel 
Kicillof told a state broadcaster on Monday. 

Lawyers representing Dish Network Corp. Chairman Charlie Ergen reached an agreement with LightSquared Inc. on Tuesday to postpone his demand for $6.3 million in monthly payments as protection against a downturn in the wireless venture’s prospects.

http://www.law360.com/bankruptcy/articles/640142?nl_pk=a66b0360-bcac-491a-8f9f-2949cd74c2c1&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bankruptcy

More LightSquared News
With $1.25 Billion LightSquared Asks U.S. for Mobile Licenses
- BLOOMBERG-
Wireless venture LightSquared Inc., emerging from bankruptcy, asked U.S. regulators to clear the way for its renewed quest to set up a mobile broadband service covering the U.S.

Regulators should transfer airwaves licenses to the entity to be known as New LightSquared, a company subsidiary said in an April 6 filing posted Tuesday on the website of the Federal Communications Commission.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-07/lightsquared-with-1-25-billion-asks-u-s-for-mobile-licenses

Single Family Securitization (Groundbreaking)

Blackstone Unit Strikes Landmark $230M Loan Securitization: 

Law360, New York (March 27, 2015, 3:05 PM ET) --

A Blackstone Group LP fund affiliate announced Friday that it will soon break new ground with the first multi-borrower loan securitization deal for the emerging single-family rental sector, as it is the final leg of crafting a $230 million transaction. In the deal, which is expected to close in April, B2R Finance is putting together pass-through certificates backed by 144 mortgage loans tied to single-family rental properties, including condominiums, townhomes and more. The certificates will be rated by at least two rating agencies, the company said. “B2R is pioneering the first securitization of residential investor mortgages in the U.S. to grow its platform, increase the amount of capital available to our clients, and enable us to continue our leadership position in growing the asset class,” Jason Hogg, CEO of B2R Finance, said in a statement. A representative for B2R declined to comment further on the deal. The company, which was launched in late 2013 by funds managed by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities, provides residential buy-to-rent mortgages for single-family rental investors. The growing SFR market has been buzzing about this coming deal for months. Single-borrower SFR securitizations are relatively new themselves, with only a handful having hit the market so far, according to ratings agencies. Blackstone portfolio company Invitation Homes launched the first single-borrower SFR securitization in 2013 with a $480 million deal, where it pooled 3,200 homes and used them to secure a single loan that it then securitized. Several other opportunistic real estate investment companies, including American Homes 4 Rent and Colony Capital LLC, soon followed suit with their own deals. It was less than three months ago in January that Moody’s Investors Service finalized its methodology for rating single-family rental securitization. While it noted multi-borrower SFR securitizations had yet to be marketed, it noted what factors it would look to address in rating such deals. These included, for example, more extensive representations and warranties, similar to those in commercial mortgage-backed securities conduit or large loan deals. And “for multi-borrower SFR transactions, we will analyze performance information in a similar manner to single-borrower SFR transactions. However, in multi-borrower SFR transactions, credit quality will depend heavily on the quality and consistency of the transaction sponsor’s operations and flow of performance information,” Moody’s said. "A sponsor, working with other parties, can help ensure that the performance information the borrowers supply is timely and consistent in content and format," the ratings agency added. "We would expect to see such information both at closing and throughout the term of the transaction to monitor such transactions."

http://www.law360.com/articles/636525/blackstone-unit-strikes-landmark-230m-loan-securitization

Airline ticket receivables securitization - interesting.

Fitch Ratings has downgraded the following rating assigned to the 2013-1 notes issued by Guanay Finance Limited, a special purpose vehicle incorporated in the Cayman Islands and sponsored by LATAM Airlines Group S.A. (LATAM): --Series 2013-1 USD450 million senior secured fixed-rate notes to 'BB' from 'BB+'. The Rating Outlook is Stable. The issuance is backed by U.S. and Canadian dollar-denominated ticket receivables originated by LATAM. Purchased receivables result from airline ticket sales and cargo charges by LAN Airlines S.A. (LAN) under IATA code 045 that are purchased using a qualified credit, debit or charge card in the U.S. and Canada. Fitch's rating addresses the timely payment of interest and principal on a quarterly basis.

LINK

No longer a "must have" in cable and bundled type packages....Accuweather is taking a larger role. TWCC is owned by a consortium led by Blackstone ($BX)

Moodys: April (2nd) 2015

Approximately $2.2 billion of debt affected

New York, April 02, 2015 -- Moody's Investors Service downgraded TWCC Holding Corp.'s ("TWCC": d/b/a The Weather Channel Companies) Corporate Family rating (CFR) to B2 from B1 and the Probability of Default rating to B2-PD from B1-PD. Further, the rating on the company's first lien senior secured credit facility was lowered to B1 from Ba3 (LGD3) and the rating on the second lien senior secured term loan was lowered to Caa1 from B3 (LGD5). The rating outlook is stable. Downgrades: ..Issuer: TWCC Holding Corp. .... Corporate Family Rating, Downgraded to B2 from B1 .... Probability of Default Rating, Downgraded to B2-PD from B1-PD ....Senior Secured Bank Credit Facility (Local Currency), Downgraded to B1, LGD3 from Ba3, LGD3 ....Senior Secured Bank Credit Facility (Local Currency), Downgraded to Caa1, LGD5 from B3, LGD5 Outlook Actions: ....Outlook, Remains Stable RATINGS RATIONALE The downgrade reflects Moody's view that the company's credit metrics are unlikely to improve to levels expected for the prior B1 CFR and continued weak operating performance and high levels of absolute debt will result in leverage being sustained above 7.0x for the next few years at least. Moody's notes that TWCC has not been successful in reducing debt-to-EBITDA as we originally expected, largely due to weak operating trends, as evidenced by a 5% decline in reported EBITDA in 2014. While we recognize that a significant portion of the decline in EBITDA is attributable to the loss of DIRECTV's carriage and television advertising in approximately 20 million homes in the first quarter, we believe that The Weather Channel is not being a "must have" network or bundle of networks like some other larger cable networks, and therefore we believe remains susceptible to the risk of receiving less affiliate revenue or potentially being dropped, perhaps permanently, by other cable, DBS and telco companies. Verizon Communications recently allowed its agreement with The Weather Channel to expire, essentially dropping the network from its lineup of cable channels and replacing it with the AccuWeather Channel in the same channel position. We estimate that the revenue impact from the loss of Verizon's carriage will be in the 2%-4% range (of total consolidated revenues) and while the two companies could eventually resolve the disagreement over affiliate fees, there have been no indications of progress being made in that regard. Even though the impact on revenues and EBITDA from the loss of Verizon's carriage is moderate, the development underscores broader trends and operating risks for smaller networks that have no sports or entertainment programming with high audience ratings and which could gradually lose their renegotiation power or be dropped altogether from cable companies' bundled packages.

LINK

U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan today dismissed the remaining counts in the suit, after sharply narrowing it in a ruling in 2013. 

The investors claimed Harbinger acquired an interest in LightSquared, formerly known as SkyTerra Communications Inc., without adequately warning them of the risks. Harbinger ultimately owned 60 percent of LightSquared, which was developing a high-speed wireless broadband network before it filed for bankruptcy in 2012

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-30/harbinger-investor-suit-over-lightsquared-dismissed-by-judge

Yet again, DryShips, Inc. slippery deck CEO Mr. Economou ...may be running a scam. The press release really stated such:

"In agreeing to make the 20% advance payments (approximately $49 million for the 4 firm Suezmax sales) to DryShips rather than to retain a 10% deposit in a joint bank account which is the market standard, and by maintaining the flexibility to deliver the vessels to the purchasers forward, which enables DryShips to capitalize from today's strong spot charter rates, Mr. Economou has once again demonstrated his willingness to go the extra mile to support the best interests of DryShips. At the end of 2014, his personal $80 million equity investment as well as his personal guarantee of the ABN AMRO Bridge Loan, without which that transaction could not have been consummated, were crucial for DryShips. We look forward to his continued support for the benefit of all shareholders."

Is this real?? Does this guy - or his office rather -  use press releases for this (almost) penny stock to rise and fall....Meanwhile traders are loading up on the shares because they are $.80 a pop...not worth the risk if you ask me. Not worth the risk.

Newswire:
DryShips Inc. DRYS 2.41% (the "Company" or "DryShips"), a global provider of marine transportation services for drybulk and petroleum cargoes, and through its majority owned subsidiary, Ocean Rig UDW Inc., of off-shore contract drilling oil services, announced today that it has entered into firm sales agreements with entities controlled by the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, George Economou, to sell its four Suezmax tankers, Vilamoura, Lipari, Petalidi and Bordeira, for an en-bloc sales price of $245 million. In addition, it has entered into agreements with entities controlled by Mr. Economou to potentially sell its six Aframax tankers, Belmar, Calida, Alicante, Mareta, Saga and Daytona. The agreements to sell the Aframax fleet are not effective until the purchaser confirms his unconditional acceptance latest by June 30, 2015.

Under the terms of the firm sales agreements on the four Suezmax tankers, the purchasers will pay upfront 20% to DryShips and the balance purchase price will be due on delivery which will be between July 1, 2015 and October 31, 2015, at the Company's option.

Read more: http://www.benzinga.com/news/15/03/5368251/dryships-inc-announces-agreements-to-sell-its-tanker-fleet#ixzz3VvLaL2Vw

LightSquared - Bankruptcy - ReOrg Research, Inc.

More than two years and 10 months after LightSquared filed for bankruptcy protection, Judge Shelley Chapman confirmed its latest plan of reorganization, which pays off Charlie Ergen’s interests in cash and gives ownership of the remaining company to investors such as Centerbridge and Fortress. In her other major telecom bankruptcy, Judge Chapman also approved the sale of NII Holdings’ Mexican assets to Cingular this week. In RadioShack’s own contested bankruptcy, the company is fervently trying to push the Standard General purchase, but second lien lender Salus continues to contest that path, even promising to amend its competing bid to make it better than what’s currently on the table. Deciding the latest precedent setting make whole arguments, Judge Sontchi denied the EFIH first lien make whole in the Energy Future Holdings bankruptcy, ruling that EFIH’s bankruptcy filing was not an intentional default. Eike Batista’s bankrupt shipbuilder OSX Brasil requested to put various subsidiaries under bankruptcy protection in the Netherlands, while Residential Capital’s liquidating trust filed its expected suit against Equifirst, though with a higher OPB than anticipated.

Chad Hagan

Superfund Macro Report

Headlines
Facebook Introduces Free Friend-To-Friend
Payments Through Messages - LINK

Expect ‘Trench Warfare’ Among
Investment Banks - LINK

In Depth
Explaining the huge rise of luxury trucks and SUVs. Once the staple vehicle of
contractors and ranchers, pickup trucks and SUVs have grown to become the
luxurious chariots of the wealthy - LINK

AstraZeneca may again become a takeover target if growth fails to materialize -
LINK


Apple's plan for a subscription TV service (bundling existing linear channels
plus on-demand) has not gone away. Launch is planned for the fall.

Onward profits!
Chad

Managing Partner, Hagan Capital
Founding Editor, Superfund Macro Report
Chad Hagan on StockTwits

In recent years, growth in U.S.-China agricultural trade has accelerated. During calendar years 2012-13, U.S. exports of agricultural products to China averaged $25.9 billion per year -a tenfold increase from the late 1990s.

Sales to China doubled during 2004-08 and doubled again during 2008-12, while the share of U.S. agricultural exports going to China rose from about 3 percent during the 1990s to 18 percent during 2012-13. China became the largest overseas market for U.S. farm products in 2010.
http://growinggeorgia.com/

See Article / Link

www.stocktwits.com/chfx

-Dollar falls on more unwinding of bullish bets after Fed 

* Last weeks dovish Fed statement still weighing on dollar 
* Euro strengthens after Draghi comments 

By Sam Forgione 
NEW YORK, March 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar fell for a 
second straight session against a basket of major currencies on 
Monday after traders unwound bullish dollar positions on the 
likelihood that Federal Reserve policy will be accommodative 
over the near term. 
The dollar added to its losses against the euro following a 
Fed statement on March 18 that suggested a less aggressive 
timetable for hiking interest rates. Last week was the dollars 
worst week against the euro since late 2011. 
The market is still positioned long dollars, short euros, 
so its vulnerable to any kind of correction, said David 
Gilmore, partner at Foreign Exchange Analytics in Essex, 
Connecticut, on the unwinding of long-dollar bets. The dollars 
weakness against the euro last week came after it hit 12-year 
highs against the currency. 
The euro continued to strengthen against the dollar after 
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said he expected 
consumer prices to rise gradually by the end of the year even if 
they might remain very low or negative in the months ahead. 
ID:nL6N0WP3O0 
Analysts said traders took this as a sign that the ECB may 
end its bond-buying scheme early, though Draghi said it intended 
to carry out purchases at least until end-September. 
Draghis optimistic comments...added fuel to the recovery 
in the euro, said Kathy Lien, managing director at BK Asset 
Management in New York. 
Lien also said that traders who had bet against or shorted 
the euro repurchased the currency ahead of Tuesdays release of 
euro zone manufacturing data for March. She said traders 
anticipated that the data could show improvement on the heels of 
stronger German industrial production data, which would support 
the euro further. ID:nL5N0W80L7 
The euro was last up 1.31 percent against the dollar at 
$1.09650 EUR=EBS , not far from a nearly two-week high of 
$1.10625 hit last week. The dollar was last down 0.24 percent 
against the Japanese yen at 119.750 yen JPY=EBS . 
The dollar was down 1.2 percent against the Swiss franc 
CHF=EBS at 0.96460 franc, not far from a two-week low of 
0.96295 franc hit last week. The dollar index, which measures 
the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, was last 
down 1.07 percent at 96.860. 
On Wall Street, U.S. stocks were little changed, with the 
SP 500 .SPX last up 0.06 percent. Benchmark 10-year U.S. 
Treasury notes US10YT=RR were last up 5/32 in price to yield 
1.91 percent. ID:nL2N0WP1FA ID:nL2N0WP1P6 


(Editing by Peter Galloway and Diane Craft) 
((Sam.Forgione@thomsonreuters.com; +1-646-223-6189; Reuters 
Messaging: sam.forgione.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 

NZDGPD - ForEx.com

The FOMC caused a massive USD sell off. That did not help my EURUSD short position.
Also noted:  NZDUSD’s double boost isn’t enough to break 0.7550

"It has been an incredible morning in the FX market following the FOMC’s decision to lower its forecasts for interest rates, GDP, unemployment and inflation. This resulted in a massive and widespread USD sell-off against every other major currency. At one point in the chaotic aftermath of the FOMC’s meeting EURUSD was over 400 pips higher than its pre-FOMC levels, with the pair briefly breaking above 1.1000. The dollar index is now set for its biggest daily drop since July 2013. In the hours following the FOMC meeting NZDUSD reached an important resistance zone around 0.7550, but the pair’s upward march was stop in early Asia trade by a widespread retracement towards the USD. However, stronger than expected growth figures out of New Zealand provided the pair with another opportunity to test this level, but it failed to break through once again" - LINK

DAKAR, March 18 (Reuters) - Senegal plans to issue between
$500 million and $1 billion in foreign debt this year, starting
from June, to cover its budgetary needs, an economic advisor to
President Macky Sall told Reuters.
Mamadou Fall Kane also said the West African countrys
government was concerned by the strength of the U.S. dollar and
was using currency swaps to hedge its risk on dollar-denominated
debt.
Senegal, which uses the CFA currency that is pegged to the
euro, was also looking to increase its presence in European
markets, he said.

(Reporting by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
((daniel.flynn@thomsonreuters.com; +221 33 864 5076; Reuters
Messaging: daniel.flynn.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 

Economy
Oil extended losses to a seventh day, with crude futures down 2.2% at $44.20, ahead of stockpiles data and the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision. U.S.. crude stocks are forecast to have surged for the tenth straight week to a new record high, fueling new supply concerns of a global oil glut. The Fed is also likely to cut the word "patient" from its policy statement, leaving the door wide open for a rate hike in June.

From SEEKINGALPHA