1) A federal judge has ruled that investors may sue five big banks for conspiring to rig prices on bonds worth hundreds of billions of dollars issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for a seven year period. This clears the way for investors to pursue antitrust claims against Bank of America, BNP Paribas SA, Deutsche Bank AG, Goldman Sachs Group and Morgan Stanley. The banks are accused of fixing prices at a specific level before bringing the bonds to the secondary market.
2) The U.S. trade deficit narrowed overall slightly in July, however the gap with China surged to a six-month high. The trade tensions have caused wild swings in the trade deficit as exporters and importers try to stay ahead of the tariff fight between America and China. The Atlanta Federal Reserve is forecasting the economy growing at a 1.7% pace in the third quarter.
3) Oil dependent nations are facing economic troubles because gas and oil production are unsustainable. As oil and gas supplies dwindle and demand decreases, their once lucrative revenues may be decreasing. Nations whose economies are principally oil production face a trouble future as their oils supplies decline in the next few decades, with nothing to replace those revenues. Those nations facing economic troubles are the UAE, Nigeria, Qatar, Libya, Angola, Kuwait, Venezuela, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
4) Stock market closings for – 4 SEP 19:
Dow 26,355.47 up 237.45
Nasdaq 7,976.88 up 102.72
S&P 500 2,937.78 up 31.51
10 Year Yield: down at 1.46%
Oil: down at $55.98