Tuesday, April 21, 2026

New narrative alert as Trump tanks in the polls: Iran War was about 6 weeks as Trump said it would be!

I mean, that's true right?

We are in week 8, and the two week ceasefire which expires tomorrow has been extended indefinitely because Trump says Iran is too divided to speak with a unified voice.

The truth is whatever Humpty Trumpty says it is.                                                       

 

Buffett Indicator in the news

 Wall Street on red alert as Warren Buffett’s favorite stock market gauge hits the worst reading EVER

... The so-called Buffett indicator divides the total value of all US stocks by the total economic output of the United States, delivering one simple number that sums up how investors are feeling at the moment.

Buffett said that a reading of 100 percent suggests markets are in balance - in other words, the stock market is worth about as much as the US economy produces in one year - while a lower figure means stocks are undervalued.

Right now, the index hit its highest reading ever - 232 percent - indicating that stocks are historically overvalued. ...

Right now, the indicator is well above its last two all-time highs: The 219 percent reading seen at the height of the 2021 pandemic stock market frenzy, and the 163 percent level at the 2000 peak of the dot com bubble. ...                                                                                                              

 

Using SPX tonight, instead of the Wilshire 5000 as Buffett does, we're at 224.8 vs. 1938-2019 mean level of 81!

The market has been obscenely overvalued way beyond the 1938-2019 experience for six consecutive years and counting, and investors keep keeping it that way by continuing to pour money into it. It won't unwind until they stop. And since they believe that the market goes only up, it will probably take a market-loathing mother of all economic disasters to change their minds and make them do so.

Meanwhile real return since August 2000 (139), the previous secular peak, is now 5.27% per annum through March 2026 (25 years, 7 months).

Real return from January 1975 to August 2000 (the previous 25 years, 7 months) was 11.19% per annum, 112% better because valuation was 61 in 1975 and falling.

Investing at high valuations by definition produces poorer results. Compare August 1965 (118) to August 2000 (139): 6.95% per annum real

(I need to update this chart for 2024 and 2025!)

 


 

Well, at least he didn't say two weeks

 ðŸ¤£ 

Trump extends ceasefire in Iran, citing ‘seriously fractured’ Iranian government

 

WTI has been more or less $90 since March 6th, mostly more

 


Speaking of whiplash

 Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns, third House member to quit this month

 


 

More whiplash, ouch

 Vance trip to Pakistan for Iran talks is on hold, NYT reports

Speaking of Rome . . .

 




JMIC Update 035 for the Middle East maritime region is confusing

 The data boxes cover April 14-20 but are entitled April 12-18.

And what is "2BAM Total" lol? Only The Sweet know for sure.

Anyway tankers exiting the Strait of Hormuz E now average 3/day April 19-20 vs. 2/day in the previous five day period. Big whoop.

Tanker traffic in and out of the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb averages 20/day April 19-20 vs. 8.2/day in the previous five day period.

Is that reflecting a mad dash before the ceasefire ends tomorrow? 


Hear ye, hear ye, all ye who voted thrice for Nixon and thrice for Reagan, twice for Clinton and twice for W, twice for Obama and thrice for Trump


 The Roman people were grossly gulled twice or thrice over, and as often enslaved in one century, and under the same pretence of reformation.

-- John Dryden