Path of least resistance for the markets is probably sideways again for now. I’ve been saying that a rangebound market from for a few months wouldn’t be shocking and so it goes. No trades for me today but am still working on oil/energy ideas.

I’d love to see one more big whoosh down of 5-10% in oil in a single day to mark a short-term capitulation before trying to game a bounce in $WTI and oil itself and/or in energy stocks. Longer-term investments will probably arise as some oil/energy companies go bankrupt before this downswing in energy is over.

I’m thinking of Occam’s Razor, that the easiest explanation is probably the closest to being right — and therefore oil’s big crash is most likely for non-political/non-conspiracy reasons. The people running economic/geopolitical policy, ie the RepublicanDemocratRegime does what their corporate masters tell them to…and I don’t think there’s enough consensus from their corporate masters on energy prices…most co’s, executives and politicians are scared idiots, not control geniuses.

I don’t see the world thru this lens: “President, State, Defense and Congressional Committee realize that putting pressure on Russia financially is only way to stall their advance.” The RepublicanDemocratRegime spends all their time, energy and taxpayer resources pumping up corporate earnings via taxbreaks, subsidies, outright corporate welfare and allow corps to pilfer public welfare programs. The RDRegime goes to war (incl energy & currency war) when lobbyists demand.

Scutify Chart of the Morning: Russian currency vs Ukraine Currency vs US Dollar. #Currency wars are in full effect. Most scenarios in a currency war end game with the US Dollar on the winning side vs the other sovereign fiat currencies, as has been the case for the last few decades. But war, including currency war, sucks and war is not prosperous and war destroys value.