Focus Economics, a consultancy that focuses on macro topics, published a list of “50 Top Economics Influencers to Follow” and CapitalSpectator.com made the grade… just barely: we’re number 50. Whew! That was close. The academics, journalists, industry professionals, and central bankers that comprise the other 49 sources represent an impressive list and so it’s an honor to be included. If you’re looking for insight into all things macro and financial, here’s a great place to start. See for yourself by clicking here.

Return correlations for the major asset classes have been ticking higher in 2018, based on the median of pairwise relationships for rolling one-year periods via a set of exchange-traded products. Although the median correlation is still well below levels reached last year, the upward trend this year is conspicuous, suggesting that diversification benefits generally may soften in the months (years?) ahead.
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Trump roils NATO meeting in Brussels: LA Times
Will Trump’s attacks on NATO help Russia’s Putin? CNN
Business groups, congressional Republicans have worries over trade war: The Hill
European Commission trims estimate for Europe’s GDP growth in 2018: RTT
Crude oil drops sharply over fears of falling demand, rising supply: MarketWatch
Morgan Stanely predicts US Treasury yield curve will invert in 2019: Bloomberg
The US-driven trade war has cost a typical American family $60 (so far): NY Times
Wholesale inventories for US revised up for May: Reuters
US wholesale inflation picked up to six-year high in June: MarketWatch