Golden parachute is a large financial compensation received by key executives if their employment is terminated. Thus, in case of dismissal, representatives of top management receive certain significant benefits

The compensation package size, which is stipulated in the terms of executives’ employment contracts, is truly impressive. In our gallery you will find some golden parachutes, which will be paid to the heads of automobile companies in case of their dismissal.

Mary Barra - $21.96 million
Mary Barra has been CEO of General Motors since 2013. The amount of the benefit that Barra will receive in case of her employment termination will consist of $2.1 million in salary, $ 10.7 million in restricted stock awards, $4.96 million in other types of compensation and bonus, as well as $4.2 million in additional compensation, totaling $21.96 million.

Carlos Ghosn - $16.9 million
The board of directors of the Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co., Ltd decided to dismiss Carlos Ghosn from the post of chairman after his arrest on suspicion of fraud. The head of the company faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 10 million yen (almost $89 thousand).
Ghosn's compensation package comprises of $8.4 million from Renault, $6.5 million from Nissan and $2 million from Mitsubishi.

Jim Hackett - $16.7 million
Jim Hackett became new president and chief executive officer of Ford Motor Company in May of this year, replacing Mark Fields, who had worked in the company for 28 years.
Hackett's compensation consists of a salary of $1.34 million, restricted stock awards of $10.37 million, other bonuses and compensation of $4.6 million and additional payments of $0.42 million.

Bill Ford - $15.6 million
William Clay Ford Jr. is executive chairman of Ford Motor Company. The great-grandson of the company's founder Henry Ford joined the company's management in 1988. He has been serving as executive chairman since 1999.
In case of employment termination, Bill Ford will receive a golden parachute amounting at $15.6 million. Compensation consists of $1.65 million in salary, $10.27 million in restricted stock awards and $3.71 million in other bonuses and compensations.

Dieter Zetsche - $9.8 million
German businessman Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, is one of the most famous people in the global automotive industry. Zetsche announced that he plans to leave the post of head of the company next year.
His golden parachute comprises $2.29 million in salary, $3 million in restricted stock awards, as well as other bonuses and compensation in the amount of $4.5 million.

Harald Krueger - $9.5 million
Harald Krueger has been the head of the German company BMW since May 2015. Up to this point, Krueger was the head of the production department. In case of dismissal, he will receive the compensation of $9.5 million. The golden parachute will consist of a salary of $1.71 million, restricted stock awards of $0.2 million, bonuses of $7.6 million and other compensations of $20 thousand.

Elon Musk - potential compensation of up to $2.6 billion
Shareholders approved a compensation award to be paid to the head of Tesla Inc. in case of termination of his activities. The golden parachute of Elon Musk will not include either salary or bonus.
The payment will be calculated on the basis of the market value of Tesla, reaching $650 billion over the next 10 years.

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1941177.html

The price of cryptocurrency No. 1 dropped to the lowest level in a year on November 19. At some exchanges, losses exceeded 6%. As a result, Bitcoin was traded below $5,300.

The price of the most popular digital currency decreased by 5.2% to $5,300. At a number of cryptocurrency exchanges, the cost of Bitcoin plunged 6.43% to $5,280.

Other popular virtual currencies also suffered losses: Ethereum dropped by 11.31% to $155.99, the Ripple cryptocurrency declined by 7.09% to $0.474, while Bitcoin Cash lost 4.77% and amounted to $363.25. Currently, the cryptocurrency market capitalization is $173.4 billion. Bitcoin accounts for about 53.5% of the total market.

Some experts have recorded a decline in popularity of digital assets, which entails a decrease in demand for the products of companies that produce equipment for cryptocurrency mining. The recent hard fork of Bitcoin Cash has been another reason for the sharp fall in the value of virtual currencies. As a result, the single digital token has been divided into Bitcoin ABC and Bitcoin SV. Experts remind that hard forks usually lead to destabilization of the cryptocurrency market and fierce competition between supporters of the old branch of any digital currency and that of the new one.

Read more: https://www.mt5.com/forex_humor/image/38869

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1940955.html

The price of cryptocurrency No. 1 dropped to the lowest level in a year on November 19. At some exchanges, losses exceeded 6%. As a result, Bitcoin was traded below $5,300.

The price of the most popular digital currency decreased by 5.2% to $5,300. At a number of cryptocurrency exchanges, the cost of Bitcoin plunged 6.43% to $5,280.

Other popular virtual currencies also suffered losses: Ethereum dropped by 11.31% to $155.99, the Ripple cryptocurrency declined by 7.09% to $0.474, while Bitcoin Cash lost 4.77% and amounted to $363.25. Currently, the cryptocurrency market capitalization is $173.4 billion. Bitcoin accounts for about 53.5% of the total market.

Some experts have recorded a decline in popularity of digital assets, which entails a decrease in demand for the products of companies that produce equipment for cryptocurrency mining. The recent hard fork of Bitcoin Cash has been another reason for the sharp fall in the value of virtual currencies. As a result, the single digital token has been divided into Bitcoin ABC and Bitcoin SV. Experts remind that hard forks usually lead to destabilization of the cryptocurrency market and fierce competition between supporters of the old branch of any digital currency and that of the new one.

Read more: https://www.mt5.com/forex_humor/image/38869

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1940955.html

Mass protests of motorists in the country continues since Saturday. They are called "Yellow Vests". The protests were caused by the decision of the authorities to increase taxes on fuel in 2019. It is known that one person died, at least 400 were injured. Read in our article what is happening in the country.

Nearly 300 thousand Frenchmen took part in strikes against against planned hikes in gas taxes. Protests rage on across France: in Marseille, Toulouse, on the Paris ring road, in Normandy, Brittany and other regions. In total, at least 2,000 protests were recorded. The French Interior Ministry noted the aggressive mood of the protesters, there were fights and knife wounds.

At a blockade in the southeastern department of Savoie, a driver panicked when protesters surrounded her car and she accelerated, hitting and killing a female demonstrator.

Police called the rallies illegal, over the weekend 282 people were detained. President Emmanuel Macron does not intend to abandon this idea, despite his low rating.

In 2019, according to the plans of the government, the tax on diesel fuel will increase by 6.5%, for gasoline - by 2.9%. This is how the authorities intend to fight the pollution of the atmosphere.
Radio RFI notes that over the past year, gasoline prices have risen by 10-15%.

Diesel fuel, which is now the most popular in the country, has risen in price by 24%. Now the cost of a liter often exceeds €1.6. The national average cost of a liter of petrol SP-95 (approximate analogue of AI-95) and diesel fuel is estimated at €1.48.

It is noteworthy that protesters do not have a single coordination center, as it usually happens. The movement was organized spontaneously, and participants communicated through social networks. Therefore, it was difficult to understand where and in what quantity they would gather, law enforcement agencies said. This circumstance made it difficult to take measures to control the situation.

The French media called Priscilla Ludovski one of the main participants of the "Yellow Vests". An entrepreneur from the north of the country appealed to the authorities to lower fuel prices. Her appeal has collected more than 750 thousand signatures. “You can’t demand that people stop using their cars and take out a loan to buy electric cars the next day,” she wrote.

Against the background of Macron's large-scale transformations, his ratings are falling. According to a survey prepared by YouGov for the publication of the Huffington Post, 21% of the French positively evaluate the activities of the head of the republic. Negative attitude towards Macron was recorded among 61% of respondents. This is a record high for the year and a half of his presidency.

In an interview with CNN, Macron explained that reforms, despite the fact that they are not the most popular, are necessary for the country: “I was elected because all my predecessors either could not carry out these reforms or did not even try to carry them out. I am convinced that in the end the French will gradually become aware of the meaning of what we are doing. ”

Street protests are not the only threat to the French president. There are also upcoming elections to the European Parliament, scheduled for May 2019. The French can use this event as an opportunity to express their protest again actions of the authorities. As a result, the ultra-right parties may increase their representation in the European Parliament in the next elections which will hit Macron's plans.

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1940590.html

Mass protests of motorists in the country continues since Saturday. They are called "Yellow Vests". The protests were caused by the decision of the authorities to increase taxes on fuel in 2019. It is known that one person died, at least 400 were injured. Read in our article what is happening in the country.

Nearly 300 thousand Frenchmen took part in strikes against against planned hikes in gas taxes. Protests rage on across France: in Marseille, Toulouse, on the Paris ring road, in Normandy, Brittany and other regions. In total, at least 2,000 protests were recorded. The French Interior Ministry noted the aggressive mood of the protesters, there were fights and knife wounds.

At a blockade in the southeastern department of Savoie, a driver panicked when protesters surrounded her car and she accelerated, hitting and killing a female demonstrator.

Police called the rallies illegal, over the weekend 282 people were detained. President Emmanuel Macron does not intend to abandon this idea, despite his low rating.

In 2019, according to the plans of the government, the tax on diesel fuel will increase by 6.5%, for gasoline - by 2.9%. This is how the authorities intend to fight the pollution of the atmosphere.
Radio RFI notes that over the past year, gasoline prices have risen by 10-15%.

Diesel fuel, which is now the most popular in the country, has risen in price by 24%. Now the cost of a liter often exceeds €1.6. The national average cost of a liter of petrol SP-95 (approximate analogue of AI-95) and diesel fuel is estimated at €1.48.

It is noteworthy that protesters do not have a single coordination center, as it usually happens. The movement was organized spontaneously, and participants communicated through social networks. Therefore, it was difficult to understand where and in what quantity they would gather, law enforcement agencies said. This circumstance made it difficult to take measures to control the situation.

The French media called Priscilla Ludovski one of the main participants of the "Yellow Vests". An entrepreneur from the north of the country appealed to the authorities to lower fuel prices. Her appeal has collected more than 750 thousand signatures. “You can’t demand that people stop using their cars and take out a loan to buy electric cars the next day,” she wrote.

Against the background of Macron's large-scale transformations, his ratings are falling. According to a survey prepared by YouGov for the publication of the Huffington Post, 21% of the French positively evaluate the activities of the head of the republic. Negative attitude towards Macron was recorded among 61% of respondents. This is a record high for the year and a half of his presidency.

In an interview with CNN, Macron explained that reforms, despite the fact that they are not the most popular, are necessary for the country: “I was elected because all my predecessors either could not carry out these reforms or did not even try to carry them out. I am convinced that in the end the French will gradually become aware of the meaning of what we are doing. ”

Street protests are not the only threat to the French president. There are also upcoming elections to the European Parliament, scheduled for May 2019. The French can use this event as an opportunity to express their protest again actions of the authorities. As a result, the ultra-right parties may increase their representation in the European Parliament in the next elections which will hit Macron's plans.

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1940590.html

The trade war between the US and China is heating up. American intelligence agencies have recorded the intense activity of Chinese espionage agencies. Over the past two years, Beijing has significantly ramped up its swiping of commercial technology and intellectual property. "They want technology by hook or by crook. They want it now. The spy game has always been a gentleman's game, but China has taken the gloves off. They don't care if they get caught or if people go to jail. As long as it justifies their ends, they are not going to stop," John Bennett said, the special agent in charge of the FBI's San Francisco office.

This is not about stealing the design of a new iPhone for the subsequent manufacture of fakes. Thefts reached a new level. Military, space and digital technologies are now China's main goals. The authorities of the People's Republic of China create entire units in the state security service to solve these problems. Beijing also relies on an army of domestic computer hackers, traditional spies overseas and corrupt corporate insiders in US and other companies. The United States made it clear that is not the right way to do things. Federal prosecutors in San Diego brought criminal charges in October against two Chinese intelligence officers and five alleged hackers. They are accused of conspiring to steal aviation and technology data. The FBI also arrested a Chinese intelligence official in Belgium. Yanjun Xu, a senior officer with the Ministry of State Security, was charged with attempting to commit economic espionage and steal trade secrets from multiple US aerospace companies, including GE Aviation.

Read more: https://www.mt5.com/forex_humor/image/38819

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1940244.html

The trade war between the US and China is heating up. American intelligence agencies have recorded the intense activity of Chinese espionage agencies. Over the past two years, Beijing has significantly ramped up its swiping of commercial technology and intellectual property. "They want technology by hook or by crook. They want it now. The spy game has always been a gentleman's game, but China has taken the gloves off. They don't care if they get caught or if people go to jail. As long as it justifies their ends, they are not going to stop," John Bennett said, the special agent in charge of the FBI's San Francisco office.

This is not about stealing the design of a new iPhone for the subsequent manufacture of fakes. Thefts reached a new level. Military, space and digital technologies are now China's main goals. The authorities of the People's Republic of China create entire units in the state security service to solve these problems. Beijing also relies on an army of domestic computer hackers, traditional spies overseas and corrupt corporate insiders in US and other companies. The United States made it clear that is not the right way to do things. Federal prosecutors in San Diego brought criminal charges in October against two Chinese intelligence officers and five alleged hackers. They are accused of conspiring to steal aviation and technology data. The FBI also arrested a Chinese intelligence official in Belgium. Yanjun Xu, a senior officer with the Ministry of State Security, was charged with attempting to commit economic espionage and steal trade secrets from multiple US aerospace companies, including GE Aviation.

Read more: https://www.mt5.com/forex_humor/image/38819

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1940244.html

For the first time in five years, Hong Kong's Causeway Bay has replaced New York's 5th Avenue as the most expensive street in the world, according to the international company Cushman & Wakefield. Here is the list of the most expensive retail streets by rental value.

Causeway Bay takes the first place in this ranking. It is located on the north coast of Hong Kong Island. Originally, this place was a fishing village. Today, on Causeway Bay you can find shopping and office centers of Sogo, Times Square, World Trade Center, Fashion Island, Manulife Plaza and Times Square Natwest Tower.
The average rental price is $2,671 per square foot.

The second place belongs to 5th Avenue in the center of Manhattan, New York. This street is famous for its exclusive boutiques, architecture and historical and cultural centers. The section of 5th Avenue from 82nd to 105th Streets is called the Museum Mile, which is home to a number of outstanding museums.
The average rental price is $2,250 per square foot.

The third place goes to New Bond Street in London. Since the 18th century, one of the main streets of the West End shopping district has been filled with luxury boutiques and shops. The street was named after Thomas Bond. In 1983, the head of a syndicate of developers bought the adjacent quarter, cleared the territory and began the rapid real estate construction.
The average rental price is $1,744 per square foot.

Champs Elysees is ranked fourth among the most expensive retail locations in the world. The central street of Paris stretches from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. The average rental price is $1,519 per square foot.
The avenue runs 1,9 km and has park and shop zones. Champs Elysees is considered the center of Parisian glamor. The swampy place, where people came for hunting ducks, did not attract anyone's attention until Marie de Medici ordered to develop it in the 17th century. Over time, Champs Elysees became prestigious and many famous people have settled here, for example, the third US President Thomas Jefferson.

The fifth place goes to Via Montenapoleone, Milan. The average rental price is $1,466 per square foot.
The street passes through the famous fashion quarter. Via Montenapoleone got its name during the reign of Napoleon. Initially, this place was the monastery quarter, and after the abolition of spiritual orders at the end of the 18th century, wealthy citizens began to settle here. In the middle of the 20th century, Milan became the new capital of fashion. Today, on Via Montenapoleone you can find fashion houses of famous designers.

Ginza, the shopping district of Tokyo, takes the sixth place in the ranking.
The average rental price is $1,219 per square foot.
The street got its name from the mint, which was located here in 1612. The look of old Ginza began to change in 1872, when, after a large fire, the area was built up with brick buildings in the Georgian style.

The seventh place belongs to Pitt Street Mall in Sydney. One of the very first streets in Sydney was originally called Pitt Row. Today it is a busy shopping area with a large number of stores in different price segments. The average rental price is $964 per square foot.

Seoul’s Myeongdong shopping street is ranked eighth. About 3 thousand people live in the area. There are four large department stores in Myeongdong. In addition, it is the main center of basic financial services and securities.

The ninth place belongs to Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich. It came into existence when the city fortifications were demolished in 1864 and the ditch in front of the walls was filled in. Until that time, the name of the area had been the Ditch of the Frogs.
The average rental price is $854 per square foot.

Vienna's shopping street Kohlmarkt closes the top 10 most expensive shopping streets in the world. The average rental price is $515 per square foot. After the construction of the Habsburg dynasty’s winter residence, manufacturers of high-quality and luxury goods began to occupy the street.

More than 440 expensive shopping streets from 65 countries hit the rating in 2018. The list includes Stoleshnikov Lane, located in the center of Moscow. It took the 18th place ($299 per square foot).

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1940041.html

For the first time in five years, Hong Kong's Causeway Bay has replaced New York's 5th Avenue as the most expensive street in the world, according to the international company Cushman & Wakefield. Here is the list of the most expensive retail streets by rental value.

Causeway Bay takes the first place in this ranking. It is located on the north coast of Hong Kong Island. Originally, this place was a fishing village. Today, on Causeway Bay you can find shopping and office centers of Sogo, Times Square, World Trade Center, Fashion Island, Manulife Plaza and Times Square Natwest Tower.
The average rental price is $2,671 per square foot.

The second place belongs to 5th Avenue in the center of Manhattan, New York. This street is famous for its exclusive boutiques, architecture and historical and cultural centers. The section of 5th Avenue from 82nd to 105th Streets is called the Museum Mile, which is home to a number of outstanding museums.
The average rental price is $2,250 per square foot.

The third place goes to New Bond Street in London. Since the 18th century, one of the main streets of the West End shopping district has been filled with luxury boutiques and shops. The street was named after Thomas Bond. In 1983, the head of a syndicate of developers bought the adjacent quarter, cleared the territory and began the rapid real estate construction.
The average rental price is $1,744 per square foot.

Champs Elysees is ranked fourth among the most expensive retail locations in the world. The central street of Paris stretches from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. The average rental price is $1,519 per square foot.
The avenue runs 1,9 km and has park and shop zones. Champs Elysees is considered the center of Parisian glamor. The swampy place, where people came for hunting ducks, did not attract anyone's attention until Marie de Medici ordered to develop it in the 17th century. Over time, Champs Elysees became prestigious and many famous people have settled here, for example, the third US President Thomas Jefferson.

The fifth place goes to Via Montenapoleone, Milan. The average rental price is $1,466 per square foot.
The street passes through the famous fashion quarter. Via Montenapoleone got its name during the reign of Napoleon. Initially, this place was the monastery quarter, and after the abolition of spiritual orders at the end of the 18th century, wealthy citizens began to settle here. In the middle of the 20th century, Milan became the new capital of fashion. Today, on Via Montenapoleone you can find fashion houses of famous designers.

Ginza, the shopping district of Tokyo, takes the sixth place in the ranking.
The average rental price is $1,219 per square foot.
The street got its name from the mint, which was located here in 1612. The look of old Ginza began to change in 1872, when, after a large fire, the area was built up with brick buildings in the Georgian style.

The seventh place belongs to Pitt Street Mall in Sydney. One of the very first streets in Sydney was originally called Pitt Row. Today it is a busy shopping area with a large number of stores in different price segments. The average rental price is $964 per square foot.

Seoul’s Myeongdong shopping street is ranked eighth. About 3 thousand people live in the area. There are four large department stores in Myeongdong. In addition, it is the main center of basic financial services and securities.

The ninth place belongs to Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich. It came into existence when the city fortifications were demolished in 1864 and the ditch in front of the walls was filled in. Until that time, the name of the area had been the Ditch of the Frogs.
The average rental price is $854 per square foot.

Vienna's shopping street Kohlmarkt closes the top 10 most expensive shopping streets in the world. The average rental price is $515 per square foot. After the construction of the Habsburg dynasty’s winter residence, manufacturers of high-quality and luxury goods began to occupy the street.

More than 440 expensive shopping streets from 65 countries hit the rating in 2018. The list includes Stoleshnikov Lane, located in the center of Moscow. It took the 18th place ($299 per square foot).

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1940041.html

Chinese authorities claimed that Samsung Electronics Co., SK Hynix Inc. and Micron Technology Inc., the world’s largest DRAM producers, were guilty of fixing their products’ prices.

The Chinese government launched an investigation into the companies' business practices in June this year. The three top corporations control about 95% of the global market of dynamic random access memory chips (DRAM) which are widely used in computers and smartphones.

According to IC Insights, DRAM prices skyrocketed by 47% after the previous longstanding decline during three decades. Its cost kept on rising in 2018 as well, experts noted.

In April of the current year, a lawsuit was filed against these three companies in the US. They were accused of conspiring to drive up prices for DRAM. Companies’ managements denied the charges.

The hike in DRAM prices has affected most of electronics manufacturers, including ones in China which accounted for 40% of Samsung’s semiconductors sales, 33% of SK Hynix’s sales and 51% of Micron Technology’s ones in 2017.

Analysts at SK Securities believe that in case if the price-fixing is proved, each company will be fined over $2.5 billion. The Chinese government may use the ongoing investigation into US-based Macron in trade war with the United States.

Read more: https://www.mt5.com/forex_humor/image/38833

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1939759.html

In the world of cryptocurrency, there are digital assets, the cost of which is very low. According to experts, sometimes it does not exceed $0.05. However, these virtual means of payment have enormous potential that has not yet been reaziled. The information on the five assets with such properties can be found below

IOST (IOST)
The developers of this digital asset seek to solve the problems of network scalability, that is, to achieve network capacity, sufficient for mass use. At the moment, they are engaged in the creation of the software to supportthe new so-called Proof of Believability (PoB) consensus algorithm.

DigiByte (DGB)
This project has a high level of security and a significant degree of decentralization. DGB focuses on a high speed processing of transactionsthat exceeds the speed of the Bitcoin network. The DGB network alsooffers a thousand times more coins than the network of the number onecryptocurrency.

FundRequest (FND)
This virtual asset is characterized by open source. The FundRequest project involves the development and improvement of the blockchain network. Working with this project, you will be able to generate income, includingthrough the use of open source.

Zilliqa (ZIL)
The developers of this virtual currency sought to create and improve theglobal blockchain system with high capacity. Currently, the project is beingactively developed.

Vechain Thor (VET)
According to experts, a distinctive feature of this project is that users are able to create decentralized applications on top of the blockchain network.In addition, VET offers a new mobile wallet with diverse functions, including the autonomous storage of secret keys. Large investment fund Vechain assists in developing the Vechain Thor platform. Thanks to its long presence in the market, the company has been able to attract quite a lot of partners.

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1939524.html

Gazprom reported on the successful completion of the underwater section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. Such a large-scale event for Russia and especially for Turkey was held at the highest level. The presidents of both countries attended the ceremony to mark the completion of the construction. According to official information, this construction phase includes two pipelines with a length of 930 km each, which run along the bottom of the Black Sea at a depth of 2 kilometers. Gazprom began construction in May 2017 and managed to implement this rather complex project, both politically and technically, in less than two years.

The first supplies of both Turkish Stream gas pipelines are planned for January 1, 2020. The first line will provide gas to the domestic market of Turkey, while the second one is intended for gas supplies to the countries of South and South-Eastern Europe. The capacity of each line reaches 15.75 billion cubic meter of gas per year. The disputes around the Turkish Stream gas pipeline continue till nowadays. Many thought the implementation of the project would not be possible, now they do not believe in its launch. However, Russia’s Gazprom managed to reach the government’s goal despite a great number of opponents and sanctions. Both pipelines have been completed on time and are now ready for supplies.

Read more: https://www.mt5.com/forex_humor/image/38820

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1939331.html

Gazprom reported on the successful completion of the underwater section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. Such a large-scale event for Russia and especially for Turkey was held at the highest level. The presidents of both countries attended the ceremony to mark the completion of the construction. According to official information, this construction phase includes two pipelines with a length of 930 km each, which run along the bottom of the Black Sea at a depth of 2 kilometers. Gazprom began construction in May 2017 and managed to implement this rather complex project, both politically and technically, in less than two years.

The first supplies of both Turkish Stream gas pipelines are planned for January 1, 2020. The first line will provide gas to the domestic market of Turkey, while the second one is intended for gas supplies to the countries of South and South-Eastern Europe. The capacity of each line reaches 15.75 billion cubic meter of gas per year. The disputes around the Turkish Stream gas pipeline continue till nowadays. Many thought the implementation of the project would not be possible, now they do not believe in its launch. However, Russia’s Gazprom managed to reach the government’s goal despite a great number of opponents and sanctions. Both pipelines have been completed on time and are now ready for supplies.

Read more: https://www.mt5.com/forex_humor/image/38820

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1939331.html

Due to the increased number of economic risks and negative financial forecasts, experts recommend market participants ensure the safety of their savings. They emphasize that markets tend to fall rather than grow, so you should always be aware of what is happening. Michael Snyder, one of the leading analysts, refers to the signs of a recession that threatens the United States

The world economy is constantly reeling, and at the moment, a number of analysts predict its challenging times. According to Michael Snyder, an expert on financial markets, the same situation is characteristic for the American economy. In his article, he predicts the beginning of the recession in the US economy. The analyst is confident that the new crisis may have more serious consequences than in 2008. The author draws attention to a number of signs that indicate significant problems in the American economy.

According to the expert, the global decline in oil prices demonstrates anoversupply in the oil market. As a result, this may lead to demand contraction during the slowdown in economic development.

M. Snyder considers a significant drop in the payment capacity of Americans to be another sign of the impending recession: only 13% of them are planning to buy a new house in 2019. This is 50% less than the previous year.

During 2017, the number of unsold homes and apartments in the US real estate market increased by 86% and 188%, respectively. The most significant decline in sales has been recorded in the real estate market ofCalifornia.

According to Bank of America, leaders of the management companies are pessimistic about the further development of financial markets. M. Snyder estimates that there has been no such morale since November 2008. The survey results show that 44% of respondents expect the global economy to slow down in 2019, and 54% of them forecast a decline in economic activity of China.

Retailing in the United States is also going through hard times. The analyst notes that owners of many shopping centers inform their creditors about possible losses in advance. He also draws attention to the debt growth of mortgage payments.

The expert on financial markets is sure that according to the results of the year, the US foreign trade deficit will reach a new record, despite the trade war with China.

According to the American study, the current wage rate is not enough for 62% of citizens to maintain a reasonable standard of living for the middle class. At the same time, the number of homeless persons is increasing in the USA, and by now it has reached half a million people.

Most Americans do not have financial savings in case of a sudden crisis. Nevertheless, about 58% of citizens have been able to form their own “safety cushion”, but it does not exceed an average of $1,000.

More than 50% of American children live in families that can be classified as needy. The analyst points out that they receive financial support from the state.

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1939030.html

Recently, the pound sterling is fairly seen as one of the worst-performers on Forex. The sterling slumped immediately in response to the Britons’ vote for leaving the EU in June 2016. The British currency has been on a losing streak ever after. The pound is vulnerable to any news on the Brexit developments. As a rule, a string of gloomy news on the Brexit formalities far outweighs news on minor progress. Therefore, the pound has no reasons to assert its strength. In mid-November, the British currency suffered another blow as UK Brexit secretary Dominic Raab announced his resignation. The official decided to step down, citing his disagreement with Theresa May’s version of the Brexit deal. Notably, he is not the only high-ranking official to resign in protest to her proposals. Esther McVey, the work and pensions secretary, and Shailesh Vara, the Northern Ireland secretary, also quit the cabinet. Therefore, the pound sterling fell prey to turmoil in the British government. Virtually in an hour, the pound tumbled by over 1% versus the US dollar. Experts say the bottom is yet to come. To sum it up, the sterling depends entirely on political factors nowadays. So, make sure you adjust your trading decisions to news.

Read more: https://www.mt5.com/forex_humor/image/38795

https://instaforex.livejournal.com/1938721.html

Currently, due to the large-scale collapse of stock markets, countries prefer gold as this precious metal has long been considered a safe asset and the best to invest in. Several countries in the world are actively increasing their gold reserves. This allows them to save and increase accumulated funds. Here is the list of 10 leading countries

USA
The first place in this rating goes to the United States. At the beginning of 2018, the storage of the country had an impressive amount of 8,133.46 tons of gold. According to experts, this makes up 75% of the US foreign reserve.

Germany
The second place belongs to Germany. In early 2018, the national reserves of the precious metal in the country reached 3,373.6 tons. This is 70.2% of the total currency reserve in Germany, experts emphasize.

USA
The first place in this rating goes to the United States. At the beginning of 2018, the storage of the country had an impressive amount of 8,133.46 tons of gold. According to experts, this makes up 75% of the US foreign reserve.

Italy
Italy takes the third place in the ranking with gold reserves amounting to 2,451.84 tons, according to data for January 2018. This is equal to 67.5% of the country's total foreign reserves, analysts say. Stocks of the precious metal in Italy have remained stable for 19 years since 1999.

Germany
The second place belongs to Germany. In early 2018, the national reserves of the precious metal in the country reached 3,373.6 tons. This is 70.2% of the total currency reserve in Germany, experts emphasize.

France
The fourth place among the states with the largest gold reserves in the world goes to France. The volume of the metal in the country’s storage reaches 2,436 tons, according to statistics for January 2018. This is 64.9% of the French currency reserves, experts emphasize.

Italy
Italy takes the third place in the ranking with gold reserves amounting to 2,451.84 tons, according to data for January 2018. This is equal to 67.5% of the country's total foreign reserves, analysts say. Stocks of the precious metal in Italy have remained stable for 19 years since 1999.

Russia
The fifth place in the list of the largest holders of gold belongs to Russia. In 2017, the country increased its gold reserves by 223.6 tons. At the beginning of this year, the volume of the precious metal in Russia amounted to 17.7% of its foreign reserves. The Central Bank of the Russian Federation annually increases gold reserves, which reached 1,838.8 tons in January 2018.

France
The fourth place among the states with the largest gold reserves in the world goes to France. The volume of the metal in the country’s storage reaches 2,436 tons, according to statistics for January 2018. This is 64.9% of the French currency reserves, experts emphasize.

China
China takes the sixth place in this ranking. In terms of gold reserves, the country is the leader in East Asia. In January 2018, China’s national reserves reached 1,842.6 tons of gold. This is 2.4% of the country's huge foreign reserves. The volume of foreign reserves of China in 2017 amounted to $3.140 trillion.

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The global oil market has been on a roller coaster. Oil prices are highly sensitive to mixed news which cause sharp swings up and down. Investors are pricing in the US sanctions against Iran, exemption for several buyers of Iranian oil, contraction of oil output in the Middle East, booming oil drilling in the US and lots of other factors. Traders seem to be fed up with this nonstop stream of events and just let it go. As a result, oil prices have got into a downward spiral. Brent crude oil slumped 6.6% to an 8-month low in a single trading day on November 13. Brent future were last trading at $65.99 a barrel on March 19, 2018. The bear trend was deepened by a survey from OPEC. It reads that supply outweighs demand nowadays. A week ago, OPEC was ready to increase oil output, aiming to offset disruption of oil supplies due to the embargo on Iranian exports. At present, the cartel has revised its rhetoric, so that major oil exporters are serious about cutting their oil production. No doubt the OPEC discussions did not escape attention of US President Donald Trump. He expressed his disapproval in the hope that OPEC would not nail down production cuts. Indeed, the US is not interested in inflated oil prices. Experts say that the US leader puts pressure on OPEC by his verbal interventions.

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In the cryptocurrency sphere, there are a number of digital currencies, the mining of which is profitable to conduct on a PC. Some of them are based on the popular CryptoNote algorithm. Thanks to this algorithm, tokens are resistant to ASIC mining, so they can be mined with the help of usual central and graphic processing units. Below you will find the list of these virtual assets made by experts

Bytecoin (BCN)
This digital currency is based on the CryptoNote protocol, which ensures anonymity of transactions. In 2017, the cost of Bytecoin increased 56 time and reached its high in early 2018. This asset can be mined only with the help of a central processor or a graphic card of an ordinary computer.

Monero (XMR)
This asset is highly appreciated by users for complete anonymity of transactions. The token is based on CryptoNote and is resistant to ASIC mining, so XMR can be mined on ordinary computers. Mining on a central processor is carried out through the Wolf's CryptoNote program.

Ethereum (ETH)
Currently, Ethereum ranks second in terms of the market capitalization, and it can be mined on ordinary processors and video cards. The project is a decentralized computing platform, which supports smart contracts. Coding is conducted in special programming language Solidity. It helps to create complex structures and provides opportunities for the implementation of high-tech and self-managed smart contracts.

Electroneum (ETN)
This is a new cryptocurrency, launched in September 2017. Electroneum is based on the innovative version of the CryptoNote algorithm and is resistant to ASIC mining. It can be mined not only on processors, but also on smartphones. The ETN mobile miner is available in the Google Play Store. The main advantage is that mining of tokens consumes a small amount of electricity.

Horizen (Zencash, ZEN)
This cryptocurrency is based on the protocol with zero-knowledge Zcashthat makes it possible to conduct almost completely anonymous transactions. In 2017, the Zencash technology was highly appreciated by investors, thanks to which its quotes jumped eight times. Anonymous ZEN transactions are based on two crucial technologies: a) the zk-SNARKS algorithm, in which the verification of a private key is carried out without the participation of the parties; b) hiding with the domain that preventsthe real final outputs of Internet connections from being tracked. Due to this, transactions cannot be found.

Webchain (WEB)
The cryptocurrency is based on a modified version of the CryptoNight PoW V7 consensus algorithm. The project is able to secure smart contracts ofERC20/ERC223 and decentralized applications. Thanks to the CryptoNight V7 algorithm, the asset is resistant to ASIC mining. The WEB cryptocurrency can be mined on computers, smartphones, and devices of the "Internet of Things". The project supports public and traceable transactions, preventing fraudulent actions. All operations are carried out at a high rate of speed.

Vertcoin (VTC)
The project uses an alternative version of the Bitcoin-based PoW algorithm, known as Lyra2REv2. The advantage of Vertcoin is the decentralization of the token mining process. The developers call VTC the national cryptocurrency. They created a device designed exclusively formining of the VTC coins, which supports only AMD graphics cards.

Dogecoin (DOGE)
This virtual currency was created in 2013 as a joke, but its potential was assessed as impressive. The asset differs from Bitcoin in that its network adds 5.256 billion new coins annually. Dogecoin is based on the Scrypt algorithm. These tokens are mined on ordinary processors at a low rate that can be increased using graphics cards. The project supports Nvidia and AMD ones. The main advantage of DOGE mining is that it almost does not slow down the operation of the computer, since the mining process is running in the background.

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According to the estimates of the Raiffeisenbank analysts, the dollar may cost about 70 Russian rubles by the end of December. It is noted that such a dramatic scenario can unfold even when the oil price remains above $70 per barrel. The prediction of the bank is based on the data on the difference between the revenues and expenditures of public funds. Assuming that the exchange rates of oil and the national currency remain unchanged, current account receipts in November-December will be $12.5 billion. This is not sufficient to repay foreign debt of $14.3 billion. Last month, the current account balance amounted to $12.1 billion, while the capital outflow reached a new record high, exceeding $10 billion. “Since such a large balance on the current account (two months in a row) did not lead to the strengthening of the ruble (although the CBR chose no currency), it can be concluded that the capital export was not the result of the increase of foreign currency by banks but of other factors,” the assessment of Raiffeisenbank includes.

In addition to the above negative factors, there is the pressure of sanctions. The ruble is under constant pressure from current and planned sanctions. The exchange rate of the ruble is guaranteed to decline later this year or at the beginning of 2019. Deputy head of Vnesheconombank Andrei Klepach agreed with the prediction and said that the ruble might collapse in 2019. In order to somehow mitigate the shortage of foreign exchange liquidity, the Federal Treasury is going to launch currency swap transactions at the Moscow exchange on December 8.

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According to the estimates of the Raiffeisenbank analysts, the dollar may cost about 70 Russian rubles by the end of December. It is noted that such a dramatic scenario can unfold even when the oil price remains above $70 per barrel. The prediction of the bank is based on the data on the difference between the revenues and expenditures of public funds. Assuming that the exchange rates of oil and the national currency remain unchanged, current account receipts in November-December will be $12.5 billion. This is not sufficient to repay foreign debt of $14.3 billion. Last month, the current account balance amounted to $12.1 billion, while the capital outflow reached a new record high, exceeding $10 billion. “Since such a large balance on the current account (two months in a row) did not lead to the strengthening of the ruble (although the CBR chose no currency), it can be concluded that the capital export was not the result of the increase of foreign currency by banks but of other factors,” the assessment of Raiffeisenbank includes.

In addition to the above negative factors, there is the pressure of sanctions. The ruble is under constant pressure from current and planned sanctions. The exchange rate of the ruble is guaranteed to decline later this year or at the beginning of 2019. Deputy head of Vnesheconombank Andrei Klepach agreed with the prediction and said that the ruble might collapse in 2019. In order to somehow mitigate the shortage of foreign exchange liquidity, the Federal Treasury is going to launch currency swap transactions at the Moscow exchange on December 8.

Read more: https://www.mt5.com/forex_humor/image/38746

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