Make a note of the date in your diary. Sept. 23. That is the moment the markets will end the summer funk and start rising strongly again. Why? Because by that day, German’s Chancellor Angela Merkel will have been safely re-elected. And the European Central Bank will have been give the all-clear to launch its own version of quantitative easing. Not convinced? Just follow the logic. The U.S. looks set to end its program of printing money. The job is largely done. The economy is growing again, jobs are being created, and the banks are in a stable condition. It may decide to taper in the autumn, or it might wait until ... (full story)