Blu Putnam
Chief Economist, CME Group
Bio
Bluford (Blu) Putnam has served as Managing Director and Chief Economist of CME Group since May 2011. He is responsible for leading economic analysis on global financial markets by identifying emerging trends, evaluating economic factors and forecasting their impact. Prior to joining CME Group, Putnam gained more than 35 years of experience in the financial services industry with concentrations in central banking, investment research and portfolio management. He has authored five books on international finance.
Can This Rate of Job Growth Continue?
The U.S. employment situation report for June 2018 showed solid job growth, including a welcome rise in hiring in the…
The Problem For Gold In The Trade War
Gold prices are continuing to move lower. The yellow metal is often used for portfolio diversification or as a hedge against global…
Three Ways OPEC Decision Will Impact Oil Markets
The oil production decision at the OPEC meeting on Friday, June 22, is interesting on several counts. First, it is…
Political Event Risk Raises Stakes for Sudden Price Movements
Political risk is rising – elections in Mexico, Brazil and the US; a leadership battle for the head of Liberal…
How Italy’s Politics Helped Ignite A Historic Trading Day
The markets were in motion coming off the U.S. Memorial Day weekend, driven mostly by the chaos in Italian politics…
This Is Only Act One of U.S.-China Trade Tension
The rising tit-for-tat trade skirmishes between the U.S. and China are giving stock markets serious jitters, as well they should….
The Rise of China as a Global Political Powerhouse
Speaking at CME Group’s 2017 Global Financial Leadership Conference (GFLC) in the session on “Globalism, Populism, and the Wave to…
Negative Rates Are Creating a Tax, Not a Stimulus
In 2016, we have seen the Bank of Japan (BoJ) surprise the markets with a move into negative rates for…
Should China and the U.S. Be Economic Partners?
China’s economy is decelerating and financial and commodity market participants are worried about the prospect of a recession in the…
What Next, If Fed Hikes Rates in December?
The message is now more transparent from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. In her many speeches of late, she…
The Arguments for Abandoning a Zero Rate Policy
There is a very good probability, perhaps 60 percent, that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will move at its April…
Why the Spectacular Fall in Oil Prices?
There are powerful dynamics impacting the oil and natural gas markets on a global scale. Our perspective is that the…