The global foreign exchange market is in turmoil right during what can be the historically turbulent months of September and October for the stock and financial markets. The strength of the U.S. dollar (the USDX is at a 20-year high), a sharp depreciation in the British pound (record low against the dollar) and a sharply weakening Chinese yuan are all making for instability in the currency markets—especially for the secondary, or smaller, currencies, whose countries’ foreign debt structures are many times based on the value of the U.S. dollar. Noted Morgan Stanley market analyst Mike Wilson this week said the rising value of the U.S. dollar is “untenable” and that history shows such appreciation by the greenback can cause a financial market crisis. Look for the more volatile currency markets to have a bigger impact on the general marketplace, and to create keener risk aversion, for at least the near term.—Stay tuned. Jim Wyckoff