August 10 2010
The Fed announced on Tuesday that they will reinvest money from expiring mortgage backed securities into longer term U.S. Treasurys. At present these securities would have shrunk the Fed’s balance sheet. The reinvestment into Treasurys signals that the Fed is comfortable with spending more money for a longer time. Some Fed workers worry that they [...]
July 29 2010
For years China has been the place for cheap labor. But with workers taking home a pittance – less than $200 monthly – of what Americans yield, labor strikes have been springing up like wildfire in August. Foreign multinationals are the target of these outbursts, and the Commie government is happy to displace its people’s [...]
July 15 2010
The Financial Bill passed 60-39 and has been lauded by many as a responsible piece of legislation, and touted by others as imcomplete. Deregulation and laissez-faire economics have seen and done enough damage for the government to enact its first step towards economic socialism. I’m sure that phrasing made many of you shudder, but what [...]
July 7 2010
The Dow was up 2.82% today at 10018.28, the first time it broke 10000 since June 28. After last week, when stocks were at their lowest point this year, this is a welcome rebound. State Street, the world’s second largest custodian bank was up 9.9% as it projected profits well above analysts’. Worries about the [...]
June 29 2010
It all started in China, when a revised index scared investors around the globe that one of the economic powerhouses could slow. Then everyone remembered the European debt crisis, and by the time the bell rang in New York, the Dow was below 10,000. By the end of the day it was at 9870.30, down [...]
June 24 2010
Private equity firms have billions of dollars to spend – and it’s time they did. Unused money, called in the industry, dry powder, is bad news for hedge funds. Typically these funds last 10 years and dry powder is invested within the first 3 to 5. Either the money must be invested or returned to [...]
June 18 2010
Estonia joined the E.U. yesterday, becoming the 17th member. The small Baltic state will switch from the kroon to the Euro on Jan. 1 2011.. There remains mild concern over the sinking currency, as voiced by Dmitri Medvedev. Austerity measures are being enacted all around the Euro Zone – France will up their retirement age [...]
May 24 2010
The Dow Jones Industrial Average has given up all of the gains it has made this year over the course of the past couple of weeks. Why? Well, in large part due to fears of a Greek default. But that’s not all. When Germany announced last week that it was banning hedging on Euro-zone government [...]
April 21 2010
As the recession ends, consumer confidence is widespread. For some, however, there was never a recession. In China and India, optimism remains at an all time high. The effects of globalization that were expected early last decade, that of outsourcing these growing countries to even cheaper labor, has produced the opposite effect. Companies like Brazil’s [...]
April 15 2010
With the annual collection of world leaders for Washington’s Spring Business Conference looming next month, and recent numbers for the first quarter already in, the recession is over and recovery has officially begun. China’s economy has grown by over 11% since a year ago, Singapore’s grew an astounding 32% last quarter, the U.S. had 3% [...]