The New York Times – Paul Krugman: Things Are Not O.K. In a better world — specifically, a world with a better policy elite — a good jobs report would be cause for unalloyed celebration. In the world we actually inhabit, however, every silver lining comes with a cloud. Friday’s report was, in fact, much… Continue reading A Downbeat View
Bloomberg.com – China Risks 4-Point Growth-Rate Cut in Case of Europe Worsening China’s economic expansion would be cut almost in half if Europe’s debt crisis worsens, a scenario that would warrant “significant” fiscal stimulus from the nation’s government, the International Monetary Fund said. Based on the IMF’s “downside” forecast for the global economy, China’s growth… Continue reading China
Bloomberg.com – Huggies Price Cut Shows Why Bond Market Backing Bernanke Considering QE3 Procter & Gamble Co.’s failure to raise the price of Cascade dishwashing soap shows why investors are buying Treasuries at the lowest yields in history, giving the Federal Reserve more scope to boost the economy. The world’s largest consumer-products company rolled back… Continue reading Hopefully Ben Does Not Think This Way
The Wall Street Journal – Are Pension Forecasts Way Too Sunny? If you were a better stock picker than Warren Buffett, would you be punching the clock every day as the faceless manager of a corporate pension plan? Judging by many companies’ recent financial statements, they must believe their pension plans are run by such… Continue reading Pensions
<Click on graphic for larger image> h/t The Big Picture
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Comment Ben Bernanke spoke yesterday before the House Budget committee. In the Q&A (video above), Rep. Paul Ryan asked Bernanke some interesting questions, especially when he asked Bernanke if QE was enabling Congress to remain dysfunctional by financing trillion dollar deficits and how savers are getting killed by 0% interest rates. Yesterday we held a… Continue reading QE World, The Federal Reserve And Risk Markets
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The New York Times – In a Focus on Gold, History Repeats Itself Mr. Gingrich did send a signal that his commission would be different. He said the co-chairmen would be Lewis Lehrman, the author of a recent book titled “The True Gold Standard,” and James Grant, the editor of Grant’s Interest Rate Observer. “The… Continue reading Gold
The Independent – The experts’ view on the euro’s future: it doesn’t have one The eurozone cannot survive in its current form – that is the alarming prediction of top economists and politicians of all political hues, among them the former Chancellors Alistair Darling, Nigel Lawson and Norman Lamont. In interviews and articles for The… Continue reading The Euro
The Financial Times – ETF trading volumes fall to historic lows Trading in the most popular US exchange-traded funds fell to multiyear lows in January, threatening to increase transactions costs for retail investors. ETFs, which track the performance of a basket of securities such as an equity or bond index, have surged in popularity in… Continue reading ETF Trading