October 2008

Credit markets continue to return to less extreme levels. While we are nowhere near where we were before the onset of the Lehman-induced panic, we are well off the panic levels of the worst of the crisis.The Times of London is reporting…

Yesterday, I made the case for us to be less concerned about the U.S. and even Western Europe, but to be very concerned about a slowdown in Asia. The reasons for this are simple: most analysts now understand the extent of problems in the…

Yesterday, I said I am selectively bullish on stocks and bonds. Prices have come down s far that a number of companies are trading under book value. This suggests that investors are so fearful that they are selling anything or that they…

The Federal Reserve and its fellow central banks are pulling out all the stops to make sure the panic phase of this crisis is well and truly over. These kinds of moves are already having results as Libor and Euribor (the rate at whch banks…

Race has a way of inserting itself into almost everything in America. I have always found this troubling. In this particular Presidential election, it should be the economy here, the economy there, the economy everywhere. Yet, we also…

I caught a story in the Wall Street Journal today about Paul Volcker's impact on the Obama campaign that bears passing on (hat tip Barry Ritholtz). One reason people have become more comfortable with Obama over time is because his economic…

My daily link list is available only via my Newsletter or Feed, but here is the overflow of links: Financial crisis and regulation's role in it NZ Inflation Rate Accelerates to 18-Year-High 5.1% (Update2) - Bloomberg Ohio Democrats Get…

As you may have figured out from my recent commentary, I am a lot more bullish on global markets than I was just two weeks ago.  I feel that we have passed a very important stage in this credit crisis and that the panic phase is over --…

Yesterday, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican, endorsed Democratic candidate Barack Obama for President despite long-standing support for John McCain. While I agree with the reasoning in many of the statements he…

Below are the videos of Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live." I thought it showed good humor on her part to be on the show. I give her full credit despite what some critics might say. Take a look.