February 2009

This video does not mention Austria by name, focusing instead on Ireland, Spain and Greece, but Austria is more of the problem for the Germans as they are leveraged to Eastern Europe. German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck became the…

Below are the main stories I wish to highlight. There are a bunh of others in the newsfeed.

This morning, Commerzbank, based in Frankfurt, Germany, released earnings, showing a loss of 809 million euros, which was better than expected. Shares are rallying in European trading as a result. However, the big news was the draconian…

In an interview with Swiss daily Tagesanzeiger, a well-known economist has warned that Switzerland risks bankruptcy, if the recent market turmoil centering on Eastern Europe is not contained quickly. At issue are loans made in Swiss Francs…

Chris Whalen is a well-respected banking sector analyst who often appears on CNBC and Bloomberg. Below he gives his view on Barack Obama's stimulus package speech and the need for banking sector restructuring. Below that is a video of…

The results of my poll are back and  according to readers we are clearly in Depression.  A plurality of you voted for depression with a small 'd,' edging out those who see Depression with a Big  'D.' I agree with this assessment as I…

The video below gives an excellent view into the issues affecting European banking. Tom Keene, who is Bloomberg Radio's editor-at-large, sees the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the ultimate solution to the problems in Eastern Europe.…

Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) are losing money hand over fist, which should leave one wondering whether their appetite for Western assets will continue to bolster those markets. Funds in Asia and the Middle East have been hit by a…

Eastern European currencies crumble as fears of debt crisis grow - Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, Telegraph CDS report: Emerging exposures hurt banks - FT Alphavile 'Drunk' Japan minister to resign - BBC News Schwarzenegger Prepares to Layoff…

If you recall, a few months ago there was a lot of speculation in Washington about Paul Volcker being named a 'car czar' to deal with the problem with the Big Three automakers. That idea has fallen by the wayside. President Obama has named…