Links: 2009-03-27
Commerzbank reveals toxic assets – BBC News Obviously, there are more writedowns to come. What does this say about what’s on Deutsche’s books? or UBS?
MGM Mirage’s City Center Hires Bankruptcy Counsel – Deal Book
Fear and Greed – Mark Thoma this is a hilarious post and a must-read
Europe fetches the monetary helicopters, at long last – Telegraph Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has the scoop
More on robbing the US tax payer and debauching the FDIC and the Fed – Willem Buiter I love this guy. The title of the pos says it all.
FT.com | Willem Buiter’s Maverecon | The new toxic and bad legacy … more grist from the Buiter mill
Viva Cantor-Krugman? House GOP Backs Receivership For Insolvent Banks – TPM
Don’t rush on US systemic risk regulator–Volcker – Reuters
Saving America’s banks: Only halfway there – Economist
Credit crunch will lead to oil shock warns consultant – Reuters I might have more to say about this later but I do believe peak oil is a real phenmenon
9 Reasons Obama’s Fiscal Plan Fails both Markets and Taxpayers – Joseph Stiglitz
Collateral 101: How It Works at AIG and Elsewhere nice eplanation
China’s Big Threat – Bruce Krasting I see this as an interesting analysis. Not likely, but good out-of-the -box thinking
Technology
Blogs I now follow
- Global Economy Matters Ed Hugh is a master of the European Finance scene. Watch his stuff. You can learn a lot.
- Turbulence Ahead Good commentary from Ireland.
The current “under-investment” we are experiencing right now is the result of demand contraction not supply contraction. If the demand were there, we would certainly have a higher level of production.
This does not preclude the potential of peak oil. But Simmons argument is self-serving and does not represent the current market forces.
Jimbo,
you’re right that we are seeing a glut of oil and underinvestment due to a demand shock. However, the resultant supply constraints are beginning to be real. Rig counts are plummeting, countries and companies are cutting back on investment. A post I wrote in January on Conoco Phillips is but one example.
When the economy rebounds, it will do so with a decided upward kick to commodity prices, if that isn’t happening already.