2012

We stress again that the loss of AAA is not the end of the world, and one could make the case that AA is indeed the new AAA. However, the Moody’s news comes a time when markets are nervous about Greece, and so some limited fallout to the…

Polls suggest that in the first round of balloting in late April, Sarkozy is trailing his Socialist challenger Hollande 31%-24.5%. Marina Le Pen's candidacy appears sufficiently strong to deny either candidate a majority in the first round.

This post is a continuation of the ideas for a Greek exit for the euro zone that I published on Friday incorporating specifics that Marshall Auerback has laid out in a separate post and demonstrating why exit is the likely option.

Ten thoughts on the economy and markets that include events in Greece, the US, Sweden, the EU and China.

Europe can learn from Japan's austerity endgame - FT.com The road to fiscal hell is sometimes paved with the best intentions. As Europe's politicians seek to win electorates round to brutal budget cuts, they would do well to look…

The austerity regime being adopted throughout Europe, by surplus and deficit countries alike, amid deleveraging, begs the question of where will aggregate demand come from? Moreover, iIf Greece can lower its debt burden by transferring some…

Financial news for 12 Feb 2012

Financial news for 11 February 2012

Here's how I see it happening, based on my Italian default post.

Last April I said that unless we see a multi-year recovery economy in which the nagging debt and default issues are entirely removed, economic nationalism will return with a vengeance. And that means political conflict in which the…