2012

There has been a bit of talk about jobless claims since the abnormally large fall in claims two weeks ago. Those numbers were skewed by reporting anomalies that were adjusted in the subsequent week. Looking beyond the week to week data,…

Europe    Greece to cut wages and pensions further to avoid default - Telegraph "Greece is set to cut public sector wages and pensions, as it agrees terms with its international lenders to release the next tranche of its bailout to avoid…

A key sticking point in the European policy debates over the banking sector concerns bank recapitalisation. As one would expect, the countries in crisis that have experienced a property bust like Spain and Ireland, would like to strip away…

This is a continuation of yesterday's post on the outlook in the banking sector. Two years ago, I said that net interest margins at banks would get crushed by the Fed's keeping interest rates low because it would cause the yield curve to…

Warren Buffett was on CNBC earlier today for the first time since his cancer treatments to speak to Becky Quick. As we see global US companies cut earnings forecasts during this earnings season, it is clear that the global economy continues…

The interesting thing about the chart below is that the maximum rate of property price increases in the Netherlands was just after the euro was introduced when year-on-year prices rose a staggering 20%. Since that time the trend has been…

I saw this story yesterday in a Swedish newspaper and thought it was interesting enough to comment on. Apparently, Swedish investment professionals are telling clients that the Spanish market is "hot" right now, given the depressed state of…

Technology Apple sets a crowded table for holiday shoppers — Apple News, Tips and Reviews "After Tuesday’s iPad event, Apple now has the strongest assortment of iOS mobile products it has ever put in front of consumers, who are more…

Two years ago, I noted that the steep yield curve produced by the Fed's policy accommodation would give way to a flatter and more treacherous yield curve environment as a weak recovery continued. The Fed would see the weak recovery as a…

Apple's latest tablet, the much-anticipated iPad mini, is out and reactions are all over the web. The big news from the Apple presser is threefold: the iPad mini will retail starting at $329, the MacBook Pro line gets a retina display…