2014

Marc Faber, publisher of the Gloom, Boom & Doom Report, appeared on Bloomberg Television's "Street Smart" yesterday to discuss the impact of Fed policy on the global economy and his predictions for 2014. As you could imagine, he is…

Despite my unease about the secular headwinds of debt, bank balance sheets and wage stagnation, I must admit that many of the recent macro data points globally are pointing to growth. This is true in the US, in Europe, in Japan and in…

The Fed's "full-allotment overnight reverse repurchase agreement facility" - a mechanism to control short-term rates - is no longer just an academic exercise. Given how dysfunctional the interbank market has become, using the fed funds…

News links for 15 Jan 2014

Yesterday, Google announced that it would buy privately-held Nest Labs for $3.2 billion. This was Google’s second largest acquisition ever. Nest is a smart thermostat and smoke alarm-maker which promises to give Google a leg up in the fast…

The argument that unemployment happens when wages fail to adjust sufficiently to changed market dynamics is a well-aired one. But explanations of "sticky wages" tend to focus on structural rigidities such as employment protection…

News links for 14 Jan 2014

Bubbles have become a major focus of discussion in today’s financial markets. But very few people actually define what they mean when describing this financial phenomenon.

By Win Thin and Ilan Solot Despite the growing tensions in Thailand and the risk of military involvement, equity indices stared off the week higher and THB stable. There is some optimism that a possible delay to the February 2 vote could…

By Marc Chandler The simmering tension in the South China Sea may intensify in the coming weeks, and although this is no immediate market reaction, there could be going forward. Last week Japan indicate it will formally register 280…