Economy

By Vedran Vuk With consumer prices in China up 4.4% this October over last year, the country has taken another move to avert inflation: price controls. There’s just one problem. Thirty years ago this would have been a viable policy…

Jonathan R. Laing reports in Barrons that the exposure of U.S. banks to liability for putbacks of defective MBS (mortgage backed securities) is greater than the $52 billion reported last week from the findings of the COP (Congressional…

by Win Thin Brazil press is reporting that President-elect Rousseff won’t ask central bank chief Meirelles to stay on after she takes office January 1, and repeats earlier speculation of changes to the economic team.  We have been…

Emerging markets are seeing a lot of imported price pressures, causing their economies to overheat and increasing food price pressures. Rahul Bajoria, regional economist at Barclays Capital, sees strong food price pressures in the…

Eric Janszen, Interview with Dr. Michael Hudson 6 November, 2010 Janszen (E): What I’m noting, starting with the gold crisis over the last few weeks, and the public nature of some of the complaints that we’re hearing out of Brazil and…

by Claus Vistesen The Eurozone seems to be the place where the party never ends these days, as one skeleton after the other comes rattling out of the closet. Indeed, one has the impression that history is in the making right now; and the…

by Michael Pettis Last week I suggested that slowly the consensus is shifting towards a recognition that Chinese growth may slow sharply in the next few years.  When I discuss this prospect with analysts and investors, however, they…

One might be forgiven for thinking that a 110 bln euro EU/IMF package would suffice for Greece and stabilize the situation as IMF packages typically do over time.   However, over the past month 10-year Greek yields have 260 bp and…

Rumours are that a hike is coming tomorrow already. Fan Cheuk Wan, who is head of research at Credit Suisse Private Bank's Asia/Pacific region, says she wouldn't be surprised to see as much as 100 basis points in the near-term. But she…

A first look at why Ireland has gone to the heights and crashed spectacularly, and what options it has that other nations in crisis have used successfully.