Monetary System

An ugly day in the markets has just ended with the financial services sector taking a beating in particular. Many shares in the sector trade for under $10. Bottom fishers might see this as a buying opportunity. Is it?

There is quite a buzz in the German press about Hypo Real Estate. But, what should really get oe's attention is its massive off-balance sheet exposures (hat tip Ulrich). The long and short of reports is that Hypo Real Estate has assets…

This comes from the Danish daily Berlingske Tidene. It suggests that Citibank is cutting back all international lending. Citigroup has sold its German operations to a French bank and I understand they are cutting credit lines in the UK as…

Meredith Whitney, the well-known former Oppenheimer analyst had some interesting words to say on CNBC about the banking sector, nationalization, dividends and Citigroup. Take a look.

This comes from Rueters Goldman Sachs Group Inc said several partners must cover margin calls triggered by the depressed value of Goldman stock and many of the firm's hedge funds, but the bank denied it is lending money to its executives.…

This morning, Commerzbank, based in Frankfurt, Germany, released earnings, showing a loss of 809 million euros, which was better than expected. Shares are rallying in European trading as a result. However, the big news was the draconian…

Below is my translation from an excerpt in the Swiss newspaper NZZ: In 2008, the lucrative business with loans to U.S. students came to an abrupt end. Today, UBS sits on paper that could still be worth $8.4 billion - or less. The collapse…

Just a few hours ago, I posted an article about European toxic asset exposure based on a Telegraph article.  The crux of the Telegraph piece was that European banks have a shed load of bad debt on their books.  A secret European Commission…

If you had read the Telegraph on February 12, you would be inclined to believe there might be even more toxic assets on European bank balance sheets than on American bank balance sheets. However, anyone who read the Telegraph later would…

We heard testimony before the House Banking Committee in Washington today. The CEOs of eight large financial institutions are being raked over the coals by Congress. It was a scene which reminded me of the Pecora Hearings during the Great…