Credit Writedowns

The yen was the weakest of the major currencies in Q1, losing about 7.2% against the dollar. There was a clear shift in both speculative and portfolio flows. This is just one of seven observations about the Yen via Marc Chandler.

Whatever one thinks about Lord Wolfson’s euro-skeptical meddling, it certainly has been entertaining. The British baron’s offer of a £250,000 prize for the best ideas to deal with a possible breakup of the eurozone has brought all sorts of…

The US dollar remains broadly firmer as euro zone concerns pressure below the surface. Increased euro zone tensions encouraged the market to test the SNB’s resolve at capping the franc against the euro.

The Fed is in a tough spot. They want to do more. Things are unravelling in Europe and the slowdown in Brazil, India and China is well-advanced. While the jobs outlook has improved in the US, there is still considerable slack in labor…

I think this video is worth watching because Keen gets to the heart of the issues with the standard approach to economics. He says that banks, money and debt are front and center in reality as we now see after the crisis. Consequently, they…

I caught this statement from Alan Blinder in a debate on the New York Times about teaching economics. Clearly, Blinder sees a huge financial crisis and reflexively understands changes must be made.

Remember the scene in A few Good Men where Colonel Jessup (Jack Nicholson) and Lieutenant Kaffee (Tom Cruise) trade insults? Following some pretty intense questioning, Kaffee yells at Jessup: “I want the truth”. With the deadly glare that…

Seven thoughts about the euro from Marc Chandler, global head of FX at Brown Brothers Harriman, using fundamental and technical analysis

The minutes from the March FOMC meeting have continued to drive the dollar higher, except against the yen, and bonds and stocks lower. Especially in the context of Bernanke's recent remarks, the, should we say less than dovish, tone to the…

There has been a lot of back and forth in the financial and economics blogosphere about the centrality of financial institutions and their facilitation of private debt accumulation leading up to the Great Financial Crisis. It seems to me…