Credit Writedowns

This is a thought experiment, so bear with me. I have written repeatedly how I felt that the U.S. Government's plans to save the banking system were not adequate in the face of a severe capital shortfall in banking. On one level, I…

You might find some analysts looking for some green shoots in the just released Case-Shiller Home Price Index.  For instance, the year-on-year change in house prices showed a slower decline in the latest month (February) than in the…

The following is the currency outlook released today by the Brown Brothers Harriman Currency Strategy team: Swine flu and concerns about US banks may be hitting the headlines but, the European banking sector remains a threat for the euro…

China is holding its ownregarding economic growth because the government is pumping massive amounts of government money into the economy in order to make up for the loss in trade.  What does this mean for China, Chinese shares and the…

FT.com - How libertarian dogma led the Fed astray - Henry Kaufman The original Dr. Doom speaks. Hat tip Yves Smith. "The Federal Reserve has been hobbled by at least two major shortcomings that were primarily responsible for the current…

The leaks about who failed the stress tests are already starting.  Who got a big fat 'F'?  Apparently, Citi and BofA for starters.  But is that any surprise? Regulators have told Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc. that the banks may…

The German car maker Daimler wants to put the Chrysler chapter behind it, so it will give up its remaining 19.9% stake and forgive all remaining loans. See BBC story.

Berkshire Hathaway's Annual Meeting is this coming Saturday 2 May 2009 in Omaha, NE at the Qwest Center (details in pdf here).  Given the financial turmoil and all of the hubaloo around Berkshire's credit rating, it should be a very…

I showed you a video from CNBC in a previous post detailing how Swine Flu spreads in humans. Here is a second look at what Swine Flu is all about in three videos from the Wall Street Journal. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says…

In this much-talked about Charlie Rose roundtable with Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz joined by Bill Ackman of Pershing Square, Andrew Ross Sorkin of the New York Times and Kate Kelly of the Wall Street Journal, these experts discuss the…