asset-based economy

It is not US fundamentals, but global fundamentals that will determine the Fed's ability to taper. If the Fed tapers when the global economy is already in the doldrums, as it is at the moment, the recessionary rebound to the US economy…

The central banks in Sweden and Germany are concerned about overheating economies as the European sovereign debt crisis has led to a net inflow of investment into their housing sectors. If one looks at European economic policy, these…

The Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee met today. As expected, the Fed Funds rate stayed at zero percent. Most Fed watchers, however, wanted more clarity on the Fed's quantitative easing timetable, which the Fed laid out clearly. But…

A rout in global equities is taking shape with the decline led by Japan and emerging markets. Japan is now in bear market territory, with shares down over 20% from the high. But emerging markets are my main worry because of the real…

One of the most contentious topics in America is the impact of the Federal Reserve’s policy of “Quantitative Easing” – otherwise known as ‘QE’. The Federal Reserve has committed to spending $85 billion every month buying a wide range of…

Economic growth is good. But what we want to see is job and wage growth to complement the asset-price growth. Without this catch up on the job and income front, the economy is on an unsustainable course.

One of the reasons that it is been so hard for a lot of analysts, even trained economists, to understand the imbalances that were at the root of the current crisis is that we too easily confuse national savings with household savings. By…

The Bank of Japan is taking the concept of quantitative easing to a whole new level. Unlike the Fed who is only focused on treasuries and agency MBS securities, the BOJ is authorized to purchase ETFs and REITs in addition to JGBs.

In the short term, though, a continuation of the currently lax monetary policy is likely to lead to higher assets prices. The investor mindset is very much in risk-on mode at the moment, as documented by the surprisingly calm reaction to…

Bernanke will inflate at an accelerating pace. The other central banks will chase him.