currencies

It is very clear that Brazil is moving further and further away from the orthodox model due to its obsession with the strong real. While the IMF said today in its Article IV discussions with Brazil that capital controls are an “appropriate”…

The BOJ intervenes aggressively to weaken yen; we do not see any major G7 initiative. The euro zone periphery remains under pressure as ECB meets; Spain borrowing costs rise. Global equity markets are lower as growth risks, sovereign risks…

US growth concerns and downgrade risk remain in play after budget deal. Euro zone periphery remains under pressure as ECB meets Thursday. SNB takes action against strong CHF; spike in EUR/CHF offers good entry point to go long CHF.

The Europeans can’t catch a break. The crisis has already flared before they have had a legitimate opportunity to deal with the medium- and longer-term issues. Willem Buiter says the Europeans need a 2.5 trillion euro EFSF to deal with…

US leaders agree on budget deal, but House vote poses event risk ahead of August 2 deadline. Euro zone periphery benefits from improved market sentiment, but remains vulnerable. Equities and EM FX firm today on US news and stronger than…

The normal case—let us say, in the US or the UK or Japan—is that anything for sale is for sale in the domestic currency. These sovereign governments never find that they cannot buy something by issuing their own currency. However, the…

The signal we’re extracting from the weekly move of the Four Horsemen is that though concern and the lack of confidence in the U.S. over the debt ceiling issue has increased, other factors, such as the deflationary consequences of a large…

This is a polemic on fiat currency. it is long and detailed. But I believe it is both thorough and logical.

Market anxiety over the US political gridlock and EZ periphery kept asset markets on the defensive. Lukewarm bond auction in Italy and rise in periphery yields fueling accelerated safe haven activity. The day after Brazil’s new marco…

If you recall, it was George W. Bush’s father, GWH Bush, who, when campaigning against Reagan, called supply side economics’ claims that tax cuts pay for themselves Voodoo Economics. And Bush was proved right when deficits spiralled out of…