Analysis Topic: Economic Trends Analysis
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Sharp Rise in US CPI Inflation as Energy Prices Surged during November / Economics / Inflation
By: Tim_Iacono
The Labor Department reported sharply higher inflation in November as consumer prices rose 0.8 percent, the steepest increase in 26 months. From year-ago levels, inflation was a full 4.3 percent higher, the worst year-over-year reading since Hurricane Katrina.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Academics at the Fed Have No Real Money Markets Experience - US In Stagflation / Economics / US Economy
By: John_Mauldin
In this issue:
Things That Go Bump in the Night - Foolish Investor of the Year?Really?
- Breaking the Buck at Bank of America
- Inflation Rears it Ugly Head
- Academics at the Fed
- 1% Growth plus 4.3% Inflation = Stagflation
- London, Switzerland, and Barcelona
From ghoulies and ghosties,
And long-leggedy beasties,
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!
-Traditional Scottish Prayer
It's been a long time since we have looked in my worry closet, but there are definitely bumping sounds coming from behind the door. While largely over-looked, Bank of America closed down an "enhanced cash" fund and did the unthinkable and broke the buck. But the real story is even worse. I make the suggestion that you look at your cash funds and see what is in its portfolio. You may want to redeem ahead of the crowd.
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Sunday, December 09, 2007
Why US Interest Rate Cuts if GDP is Growing by 5%? / Economics / US Interest Rates
By: Andy_Sutton
Overall, the Federal Reserve must be given decent marks for keeping up appearances in the wake of the onset of the largest credit crisis in US history. For the situation is now ubiquitous, wreaking havoc in virtually every market. True to form, the Fed has continued to modify its statements, perceptions all in an attempt to manage the public's confidence in the fact that yes, they are still in control of the economy. There have been, however, an increasing number of discrepancies and important issues emerging over the past several weeks and some startling but expected developments.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Beating the Credit Cycle - The Battle Between Debt & Recession / Economics / US Debt
By: Adrian_Ash
"...The Fed & the White House will do whatever it takes. But will that be enough to defeat recession for ever and ever...?"
SO THERE IS TO BE no let up or truce in the war between debt and recession. The cannon-fodder of consumer credit – the battle-weary consumers themselves – must push ahead with the Christmas offensive. The United States , standing shoulder to shoulder with its partners in Britain , will stay in the trenches until the job is completed.
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Friday, December 07, 2007
Inevitable Demise of the Debt Based US Dollar / Economics / US Dollar
By: The_Big_Fisherman
From Fear to Horror - With the bi-polar behavior of the financial markets these past few months, it is sometimes best to remember back to when the unfolding of current events was seen only by the heretics. It is at this point in time where they had the least biased view of the history now being made. These mavens were few, and the ramifications of their insight were but distant theory. And perhaps only they properly recognize the extent of the horror now confronting those trapped inside the nanny-state bubble. Cooing pundits and those that soften the hard edges are not to be trusted.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
US Consumer Confidence Heads South Signaling Recession / Economics / US Economy
By: John_Mauldin
In the second installment of our special two day Outside the Box letter, we have good friend Greg Weldon's giving us his thoughts in his regular "Weldon's Money Monitor." Consumer expenditures account for approximately 2/3rds of
U.S. GDP. A precursor to any underlying changes in consumer expenditures is consumer sentiment. Greg explains to us the state of the American consumer and how current federal and institutional initiatives will not help thwart the looming recession. You can read his work at www.weldononline.com . Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Unbroken , Australia''s Voters “Fix” Her Anyway By Electing Kevin Rudd / Economics / Austrailia
By: Chip_Hanlon
Political challengers, you just saw a great example of how to run against an incumbent when things in your country are perfect, a seemingly impossible task: convince voters there is essentially no difference between your ideas and those of the incumbent. This strategy was just worked to perfection in Australia , where a week ago the liberal Labour Party's Kevin Rudd was elected as the country's new prime minister, unseating the long-ruling conservative, John Howard.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Importance of the Gold Standard - US Economy: Deficits, Foreign Debt and Monetary Policy / Economics / Money Supply
By: Gerard_Jackson
It seems that it was only yesterday that economic commentators were almost hysterical over the US economy's trade deficit. Added to that was the view that the country's growing foreign debt would bring the economy down. Now that the deficit is shrinking fewer people are drawing attention to it, though they still harp on about the foreign debtRead full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Is the Fed Too Late to Head Off a US Recession? / Economics / US Economy
By: Donald_W_Dony
With the ongoing weakness of many of the key leading indicators spurred on by the subprime mortgage debacle, has the U.S. already started to slip into a recession? We know the housing and banking sectors remain in a free fall with no apparent evidence of a bottom and that consumer confidence has dramatically declined in recent months. But is that the signal of the start? And what is the definition of a recession? Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, December 02, 2007
The Grand Sale of American Assets Such as 5% of Citicorp to Abdu Dhabi / Economics / US Economy
By: Andy_Sutton
Turn on the evening news in most cities recently and you will see images of rows of homes, many for sale, many with foreclosure signs in the front yards. On weekends the tables come out and are strategically placed in the driveway heavily laden with the possessions of the soon-to-be-prior occupants of the home. These are selling off anything they can muster to scrape together rent for the next roof over their heads, the next car payment, or the next VISA bill. Most observers look at this and have at least a pang of pity or perhaps take a moment to be thankful for their good fortune.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Are We Heading for Hyperinflation or Deflation? - At Philosophical Crossroads / Economics / Global Financial System
By: Brian_Bloom
For some unfathomable reason, the human mind tends to think in terms of extremes. For example: “Death or Glory”, “Success or Failure”, “Accelerating growth or Collapse”.
Thus, the questions being asked in today's financial world seem to be revolving around whether we are facing “hyperinflation or depression”. All of which begs the questions: Why does it have to be at one or the other extreme? Why can't there be something in between? Alternatively, why can't there be a paradigm shift which renders the very question irrelevant?
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Friday, November 30, 2007
The Era of Credit Driven Consumer Spending Comes to an End / Economics / US Economy
By: Peter_Schiff
In an article this week that examined the troubles brewing in Citigroup's mortgage business, the Wall Street Journal focused on Natalie Brandon, a 51 year old married woman from Granada Hills, CA, who is currently unable to make the payments on her $625,000 adjustable rate home loan from Citigroup, despite the fact that the rate will not even reset higher until June of next year. Amazingly, the Journal reported that Mrs. Brandon bought the house in 1985 for just $105,000, but had chosen to refinance five times over the past seven years, borrowing more than $500,000 and spending every single penny. While this may be an extreme example of American profligacy, it is by no means unique. Unfortunately this type of behavior typifies everything that is wrong with the modern American economy.Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, November 29, 2007
US Fed Behind the Economic and Housing Curve / Economics / US Economy
By: Jim_Willie_CB
The US Federal Reserve is behind the curve. Great consequences have resulted and are likely to continue to result. Many words can be used to describe this group. What come to mind are inept, compromised, corrupted, distracted, ill-trained, but also clueless, deceptive, myopic, overly cautious, and off the market in their focus. When they remain transfixed on economic growth versus price inflation, they are stuck in the past, in a world that no longer exists. The corrupt spew of fraudulent mortgage bonds disseminated throughout the investment community has both crippled the banking system from profound distrust, and inhibited the USEconomy from credit supply fraught with obstacles. With their irresponsibly slow reaction to significant threats to the entire economic and financial system, the hapless USFed has put several things at grave risk. Since mid-September, the USFed has cut the official rate twice by a total of 75 basis points (0.75%), and reduced the discount rate. Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
United States Diseased Monetary Bloodstream / Economics / Money Supply
By: Professor_Emeritus
Invited Address Delivered on November 18, 2007, in Torrance, California, to a Joint Session of the Positive Deviant Network and the Flight to Genius movement:
Dear Fellow Deviants, Dear Fellow Travelers standing by for the next flight to Genius, Ladies and Gentlemen: Synergy Be With You!
One of the truly spectacular sights is from the airplane as it makes its approaches to Los Angeles International Airport at dusk. Down below is the illuminated “live” map of Los Angeles with its winding and intersecting freeways, with an endless flow of white headlights and an opposite flow of red tail-lights. It reminds me of the human bloodstream with its flow of white and red blood corpuscles. As I was flying in the other day I could not help but contemplate that possibly just a handful in a million people down there may realize what a fatal year 2007 has been, as the rest are completely oblivious to the great dangers awaiting the world on this Thanksgiving Day.
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Leading Indicators: Part 1- U.S. Economic Health is Weakening / Economics / US Economy
By: Donald_W_Dony
After almost five years of easy continuous expansion, the cracks are beginning to show in the U.S. economy. From a failing U.S. dollar to deep investor fears in the housing market to ever louder concerns over the twin deficits. This article examines three key indicators and their implications in 2008. Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The Red Queen US Economy / Economics / US Economy
By: Paul_Petillo
"Well, in our country," said Alice (of Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass" fame), still panting a little, "you'd generally get to somewhere else — if you run very fast for a long time, as we've been doing."
"A slow sort of country!" said the Queen. "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!"
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Monday, November 26, 2007
US Recession Avoidable - The Falling US Dollar and the US Economy / Economics / US Economy
By: Gerard_Jackson
What a week that was. Australia's conservative government gets thrashed by a bunch of unioncrats, lefty journalists and an economic illiterate with intellectual pretensions while at the same time as the US dollar goes high diving. These are certainly interesting times.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, November 26, 2007
Market Fundamentalism and the Tyranny of US Monetary System / Economics / Money Supply
By: Richard_C_Cook
Recommendations for Reform of the US Monetary System
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,
that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
1. What We Must Do Today
“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are, or should be, the fruits of democracy. But the political democracy defined by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution has not been achieved because economic democracy has not been achieved. The attainment of real economic democracy is the next task for the American people.
Monday, November 26, 2007
UK Inflation Forecast 2008 (RPI and CPI) / Economics / Inflation
By: Nadeem_Walayat
The recent up tick in UK inflation has sparked inflation concerns to continue going into 2008. However the Market Oracle anticipated the recent up tick as a consequence of money supply growth earlier in the year as an indicator of future inflation and that the up tick would prove temporary as many factors converge towards deflationary pressures during 2008 that will allow the Bank of England to start cutting UK interest rates towards a target of 5% before the decline in UK inflation starts and for UK inflation to subsequently fall towards the Market Oracle targets of 3% RPI and 1.8% CPI towards the end of 2008.
The following analysis presents some of the key factors that will result in the fall in UK Inflation during 2008.
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Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Is the US Economy Facing a Credit Crunch? / Economics / US Economy
By: Gerard_Jackson
Every time an economic crisis seems to be on the horizon you can bet your last dollar that scores of advisers will be warning that a drop in consumer confidence will cause a fall in consumer demand which will drive the economy into recession. For the umpteenth time, business spending drive the economy and not consumption. The Bureau of Economic Analysis now includes intermediate goods in its calculations, producing what it calls “gross output”. This figure shows business spending at about 50 per cent of aggregate spending. My own calculations put total spending at about $30 trillionRead full article... Read full article...