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Setting the record straight and restoring the credibility of credit ratings- the U.S. Justice Department's struggle with S&P 2013-2015
02/05/2013
U.S. Associate Attorney General Dillery, the governments top negotiator in a $1.5 billion settlement in Jan 2015, says never has the Justice Department produced 290 million documents in discovery in Justice Department history.This is how many documents were produced in this case which he said showed S&P in serious breach of duty, which affected the U.S. financial system leading to many adverse consequences.
Linked Articles
S&P to Pay $1.5 Billion to Resolve Crisis-Era Litigation
Wall Street Journal 02/04/2015
S. & P. E-Mails on Mortgage Crisis Show Alarm and Gallows HumorNew York Times 02/05/2013
Losses and management turnover at mining companies leading to scaling back of orders of mining equipment and Caterpillar performance
01/18/2013
Losses at Rio Tinto and Anglo-American with risky projects is leading to management turnover and a scaling back in investment. The lower commodity prices, declining growth in China and risk averse strategies in turn affects Caterpillar's growth in its key mining equipment business. Analysts do not expect the situation to improve till 2015.
Linked Articles
Caterpillar Chief Faults China Unit
Wall Street Journal 01/29/2013
Miner Rio Tinto Ousts CEO as Bad Bets Cost BillionsWall Street Journal 01/18/2013
The growth in the Lego blocks toy business
12/20/2012
Linked Articles
Timely Movie Set to Prop Up Lego's U.S. Business
Wall Street Journal 02/27/2014
Lego Bucks Toy SlumpWall Street Journal 12/20/2012
The part-time low wage jobs generated by the American economy in recent years, especially since 2008
11/06/2012
The biggest challenge facing the American economy is high unemployment and the lack of well paying jobs that formed the core job base of the middle class. Jobs generated since 2008 are largely low wage part-time work in retail and related industries. Wages have also fallen sharply in manufacturing industries as the U.S. competes with Asian manufacturers.
Linked Articles
New York Times 11/07/2012
A Part-Time, Low-Wage EpidemicWall Street Journal 11/06/2012
How uncertainty related to the "fiscal cliff" in the U.S. is affecting the U.S. economy as business holds off on investment and hiring
10/03/2012
Linked Articles
Firms Hit Brakes Before Fiscal Cliff
Wall Street Journal 10/25/2012
Small Businesses Fear Fiscal Cliff Awaits at Year-EndWall Street Journal 10/03/2012
President Hollande's declining popularity in France after only 6 months in office
09/28/2012
A $26 billion tax rebate for business and a budget that pushes quickly for reducing the deficit to 3% of GDP in 2013 lead to growing unpopularity across the spectrum of opinion from the left, centre and right for France's new president Hollande.
Linked Articles
France’s Hollande struggles to regain popularity - The Washington Post
Washington Post 11/15/2012
France's New Budget Focuses on Cutting DeficitNew York Times 09/28/2012
The case for increasing the minimum wage (2) Zuckerman and Census Bureau statistics
09/20/2012
Linked Articles
A Part-Time, Low-Wage Epidemic
Wall Street Journal 11/06/2012
Incomes Fell or Stagnated in Most States Last YearWall Street Journal 09/20/2012
The Sentier Research study that shows median American household income decline of $4019 from Jan 2009 to June 2012
08/23/2012
Worst hit groups in terms of the decline are blacks, people 55-64 nearing retirement, those with a high school diploma but no college degree. The decline affects both younger and older Americans.
Linked Articles
Big Income Losses for Those Nearing Retirement
New York Times 08/23/2012
Negative $4,019Wall Street Journal 08/25/2012
The risks to Chrysler in 2013-2015 with delayed new and redesigned models, and higher incentive costs reducing margins
07/31/2012
Lower cash flow from the demands for new and redesigned models in a very competitive market, the higher incentives costs reducing margins, combined with losses in the Fiat European operations, will pose challenges for Marchionne in 2013-2014.
Linked Articles
Chrysler Profit Up, Cautions on Spending
Wall Street Journal 01/31/2013
In Turnabout, Chrysler Profit Offsets Fiat LossWall Street Journal 07/31/2012
A recovery in auto sales in the U.S. market to the annual 14 million vehicle level in 2012
06/01/2012
The aging of vehicles to about 10.8 years on average for vehicles on the road in the U.S. is supporting a reovery in the automobile market in 2012. The strong recovery for Japanese automakers in the U.S. is reducing the advantage of American automakers who benefitted from the shortages of Japanese cars after the tsunami in Japan in 2011. The recovery for Japanese automakers is uneven with Toyota doing better than Honda in the U.S.
Linked Articles
May Car Sales Keep Up Healthy Pace
New York Times 06/01/2012
U.S. Auto Sales Keep RisingWall Street Journal 06/02/2012
How JP Morgan Chase let its London trading desk operate without risk management controls leading to large losses
05/18/2012
CEO Dimon is described as distracted by other issues. Ina Drew, the seasoned head of the Chief Investment that manages a $300 billionplus portfolio after the merger of other failed banks into JP Morgan Chase in 2008-2009, contracts Lyme disease in 2010 and is no longer the hands on person when she returns in 2011. Ms. Duersten, in charge of the North American trading desk at the New York office leaves in 2011 after 16 years at Chase. The controls over the London trading desk from New York are slipping away and Mr. Iksil and Mr. Macris of the London trading desk take massive trading positions to expose Chase to large losses. CEO Dimon learns about the Chase trading positions and the London Whale (Mr Iksil) from the Wall Street Journal on April 6, 2012, for the first time, astounding the business community and the financial world.
Linked Articles
Discord at JPMorgan Investment Office Blamed in Huge Loss
New York Times 05/19/2012
Inside J.P. Morgan's BlunderWall Street Journal 05/18/2012
The $436 million payment by Greece to holdout bondholder Dart Management and the $1.5 billion demanded by holdout bondholder Elliott Management leading to Argentine default in 2014
05/15/2012
Greece made the payment to Dart Management at a time of 20% unemployment and daily protests on Athens streets, a month before elections in June 2012. Greece only did this as a last resort for release of EU funds that were being held up to make pament of interest on debt. This exacerabated discontent inside Greece as pensions were being cut and layoffs taking place, including increase in electricity bills. The Syriza party made gains in that election and the two main parties lost ground to other parties, including a violent anti-immigrant party. Argentina's Christina Kirchner faces a difficult time with the unions and centrist parties in Buenos Aires province, with a shortage of cash and sovereign wealth fund down to $29 billion in May 2014. Stevenson points out the payment to Elliott Management could lead to a situation where Argentina owed $15-$27 billion to all holdout and exchange investors in its bonds.
Linked Articles
Argentina Finds Relentless Foe in Paul Singer's Hedge Fund
New York Times 07/30/2014
Bet on Greek Bonds Paid Off for a Vulture FundNew York Times 05/15/2012
De Anza College in Cupertino, California where a Apple co-founder got his start and the implications of tax avoidance strategies
04/28/2012
A U.S. Senate Report in May 2013 points to tax avoidance strategies by Apple, and Apple CEO Tim Cook appears before a Senate hearing. EU leaders meet in Brussels to address the problems of tax avoidance by digital companies which aggravate the budget deficits of EU countries, especially at a time of cutbacks in infrastructure spending and education that supports the digital companies access to to human resources. De Anza College in Cupertino is where on of the Apple cofounders went to school. The head of the college describes the effects of cutbacks in funding on the college. On the other side of the Atlantic Fredrik Reinfeldt, Sweden's prime minister makes a similiar case saying the digital companies need access to infrastructure and educational centres which makes the payment of taxes used to fund this necessary for the whole system not to fall into dysfunction.
Linked Articles
Apple's Tax Strategy Aims at Low-Tax States and Nations
New York Times 04/28/2012
Europe Tackles Tax EvasionWall Street Journal 05/22/2013
Greece and living up to euro currency responsibilities- efforts under Papadopoulos 2002, Giannitsis 2001, Manos 1998 and Tsipras's commitment in 2015 15
01/28/2013
Can Greece live up to its euro currency responsibilities, is the question raised inside the eurozone, as Greece renews its commitment to reforms to build a modern economy. A look back at politicians who emphasized euro currency responsibilities and the candid remarks by Tsipras in an intervew with Bret Stephens of the WSJ.
Linked Articles
The Politicians Who Warned Greece—but Were Ignored
Wall Street Journal 07/11/2015
Stephens: The Conscience of a RadicalWall Street Journal 01/28/2013
China's plan to tap shale gas resources to 2020
01/16/2013
Linked Articles
China's Bid for Shale-Gas Riches in Doubt
Wall Street Journal 01/24/2013
Shell CEO Scripts a Leading Role for GasWall Street Journal 01/16/2013
New leadership and old faces, Jiang Zemin, Xi Jinping, and the uncertain outlook for change in China
11/15/2012
Jiang Zemin, 86 years and former president, who set China on the three decade push for modernization, put his imprint on the seven member Politburo Standing Committee that runs China. Jinping and five other members of the Politburo are close allies of Jiang Zemin. Zemin was Mayor of Shanghai, China's business capital during the Koumintang pre war regime and now in the post war period. He made some of the reforms that led to China's entry into the World Trade Organization and its subsequent rise as a major trading nation. His support for Jinping gives the new president room for making political and economic changes that are needed in this period. The older members of the Politburo, most in the mid-60's, placed on the Politburo by Zemin are likely to be cautious and the outlook for change is uncertain.
Linked Articles
Xi Jinping Offers Few Hints of a Shift in Direction in China
New York Times 11/15/2012
Ex-Leader Wins in Beijing Power PlayWall Street Journal 11/16/2012
Pete Domenici's call for tackling the "fiscal cliff" and the CEO statement of October 2012
10/25/2012
Two initiatives, Strengthening America led by Pete Domenici of the Domenici-Rivlin commisson, and Fix the Debt which organized the CEO's statement of Oct. 2012, support a bipartisan movement that would address the tough challenges of deficit reduction without simply kicking the can down the road. Both initiatives look to the Simpson-Bowles commission recommendations as the basis of tackling the problem.
Linked Articles
Pete Domenici and Sam Nunn: Building a better ‘fiscal cliff’ - The Washington Post
Washington Post 10/27/2012
CEOs Call for Deficit ActionWall Street Journal 10/25/2012
Planned urbanization for 2020 as a growth engine in China as existing income concentration makes a surge in consumer spending unlikely
10/03/2012
Linked Articles
China Unveils Urbanization Plan
Wall Street Journal 03/16/2014
Rebalancing a Divided ChinaWall Street Journal 10/03/2012
Indian prime minister Singh's economic plan in the face of slowing growth in 2012
09/21/2012
In a televised address Singh says the market opening measures for the retail and other sectors are needed to maintain growth and foreign investment. Finance minister Chidambaram tells the WSJ in an Oct 2012 interview- the risks were too great with India facing a lowering of its credit rating, and the government having reflected on the serious consequences of not acting spelled out in the worst case scenario of the Kelkar committee report. The Indian government actions include lowering diesel subsidies and action to control the deficit, with a plan to bring it down to 3% by 2017.
Linked Articles
Q&A With Finance Minister Chidambaram
Wall Street Journal 10/08/2012
Singh Appeals to India to Support His MeasuresNew York Times 09/21/2012
Drop in incomes in the U.S., especially older Americans in 2012-2013
08/23/2012
Linked Articles
Big Income Losses for Those Nearing Retirement
New York Times 08/23/2012
Big Income Losses for Those Nearing RetirementNew York Times 08/23/2012
Business Schools and women
08/01/2012
Linked Articles
Why an All-Female School May Be Best Training Ground
Wall Street Journal 08/01/2012
More B-Schools Choose Women as DeansWall Street Journal 08/01/2012
Accelerated development of nuclear energy in India and China in 2013-2020
06/06/2012
Over tenfold increase in nuclear energy capacity planned in India and fivefold in China by 2020. Safety practices being put in place after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, energy shortages in India, and excessive coal generated pollution in China, give a new perception of the importance of nuclear energy in the energy mix for the two countries.
Linked Articles
India Starts Nuclear Reactor After Lengthy Delays
Wall Street Journal 10/23/2013
China Nuclear Firm Plans Up to $27 Billion IPOWall Street Journal 06/06/2012
Span's Cajas Savings bank, problems with managment and culture, lack of financial controls, and the large losses from the real estate bubble
05/24/2012
Bankia was the new name for seven troubled cajas savings banks that were merged. The failure of the government's handling of the bad real estate debt, the collapse of the IPO price for bankia's IPO, and the insovency followed by takeover of Bankia by the government, is what led to the $125 recapitalization request by Spain to the EU. The cajas in Galicia give an insight into the operation of these savings banks, in many cases run by leaders who became influential in the political system and expanded healvily int real estate during the bubble years. Management remained in place for decades with authoritarian leaders and there were no financial controls.
Linked Articles
Clash of Cultures Upends Spain's Cajas
New York Times 08/20/2012
Spain to Recapitalize Bankia in Latest BailoutWall Street Journal 05/24/2012
Reviving American Manufacturing- America and Toolbox Values
05/17/2012
Linked Articles
What Happened to the Craftsmanship Spirit? A Essay
New York Times 07/21/2012
Rich Karlgaard: The Future Is More Than FacebookWall Street Journal 05/17/2012
Middle aged Americans and the unemployment rate
05/05/2012
About 3.5 million Americans between the ages of 45-64 unemployed as of May 2012, unemployment being higher for middle aged Americans than younger people.
Linked Articles
For Middle-Aged Job Seekers, a Long Road Back
Wall Street Journal 06/23/2012
The incredible shrinking labor force - The Washington PostWashington Post 05/05/2012
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