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The drop in commodity prices with slowing growth in China balanced by higher absolute levels of demand 2014-2015
06/11/2012
Linked Articles
China Slowdown Is Rocking Raw Materials
Wall Street Journal 03/12/2014
Commodity prices drop on economic woes in Europe, China, U.S. - The Washington PostWashington Post 06/11/2012
Germany's distorted national priorities- underinvestment in childcare centers and in wages for childcare and early education teachers
06/06/2012
Melissa Eddy of the NYT provides these two exceptional accounts of Germany's national priorities gone awry as the economic revival takes place in manufacturing, but leaves behind important areas such as early childhood education and child care centers. A lack of investment in the people who form the backbone of the educational system, is one of the forms of the distorted priorities. It may be recorded as the singular lapse of the Merkel administration in the last decade.
Linked Articles
German Child Care Workers’ Strike Brings Debate on Priorities
New York Times 06/05/2015
Germany Considers Subsidies for Non-State Child CareNew York Times 06/06/2012
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
Hype, deep pocketed investors and soaring valuations in Silicon Valley- 2012-2015
05/17/2012
The makings of a new bubble in Silicon Valley.
Linked Articles
The $1 Billion Club Gets Crowded
Wall Street Journal 05/17/2012
Search for the 'Next Big Thing' leads to Soaring ValuationsNew York Times 01/21/2014
A consensus in Germany and France for improving France's competitiveness
05/01/2012
A consensus between Germany and France for slightly higher inflation in Germany, increase in German worker's wages, and wage restraint by unions in France in return for avoiding layoffs. This is a way to restore competitiveness of France after the balance was upset when German workers exercized wage restraint during the last decade, leading to France becoming less competitive with higher wages relative to Germany. Hourly wages in France estimated at 34 euros are 14% higher than in Germany.
Linked Articles
Europe Moving Toward Small Steps to Promote Growth
New York Times 05/10/2012
France Moves to Make Labor More FlexibleWall Street Journal 05/01/2012
The IMF's signal of caution for austerity measures in Spain in April 2012, saying a gradual approach to deficits is best considering the risks
04/18/2012
The IMF's words of caution also apply to austerity measures being undertaken in Great Britain.
Linked Articles
IMF Says Recovery Remains Fragile
Wall Street Journal 04/18/2012
Spain Dips Back Into Recession, Banker CautionsWall Street Journal 04/18/2012
Wide divergence in P/E ratios of France and Germany compared to the U.S. in March 2012
04/06/2012
The 10 year P/E ratios of France and Germany at 12 compared to the U.S.'s at 22 show a wide divergence in the P/E ratios. Analysts say this shows the U.S. equity market is overextended. One estimate shows a price valuation divergence of 10%, more than what is justified by "safety" and other concerns.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 04/07/2012
Job Growth Loses SteamWall Street Journal 04/06/2012
Krugman and Feldstein provide different views on the Fiscal Compact agreement for the Eurozone
04/05/2012
Krugman calls the austerity measures in the Fiscal Compact a form of suicide at a time of high unemployment in coutnries like Spain. Feldstein says the Fiscal Compact does not provide strict spending limits to fix Eurozone finances, with language that allows for exceptions.
Linked Articles
New York Times 04/15/2012
Europe Needs the Bond VigilantesWall Street Journal 04/05/2012
U.S. Federal Reserve policies leading to boom and bust periods for the U.S. economy and the S&P near 1500 in March 2012
03/29/2012
During a 6 month period between October 2011 and March 2012 the S&P 500 moves from a low of 1037 on October 27, 2011, to 1420 in March 2012. This followed another round of quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve following an earlier round in 2010.
Linked Articles
S.&P. 500 Dips After Fed Signals No New Stimulus
New York Times 04/04/2012
The Dangers of an Interventionist FedWall Street Journal 03/29/2012
The U.S. Federal Reserve's March 2012 U.S. bank stress tests and the questions about overoptimistic assumptions
03/14/2012
Experts question the the overoptimistic assumptions for losses on home equity lines of credit, second lien mortgages and legal settlements. The capital ratios for the banks shown under the stress tests of 3-4% indicate high levels of leveraging, one of the principal causes for the banking crisis of 2008-2009.
Linked Articles
Stressing the Bank 'Stress Tests'
Wall Street Journal 03/14/2012
Questions as Banks Increase DividendsNew York Times 03/14/2012
Malaysia and increased foreign investment after the floods in Thailand disrupts supply chains
03/14/2012
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 07/18/2012
China's Wage Hikes Ripple Across AsiaWall Street Journal 03/14/2012
The Apple iPad's pricing strategy and the phenomenal sales achieved in 2011-2012
03/06/2012
Sales volumes high enough to make tablets surpass PC's by 2015, according to some estimates.
Linked Articles
Apple’s iPad price hits a sweet spot between popularity and profits - The Washington Post
Washington Post 03/06/2012
Apple Updates iPad With Some RefinementsNew York Times 03/07/2012
The risks facing Spain in 2012 with austerity measures when unemployment is at 23%
03/06/2012
Finance Minister Luis de Guindos sees Spain loosing either way with spending cuts that worsen high unemployment and lower economic growth leading to a worsening debt to GDP ratio in 2012, and this situation in turn raising its borrowing costs on $86 billion in debt issuance for 2012. He estimates the debt to GDP ratio will increase under the 2012 budget of 27 billion euros in cuts and an economy shrinking by 1.7% in 2012, by 10% from 2011 to 78%. Markets are focussing on debt in Portugal and Spain in 2012, after focussing on Greece and Italy in 2011.
Linked Articles
Spain Faces Risks in Budget Refit
Wall Street Journal 04/03/2012
Spain Struggles to Unite Regional Leaders on CutsNew York Times 03/06/2012
Boeing and lessons learned from the $50 billion Dreamliner project- (1) a shift to incremental improvement for the path ahead
06/08/2012
No more moonshot projects, say CEO McInerney, and Ray Conner, head of the airplanes division. The cost of the Dreamliner exceeds $50 billion by 2015, according to Barclays Capital, including R&D and related costs. The focus is now on incremental change, on striving for simplicity, reducing complexity, and increasing reliability, after the experience of over 3 years of repeated delays, cost overruns, and reliability failures, high complexity, and overloaded manufacturing processes on the Dreamliner project.
Linked Articles
At Boeing, Innovation Means Small Steps, Not Giant Leaps
Wall Street Journal 04/03/2015
Boeing Hits a MilestoneWall Street Journal 06/08/2012
The U.S. May 2012 jobs numbers of 69,000 jobs added and oil prices- reading the numbers correctly
06/04/2012
The mild winter pulled jobs into the Dec-Feb. 2012 period from the March-May 2012 period, overstaing one and understating the other say experts. The drop in U.S. oil prices to $83 on June 1, 2012 should boost disposable income and personal spending acting as an offset to sluggish growth.
Linked Articles
Wonkbook: Don’t read too much into the May jobs numbers - The Washington Post
Washington Post 06/04/2012
Technically Speaking, Crude-Oil Prices in TroubleWall Street Journal 06/04/2012
Hong Kong's new chief executive Leung Chun-Ying and the mood in Hong Kong
05/25/2012
Linked Articles
Hong Kong's New Leader Is Sworn In
Wall Street Journal 07/01/2012
Hong Kong's New Leader Seeks GrowthWall Street Journal 05/25/2012
Iran's young people under 35 who make up about 70% of the population of 74 million, and the future of Iran in 2015
05/07/2012
Linked Articles
Iran’s Legions of Weary Young People Push Against the Old Ways
Wall Street Journal 07/08/2015
Young Iranians Confront a Constricted FutureNew York Times 05/07/2012
The sharp rebound at Toyota with planned sales of 9.76 million for fiscal 2012
04/22/2012
Japanese carmakers have rapidly recovered from the earhtquake and tsunami in Japan and floods in Thailand that disrupted supply chains. Toyota has also recovered from the damage to its image after recalls in the U.S. market with U.S. market share at over 15% by the second quarter of 2012.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 08/04/2012
Japan Auto Makers on a RollWall Street Journal 04/22/2012
India's surging crude oil imports with a depreciating rupee reducing the impact of cuts in fuel subsidies- 2011-2015
04/11/2012
Cuts in fuel subsidies to reduce the current account deficit has less impact with a depreciating rupee. The emerging markets crisis in 2014 focusses attention on the current account deficits of emerging market countries. A decline in foreign investment adds to India's difficulties.
Linked Articles
India Grapples With Soaring Energy Costs
Wall Street Journal 04/11/2012
Rupee Throws Oil on India's Subsidy ProblemWall Street Journal 08/21/2013
The U.S. Labor Department jobs and unemployment report for March 2012 and U.S. Federal Reserve policy
04/05/2012
Linked Articles
An Easier Jobs Report for the Fed
Wall Street Journal 04/07/2012
Not Enough InflationNew York Times 04/05/2012
Research In Motion's Blackberry 10 and the effort to put together a patchwork of technologies
03/30/2012
Research in Motion failed to come up with a smartphone in time to match the iPhone and Android based smartphones. The Blackberry 10 was put together in crisis mode by June 2012. This is a classic example of the chaos created for established players by new entrants and new technologies.
Linked Articles
RIM's New BlackBerry 10: The Patchwork Smartphone
Wall Street Journal 06/07/2012
BlackBerry Maker in TurmoilWall Street Journal 03/30/2012
The March 2012 U.S. Federal Reserve U.S. bank stress tests and the continuing problem of highly leveraged banks
03/14/2012
Linked Articles
Stressing the Bank 'Stress Tests'
Wall Street Journal 03/14/2012
Stress Tests Buoy U.S. BanksWall Street Journal 03/14/2012
Wage hikes and excess demand for labor in China in 2012-2013 reduce the need for Stimulus
03/14/2012
The need for stimulus to keep jobs for migrant workers and maintain social stability does not exist in 2012 the way it appeared in 2008, when about 20% of migrant workers lost their jobs and wages for migrant workers fell by 10%, according to estimates by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Stanford University. In 2012 there is excess demand for labor and reports show the efforts to reduce the 60 hour work week in some factories is running into problems with a shortage of labor. This means less need for stimulus that would aggravate problems in the housing bubble and inflation.
Linked Articles
China's Workers in No Need of Stimulation
Wall Street Journal 06/04/2012
China's Wage Hikes Ripple Across AsiaWall Street Journal 03/14/2012
Greece's long delayed bond swap with European banks of March 9, 2012
03/09/2012
The bond swap of new bonds with long maturities reflecting a writedown of 53.5% for the old bonds with short maturities was finally achieved on March 9, 2012. By this time Greece's economy was shrinking badly and the new bonds were trading at levels that reflected the need for further writedowns only days after the deal. Prof. Cochrane at the University of Chicago and Prof. John Taylor at Stanford say French and German banks exaggerated the effects of contagion from the beginning to delay writedowns for as long as possible. The effects on the eurozone of the delays in tackling the problem early and decisively are negative or slowing growth and is likely to hurt the banks operating in that environment, raising questions about the wisdom of that strategy.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 03/09/2012
Greece Passes Key Debt TestWall Street Journal 03/09/2012
Apple and poor working conditions at factories of suppliers including Foxconn in China
03/06/2012
Linked Articles
Labor audits find poor working conditions at Apple factories - The Washington Post
Washington Post 03/30/2012
Dividends Emerge in Pressing Apple Over Working Conditions in ChinaNew York Times 03/06/2012
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