Lauren Foster share her picks for some of the most interesting — and entertaining — recent articles and blog posts, in case you missed them. Read more
2 CommentsSeptember 2012
Robert Shiller contends that the recent financial crisis was caused not by greed and dishonesty but by the structural shortcomings of financial institutions. He suggests that the financial industry can serve the common good through financial innovation that creates the kind of inclusive society in which all can benefit. Read more
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Equity investors liked what they heard from central bankers Mario Draghi and Ben Bernanke earlier this month and have pushed most global indices higher. Chinese stocks, coping with a steady flow of skepticism and negative economic news, have been a notable exception. Looking ahead, as corporate earnings come back into focus, bullish sentiment may very well fade without meaningful signs of a sustained economic recovery. Read more
1 CommentIn normal markets, investors would find the suggestion of raising interest rates in a weak economy about as daft as holding a TV antenna in a thunderstorm. Yet, after five years of “stimulative” monetary policy, this week’s survey results suggest that investors are ready for a radical departure from economics orthodoxy. Read more
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There are several short-term threats to stability in the Middle East, as well as a number of longer-term risks that could prove destabilizing to global oil markets. Read more
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Protests in the Middle East have spilled into another week. But as Harvard University international affairs professor Meghan O’Sullivan reminded attendees in an opening keynote address at the CLSA Investor Forum in Hong Kong — just a day after four US embassy personnel, including the ambassador, were killed — the unrest should not distract from more fundamental geopolitical tensions in the region that hold important long-term implications for investors. Read more
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Germany may well be experiencing a real-estate bubble — and the explanation is straightforward: the European Central Bank has lowered rates in response to the global financial crisis that began in 2008, and then dropped rates dramatically in response to the euro crisis, which didn’t gain steam until late 2009, and then pushed rates near zero in late 2011 — where they have remained. Read more
11 CommentsIn a poll conducted earlier this week in the CFA Institute Financial NewsBrief, we asked subscribers what they thought would be the most likely impact of QE3. What do you think will be the most likely impact of QE3? With … Read more
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In this comprehensive historical analysis of several decades’ worth of decisions to bail out troubled banking firms, the author suggests that the 2008–09 interventions were ill conceived and inadequately justified. He argues that misguided government policies were largely responsible for the financial crises that necessitated such bailouts. Read more
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