Quantcast

Posts related to ‘Politics’

European Unemployment Officially Worst in a Dozen Years

Posted: May 2, 2012 at 7:23 am

There are two data sets out today that, taken separately or together, paint a dark picture of Europe’s economy. The first is the unemployment report from Eurostat, the Eurozone’s official ...
Read Full Story »

Fate Of Post Office Debated

Posted: April 27, 2012 at 6:10 am

The debate over the fate of the Postal System continues. The Senate passed legislation which would fund the agency so that it will not have to make substantial personnel, office ...
Read Full Story »

S&P Downgrades Spain, Warns Of More Cuts (STD, BBVA)

Posted: April 26, 2012 at 5:24 pm

Standard & Poor's has just lowered the sovereign credit rating of Spain.  We have warned that the downgrades were not over for Spain nor for the other PIIGS nations.  We would ...
Read Full Story »

Bernanke Afterthought: The Looming Fiscal Cliff (Tax & Spending) Poses Great Recovery Risks

Posted: April 26, 2012 at 6:34 am

FOMC meetings and the press conferences which follow each quarter now can show some important insight into what the real underlying risks and issues are to the economic recovery.  It ...
Read Full Story »

Social Security, Medicare Still Going Broke

Posted: April 23, 2012 at 3:23 pm

The annual report of the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds has been released, and no matter what one believes about how the US should provide a ...
Read Full Story »

State Tax Revenue Surges

Posted: April 20, 2012 at 6:36 am

State tax revenue rose in 2011. It may not be enough to save the jobs of many public sector workers as states and local government continue to austerity drives meant ...
Read Full Story »

It’s Over For France’s Nicolas Sarkozy

Posted: April 20, 2012 at 6:23 am

Polls in France show that current president Nicolas Sarkozy will serve only one term. He is about to be defeated by Socialist Francois Hollande. Hollande has said he will increase ...
Read Full Story »

Geithner Touts US Role in European Debt Crisis Solution

Posted: April 18, 2012 at 11:28 am

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in a speech today encouraged European governments to support the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) efforts to double its cash on hand and build an even ...
Read Full Story »

Argentina’s Nationalization of YPF Kills Deal with China (REPYY, SNP)

Posted: April 18, 2012 at 6:50 am

The coming nationalization of the YPF portion of Repsol YPF SA (OTC: REPYY.PK) by the Argentine government has killed a deal that the Spanish company had been reportedly negotiating with ...
Read Full Story »

President Obama to Propose Limits on Oil Speculation

Posted: April 17, 2012 at 9:24 am

President Obama is expected today to call for Congressional action to add teeth to the regulations governing oil market trading. The President’s main proposal is likely to propose that regulators ...
Read Full Story »

Argentina on Path to Nationalize Oil (REPYY)

Posted: April 17, 2012 at 7:13 am

Argentina’s President Cristina Kirchner has proposed the nationalization of the country’s oil resources in a move that will cost Spain’s Respol YPF SA (OTC: REPYY) most of it’s 57% stake ...
Read Full Story »

Spanish Borrowing Hits Record High

Posted: April 13, 2012 at 9:05 am

Spain’s central bank, the Bank of Spain, reported today that the country’s banks borrowed a net average of €227.6 billion ($300 billion) from the European Central Bank (ECB) in March. ...
Read Full Story »

Ally Financial Still Plans IPO

Posted: April 12, 2012 at 10:08 am

Ally Financial Inc. is still planning to conduct its initial public offering.  A fresh amended filing from this morning shows that Ally plans to sell up to $100 million in ...
Read Full Story »

NY Fed President Says Recovery Not Yet Strong Enough

Posted: April 12, 2012 at 7:50 am

In a speech this morning in Syracuse, New York Federal Reserve President William Dudley told an audience of local business leaders that while the US economy is doing better, “real ...
Read Full Story »

Record Government Deficits Continue In U.S.

Posted: April 11, 2012 at 4:15 pm

The U.S. federal government budget deficit was roughly $198.16 billion in March.  The Treasury's report showed it to be the second highest deficit so far this fiscal year behind the ...
Read Full Story »