ThinkstockBefore getting too excited about the end of tensions, one must understand that the Russian ambitions in Crimea and the Ukraine will not likely disappear overnight. Still, world markets recovered handily on Tuesday after…
White House Photo by Pete SouzaWarren Buffet of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B) appeared to shrug off concerns over Russian military movement in Ukraine’s Crimean region Monday and offered a bullish outlook on the…
ThinkstockU.S. manufacturing expanded at a quicker pace in February, according to the closely followed Institute for Supply Management (ISM) index. The index rose to 53.2% from January’s 51.3%, which was the weakest reading since…
ThinkstockU.S. trade with Russia amounted around $33 billion in 2013, down from around $40 billion the year before. Russia had a tough year and, the Winter Olympic Games notwithstanding, 2014 is shaping up to…
ThinkstockMonday’s economic reports targeted personal income and personal spending, but we would note that the markets are currently focused on Russian military action in the Ukraine. This morning’s report also covers the month of…
ThinkstockDetroit has enough problems with its shrinking population and falling tax bases, its Chapter 9 filing, and battles with pensions and bondholders. However, its troubles increases as Fitch downgraded bonds issued by the city…
ThinkstockThe Chinese renminbi, or yuan, is still pegged to the U.S. dollar. China has been accused of being a currency manipulator in the past, even though almost every nation is a currency manipulator these…
Friday's markets had been in limbo and were looking for direction, and the Chicago PMI acted as an unusual and unexpected catalyst for the stock market. Sometimes the market manages to run on small…
ThinkstockFriday’s key economic report was the first revision to fourth-quarter gross domestic product (GDP). The Commerce Department’s numbers were expected to be revised down, and they were revised slightly more than expected. GDP for…
ThinkstockThe Commerce Department’s reading on durable goods is one of the most volatile economic reports issued each month. Then there is the notion that weather in much of the Midwest and Northeast has kept…
In each of the 50 states, income growth among the top 1% of earners rapidly outpaced that of the bottom 99%, according to a recent study. These are the 10 states where income inequality…
The Conference Board has released its Consumer Confidence Index for February, and the news is not good. After increasing to 79.4 in January, the reading fell to 78.1 in February. Bloomberg was actually looking…
ThinkstockIt has been six years since the global recession began to ravage Europe which has been the last major region to start to escape the downturn. Other than Ireland, the hardest hit nations were…
Ed Brown, via Wikimedia CommonsThe Labor Department is out with two different reports on Thursday, both of which matter in the grand scheme of things. January inflation via the Consumer Price Index took stage,…
ThinkstockWeakness in France, the second largest nation in the eurozone, put a damper on business activity in the 18-nation bloc overall, according to Markit’s Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index. The eurozone PMI fell from 52.9…