Feb 2, 2012
Which political party will do a better job at preserving the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar?
A common tenet among Treasury secretaries, irrespective of their political affiliation, has been a claim that the U.S. pursues a strong dollar policy. To find out, let s look...
Jan 18, 2012
With the Year of the Dragon around the corner, will the renminbi be unshackled? Will there be a surge in domestic consumption, or will a housing bust weigh on the economy, dragging down global economic growth?
To understand how dynamics may play out in China, try to put...
Jan 13, 2012
ECB President Mario Draghi continued to impress with his very direct style during the European Central Bank s (ECB) first press conference of the year.
While not lowering interest rates or announcing further easing measures, he made it clear that the ECB is ready to act ...
Jan 6, 2012
Swiss National Bank (SNB) President Philipp Hildebrand finds himself in the hot seat.
SNB rules prohibit his family from trading based on non-public monetary and foreign exchange intentions of the SNB. His wife netted a 60,000 Swiss franc profit buying, then selling U.S....
Nov 30, 2011
Can the euro be saved? Is it possible to stem the flight of money from the periphery into the core? With a botched German auction in mind, investors are now wondering whether it s possible to prevent a flight out of all things euro ?
We examine the dual challenges of...
Nov 22, 2011
The worst-case scenario for Greece, should it be unable to secure further bailouts, might be that it would have to live within its means.
Presently, spending only the money coming in is considered unbearably brutal. If Greece could only leave the euro, it could install...
Nov 2, 2011
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou is throwing in the towel: by calling for a popular vote on austerity measures now, we believe he is almost assured a no vote.
This allows Papandreou to say that he tried everything he could to avoid a default, but the people have...
Oct 28, 2011
The markets appear euphoric about the ability for European policy makers to deliver on new promises. Low market expectations were met.
We, too, have a positive takeaway, but only because of one detail of the grand plan; actually, let s call it a grand sketch, as many...