Archive for the 'Economy' Category
Quality Fade: The Production Cycle in China is the Opposite of the Theoretical Model of Continuous Improvement
May 17th, 2009Via: Economist: Most of Mr Midler’s work is coping with what he calls “quality fade” as the Chinese factories transform what were, in fact, profitless contracts into lucrative relationships. The production cycle he sees is the opposite of the theoretical model of continuous improvement. After resolving teething problems and making products that match specifications, innovation […]
Authorities Probe Insider Trading at SEC
May 15th, 2009Standard operating procedure… The insider trading part, that is. Via: Reuters: Two U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission employees are under investigation by federal criminal authorities for allegedly using insider information to trade stocks, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday. A report by the SEC’s internal watchdog alleges that the two SEC lawyers […]
U.S. Core Inflation Rose More Than Expected in April
May 15th, 2009*tick tock tick tock* Via: Reuters: New York gold futures turned higher on Friday after data showed that U.S. core inflation rose more than expected in April, bolstering the status of gold as a hedge against inflation. However, when food and energy are included, U.S. consumer prices were unchanged in April from March.
Euro-Zone Economy Posts Sharpest-Ever Fall
May 15th, 2009WARNING: This is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any financial instrument. I’m sticking to my assessment that it’s going to take some kind of wildcard event to move the show on to the next act. Something big. I don’t know what, but it will probably involve a reduction in the number of […]
China’s Yuan ‘Set to Usurp U.S. Dollar’ as World’s Reserve Currency
May 15th, 2009Via: Telegraph: The Chinese yuan is preparing to overtake the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency, economist Nouriel Roubini has warned. Professor Roubini, of New York University’s Stern business school, believes that while such a major change is some way off, the Chinese government is laying the ground for the yuan’s ascendance. Known as […]
Geithner at Bilderberg
May 15th, 2009Via: Prison Planet: Intrepid Bilderberg investigator and reporter Jim Tucker of the American Free Press confirms that U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will attend this year’s Bilderberg meeting in Athens, Greece. Geithner’s presence will be in violation of the Logan Act, intended to prohibit American citizens without authority from interfering in relations between the United […]
UK Repossessions Up 50% in a Year
May 15th, 2009Via: BBC: The number of homes repossessed in the UK rose to 12,800 in the first three months of the year, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has said. This was up 23% from the 10,400 in the previous three months and 50% up on the 8,500 in the same period last year.
U.S. ‘Sham’ Bank Bail-Outs Enrich Speculators, Says Buy-Out Chief Mark Patterson
May 14th, 2009Via: Telegraph: The US Treasury’s effort to stabilise the banking system through the TARP programme is a hopelessly ill-conceived policy that enriches speculators at public expense, according to the buy-out firm supposed to be pioneering the joint public-private bank rescues. “The taxpayers ought to know that we are in effect receiving a subsidy. They put […]
Cargo Ships Treading Water Off Singapore, Waiting for Work
May 14th, 2009Via: New York Times: To go out in a small boat along Singapore’s coast now is to feel like a mouse tiptoeing through an endless herd of slumbering elephants. One of the largest fleets of ships ever gathered idles here just outside one of the world’s busiest ports, marooned by the receding tide of global […]
Sony Suffers First Annual Loss in 14 Years
May 14th, 2009Via: New York Times: Sony reported its first annual loss in 14 years on Thursday and forecast another grim year ahead, as the prolonged economic slump and a strong Japanese yen dashed hopes for a quick recovery at the electronics giant. Facing more losses ahead, Sony said it would close three factories in Japan, part […]
