Commodity indices have a three-digit rate of return. But the slight differences in performance are indicators of their potential volatility. Most of the time, experienced investors take back testing validations with a grain of salt. Indeed, there is always a bias due to the freedom of choice of the data used. Kolts from S&P is one…
The Fed Chairman predicts a gradual improvement in the US economy over the next two years, but warns of “considerable uncertainty” over the outlook. With a plunging stock market, rising inflation, and the U.S. financial system on edge, what other time would be the best time for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to deliver his…
Berlin will ease the immigration conditions for qualified workers, with the aim of solving the shortage of qualified workers. However, unskilled workers will face more obstacles. Germany wants more immigrants, as long as they are skilled workers. The German government is undertaking to lift certain restrictions on foreign graduates in sectors that need them. At the same time,…
As the market shakes and credits plummet, a few hedge funds are making profits by betting on a drop in the subprime index. The credit market has not been easy for people So-called small lenders are bankrupt. Shares of big lenders like New Century Financial, NovaStar Financial, and Fremont General are plummeting as their customers default…
Analysts believe that the new depreciations recorded by the broker during this second quarter could reach 6 billion dollars. They expect even more losses given its exposure to uncertain claims. Poor Merrill Lynch. Wasn’t it just three months ago that investors were buying shares of the third-largest US brokerage long before its first-quarter earnings announcement? Not this time. Since…
China and India rarely find common ground. They are the most populous countries in the world and have two of the fastest developing economies, but while one is ruled by a communist regime, the other is governed by an unruly coalition government. They do not share the same point of view concerning the USA. Bruce…
Despite the PR’s stance, corporate philanthropy is at its lowest level in 25 years. To put it more seriously, corporations should pledge to donate 1% of their pre-tax profits, tell us Leo Hirley Jr. and Curt Weeden An article by Leo Hirley Jr. and Curt Weeden translated by Nathalie B When corporations abandon their broadly…
After five years of strong growth for the fundamental markets, they have gradually deteriorated. The benefits were then reaped in emerging markets, some regions of which continue to perform better than others. As the economic boom in emerging markets continues, we believe that the decline in growth in the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada,…
I was perplexed when I took a seat in the leather driver’s seat of the new Mercedes GLK SUV for a lap of off-road driving in Germany’s Ruhr Valley. Let it be said, I don’t think Mercedes is targeting just anyone with a car starting at €53,000 that you can order in white with tinted windows…
