Observing today’s global economy is like watching Adam Sandler’s best movie. It’s horrible, but it could be worse. Consider what passes for improvement today: Europe is no longer in a…
Two Banks With a Country Attached
Cyprus? Really? The population of Cyprus is just north of 1 million people. In comparison, the Boston area has a population of 4.6 million. Greece has a population of about…
Europe – The Weakest Link
With the election, sequestration showdown and other pressing domestic news, we’ve hardly had time to think about Europe. Yet the continent is as troubled as ever and is crying out…
Ignoring the Cliff
The fiscal cliff beckons and, as previously predicted, a resolution is unlikely. So let’s ignore the cliff this week and consider what’s happening elsewhere. Viva Europe! Last week was a good…
The Good News: No More Election Ads
In the wake of Tuesday’s re-election of President Obama, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 434 points in two days, a drop of 3.3%. That’s better than when he was…
The Other QE
It’s not QE3, the Fed’s highly anticipated and much discussed quantitative easing program, but the European Central Bank’s (ECB) bond buying program is having a similar impact. Stock markets worldwide…
French Tax Policy: One For You, Three For Me
French President Francois Hollande’s proposal to take three quarters of the money earned by France’s wealthiest earners is bound to create an economic boost – for Belgium, Germany and other…
A Step in the Right Direction?
An unemployment rate above 8% is no longer news – it’s been above 8% for 41 months, which is the longest streak since the Great Depression. However, during the Clinton…
Finally – U.S. Drags Down European Market … Japan Falls, Too
We’ve been writing about Europe dragging down the U.S. stock market for more than a year now. We, of course, take no satisfaction in it, but it’s kind of a…