If the European Central Bank (ECB) is to be believed, the biggest threat from the Middle East is not Iran getting nukes, it’s Saudi oil. What’s the big deal? Saudis…
Alexis the Not-So-Great
A lot can happen in 2,500 years. Back in its day, Greece ruled the world – albeit, it was a much smaller world. But that was a long, long time…
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 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…
Dancing With A Cow
While Europe’s sovereign debt crisis has beaten down the U.S. stock market, it has helped the bond market. Because the European bond market is in such poor shape, U.S. bonds…
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…
Bad News Boosts the Market
In the strange world of investment management, bad news is often good news. That was the case last week, as the S&P 500 gained a hefty 3.7%, more than reversing…