Trade is one of the aspects that Abenomics designated as critical. So the Bank of Japan has embarked on a radical money-printing program to devalue the yen and make exports more competitive. It would also render imports so expensive that buyers would cut back. The resulting trade surplus would save Japan. In theory. In reality, the opposite is happening.
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Colorado’s Fracking Industry At Threat From The Floods?
by Oilprice.com • • Comments Off on Colorado’s Fracking Industry At Threat From The Floods?
Colorado, one of the most densely fracked areas in the US, is experiencing some of the worst flooding it has ever seen, and people are beginning to worry about the stability of those fracking sites and wells, many of which have been completely covered by the floodwater and are leaking (with video of leaking wells).
Just Replace The Whole Kit And Caboodle With Asset Bubbles
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Just Replace The Whole Kit And Caboodle With Asset Bubbles
Fed digs in its heels, refuses to taper, though it could still start later this year, soon-to-be-ex Chairman Bernanke said. It would continue doing exactly what hasn’t worked for five years, in the hope that even more of the same might finally do the trick, rather than admitting, tail between its legs, that all QE has done is create asset bubbles.
The Other Reason Why IBM Throws A Billion At Linux (With NSA- Designed Backdoor)
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on The Other Reason Why IBM Throws A Billion At Linux (With NSA- Designed Backdoor)
IBM announced today that it would throw another billion at Linux, the open-source operating system, to run its Power System servers. It may be making hay of the revelations that the NSA has roped in American tech companies to perfect a seamless spy network. Linux, being free of NSA influence, would be a huge competitive advantage for IBM. Or so it would seem.
How the Arab Spring Shakes Up The Oil Markets
by Contributor • • Comments Off on How the Arab Spring Shakes Up The Oil Markets
Revenge of the Japanese Zombie Banks
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Revenge of the Japanese Zombie Banks
Japanese banks, which should know a thing or two about banking crises, have once again clawed their way to the top of the heap of overseas lenders. And with their knack for impeccable timing, they’ve once again become the largest force in emerging market economies – just as financial turmoil there is coming to a boil.
US Stocks Blind To Crashing Earnings Estimates (For Now)
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on US Stocks Blind To Crashing Earnings Estimates (For Now)
Corporate revenues have been crummy all year, and earnings estimates for Q3 have come crashing down. A year ago, they were still expected to grow 15.9%, a sign of blind optimism. By Friday, they’d plunged to 4.7%. During that time, the S&P 500 soared 16.8% and the NASDAQ 19.6%. The Fed’s greatest accomplishment. But there is a corollary.
David Stockman – Bernanke’s (Untough) Love Child: The $27 Billion Affair At The Hilton
by David Stockman • • Comments Off on David Stockman – Bernanke’s (Untough) Love Child: The $27 Billion Affair At The Hilton
The idea that LBOs carry massive debt that is never paid down, leaving behind “financial zombies on the ragged edge of insolvency,” defies historical principles of LBOs, writes David Stockman. Blackstone’s LBO of Hilton Hotels is one of these “free market defying zombies” – “one global business slump away from bankruptcy.” And it just filed for an IPO.
“A difficult second half”: Fabulous Excuses By Clothing Retailers As Sales Fall Apart
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on “A difficult second half”: Fabulous Excuses By Clothing Retailers As Sales Fall Apart
Men’s Warehouse joined the crowd of revenue-challenged retailers when it reported results and cut guidance. Revenue fell, profit plunged. As with its peers that had already reported, it’s not so much that sales were crummy – gosh, they were – but that the excuses they came up with to keep their stocks from crashing were even crummier.
BofA-Merrill: “When Excess Liquidity Is Removed, It Will Get ‘CRASHy’”
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on BofA-Merrill: “When Excess Liquidity Is Removed, It Will Get ‘CRASHy’”
With Q3 GDP growth tracking 1.6%, Wall Street strategists, whose bullishness has been deafening despite realities on the ground, are starting to hedge their bets with some unusually candid analyses. Seeing overvalued assets everywhere, they’re struggling to point at solutions, other than a crash. And they predict a sour future for stocks and bonds.