All

Why Japan’s Trade Fiasco Worries Me So Much

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Why Japan’s Trade Fiasco Worries Me So Much

According to Japan’s state religion of Abenomics, devaluing the yen would boost exports and cut imports. The resulting trade surplus would jumpstart the economy and induce Japan Inc. to invest at home. It would save Japan. But the opposite is happening.

Black Money In France “At The Center Of Life For Politicians”

by Contributor •  • Comments Off on Black Money In France “At The Center Of Life For Politicians”

Someone in the French government deleted 3,300 French names from a purloined list of accounts at HSBC Switzerland. Their revelation would have left the despised French “political class” red-faced and in deep trouble.

From “Glut” To Panic: Natural Gas Soars

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on From “Glut” To Panic: Natural Gas Soars

On Friday, when stocks were plunging, natural gas soared nearly 10%. The highest close since June 2010. Up 20% for the week. Up 170% from April 2012. And it’s just the beginning. Because after the glut comes the panic.

Outrageously Ballooning Costs Hit Major Oil Companies

by Oilprice.com •  • Comments Off on Outrageously Ballooning Costs Hit Major Oil Companies

Shell’s earnings plunged, eaten up by huge costs, delays, and lower production. Chevron’s Gorgon LNG project is $20 billion over budget. Italy’s ENI blows $50 billion on the Kashagan oil field, five times what it expected. Now oil companies are cutting back, with consequences.

A Very Unfinished Recession, For Most Americans

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on A Very Unfinished Recession, For Most Americans

Statistically speaking, the Fed’s heroic actions conquered the Great Recession years ago.The economy has been growing at a measurable clip, statistically speaking, with the unemployment rate inching lower over the years, though again, that’s just statistically speaking. But most Americans, struggling to make ends meet in the real economy far from the hoopla, hype, and buzz of Wall Street or Silicon Valley, have a more accurate answer.

Housing Bubble 2.0 Hits Messy Resistance In California

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Housing Bubble 2.0 Hits Messy Resistance In California

The salary you must earn to be able to buy the median home in San Francisco is $125,071. That home costs $705,000 – up 24% from a year ago. San Francisco tops the list of the most unaffordable cities. Households earning the median income of $51,000, well, forget it.

Spiffy Hotel Rooms For The 85 Richest Folks Who Own As Much As Poorest Half Of Humanity

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Spiffy Hotel Rooms For The 85 Richest Folks Who Own As Much As Poorest Half Of Humanity

Now that we learned that the 85 richest folks own as much as the poorest 3.5 billion, we want to know where they’re staying when they come to town for dinner. We already know where the poorest 3.5 billion are staying: in shacks, hovels, and moldy apartment blocks.