Contributing Editors' Blog Entries

Raymond Shaw's picture

Daily UK and Europe Highlights - 24 July 2009

Folks, its Freaky Friday today. Lots of economic data coming out of the cupboard in the Eurozone, mostly PMI and Business Climate numbers. UK's preliminary GDP q/q and services index are out as well today, both quite weak; no green shots here folks. Preliminary printing of the UK GDP figures shows biggest Y/Y fall since the series began in 1955, annualised to -5.6% !


Benjamin N. Dover III's picture

Multiple Choice Trick Question of the Day: Sheila Bair A) Does or B) Doesn’t Believe 500 Banks Will Fail

B+ Fail Sheila Bair If you answered “C) Both of the above”, not only would you be correct, you'd have the logical reasoning skills required to be a decabox pundit on a respected financial news network.


Bruce Krasting's picture

Red Berries – Brown Shoots

Raspberries as an LEI? What's Lord Maynard Keynes got to do with this? Illegal workers don't count? We have how much effective unemployment?


gsb2118's picture

Don't forget data front running

Front Running


Raymond Shaw's picture

Daily UK and Europe Highlights - 23 July 2009

News highlights from UK and Europe. Data cupboard is full today with various retail sales, current account and confidence numbers coming out of the Eurozone area. British mortgage approvals and retail sales data out today as well!


Raymond Shaw's picture

Elizabeth Warren Rip Roaring on CNBC about TARP

Elizabeth Warren TARP Must watch clip. Rantings about the Fed and the credit card industry.


Raymond Shaw's picture

Daily UK and Europe Highlights - 22 July 2009

Spew of news highlights from the UK and Europe. Lots of things to catch-up on today. GDP forecasts coming out of Eastern Europe, minutes from the Bank of England. I will be covering currencies, German and UK debt market news in the future...


Anal_yst's picture

An Open Letter to Pension/Endowment Trustees & Investment Committees (PG-13 Version)

Dear Sirs/Madams: I get it, I really do: You enjoy your secure, mostly laid-back, relatively well-paying job. Insofar as you possess the capacity, experience, and inclination to comprehend the following though, please, enlighten me: Given this fact, don’t you think its in your best interest to get rid of nonsensical, self-defeating policies like the following (from CalPERS)? "Counterparty creditworthiness, for non-exchange traded Derivatives (Anal_yst: substitute any asset/asset class here), shall be at a minimum of “A3” as defined by Moody’s, “A-” by S&P and “A-“ by Fitch...?"


Bruce Krasting's picture

A Mortgage Report - What's Ginnie Mae Up To?

Ginnie Mae Ginnie Mae is growing fast. Are they going to assume the roll of the bankrupt Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Is the 'Shadow System' taking a bank holiday? Are the commercial banks really making new loans?


Raymond Shaw's picture

UK and Europe Highlights - 21 July 2009

UK and Europe Highlights - 21 July 2009.


nickbarbon's picture

Bair 6:1

The FDIC has been making noises for a couple of months about a dry-run of the PPPIP for Legacy Loans, where Uncle Sam will provide half the equity and and up to 6 turns of seller-financed leverage for Public Private Investment Funds to buy whole loans off failed institutions. Well, the first run is here. Peek under the hood...


Anal_yst's picture

An Open Letter to Pension, Endowment, and Other Institutional Trustees and Investment Committees

Dear Pension/Endowment/etc Trustees and Investment Committees: I understand you enjoy your secure, relatively well-paid job, and your forgivable desire to maintain this status-quo for as long as possible. So long as you like your job and want to keep it, don’t you think its in your best interest to get rid of nonsensical, self-defeating policies like the following (from CalPERS)?


nickbarbon's picture

Just a Flesh Wound

Advanta Corp., embattled small-business lender and sponsor of the renowned World TeamTennis league (wtt.com), has been winding down its credit card business over the past few weeks, another victim of the failed wholesale funding model. Today the company announced a dramatic increase in charge-offs on it's credit card lending book. The numbers are shockingly bad.


Raymond Shaw's picture

CNBC Horse Manure - The Case for Incentive-Based Pay

A comical piece was aired on CNBC this morning, which was similar in composition to horse manure. Take a look at this video right here. Does this guy have any idea what he is talking about?


Raymond Shaw's picture

Hypo Real Estate Keeps Asking For More

Hypo Real Estate Real estate It seems Hypo is back asking for more money according to the chairman of the oversight board, Michael Endres, in his interview with Welt am Sonntag. Ed Harrison at Credit Writedowns wrote a smashing post on this venerial disease known as Hypo Real Estate (HRE). It extends on latest analysis done by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, which is highlighting tell-tale signs of serious problems in the Spanish real estate market.


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