06-06-2014, 04:14 AM
The way we are going, the whole world will end up with zero interest rates or some variant of quantitative easing before long. Such is the overwhelming power of deflation in countries with burst credit bubbles. Such too is the implication of a global savings rate that has spiralled to an all-time high of 25pc of GDP, starving the world of demand.
The nagging fear that QE itself may be causing deflation - Telegraph
If Europe is at risk of deflation, the proper response is a monetary barrage of such force that nobody can be in any possible doubt about the outcome. As Napoleon said, if you say you are going to take Vienna, then take Vienna.
The nagging fear that QE itself may be causing deflation - Telegraph
As the housing market slowly recovers, a majority of homeowners and renters are finding it hard to meet rising rents and mortgage payments, new research finds.
Half of Americans can’t afford their house - MarketWatch
Consider any “June swoon” in the stock market to be a buying opportunity. That’s the strong implication of Sam Eisenstadt’s latest six-month forecast, which is calling for the S&P 500 to be above 2,100 at the end of November, 10% higher than where it stands today.
A stock-market prediction that’s ‘kind of scary’ - Mark Hulbert - MarketWatch
Unless you’ve experienced poverty first-hand, it’s difficult to imagine just how expensive it can be.
This family proves just how expensive it is to be poor | Daily Ticker - Yahoo Finance
Worries over a China slowdown may be overdone, but the government should be examining new ways to support the economy, David Lipton, deputy managing director at the IMF, has told CNBC
China needs to look at 'alternative' stimulus: IMF’s Lipton
A more severe crackdown on the use of commodities as collateral to finance deals in China could lead to heavy losses across the asset class, analysts warn.
Are commodities set for a sharper correction?
Draghi announced a three-step response to counter weakness in the eurozone at an ECB forum earlier this month. "The first step involves a reduction in interest rates to put downward pressure on rising money market rates, and to depress the exchange rate," Vistesen wrote ahead of the announcement. These are the cuts we just got. "The second step responds to sluggish credit growth by targeting lending to non-financial corporates through either an LTRO or private QE," writes Vistesen. "The final step sees a broad- based asset purchase program to counter a persistent lurch lower in inflation expectations."
June ECB Decision - Business Insider
Police on the Spanish island received a call from a panicked member of the public, who said that a gorilla had escaped from its pen in Loro Park zoo, and was seen running around the theme park. A vet was called, and on spotting the creature fired a tranquilliser dart at its leg with enough sedative to fell a 200kg beast. But to his horror, the vet - who had only been in the job for two months - realised that the creature was in fact an employee of the zoo, dressed in a gorilla suit, who was staging a mock escape to practise their emergency routines.
Man in gorilla suit shot with tranquilliser dart at Tenerife zoo - Telegraph
Cullen Roche passes along David Rosenberg's list of 10 possible recession indicators. Rosenberg concludes that not one of the indicators is pointing to a recession, so there's a zero percent chance of recession.
DAVID ROSENBERG: Here's Why There's Zero Percent Chance Of A Recession - Business Insider
"We paid nowhere near enough attention to him," he added. "Pirlo is not renowned for his athleticism but that day he ran 11.58km, more than any England player. "He also had more passes (131) than England's four starting midfielders."
BBC Sport - World Cup 2014: Paul Scholes says Andrea Pirlo can 'destroy'
Most cigarettes cost less than $1 (60p) a packet. They are stacked under large sun umbrellas bearing the logos of various brands, such as L.A. and Vinte e Tres. All carry health warnings but these are effectively meaningless to many smokers - about half the adult population can't read.
BBC News - The country where nearly two-thirds of men smoke
Chinese suppliers shipped 64 percent more solar panels to the United States last year than they did in 2012, according to Shyam Mehta, a lead solar analyst at GTM Research in Boston, which tracks the industry. Chinese panels accounted for 49 percent of all panels deployed in the U.S. last year, up from 40 percent in 2012. Most Chinese companies “recorded big shipment gains … and increased their market share” in 2013, he added.
Chinese Solar Companies, Unfazed By 2012 Tariffs, Could Take a Hit From Latest Penalties
Powell is the chief technology officer of Infinium, a startup spun out of Boston University that’s been operating quietly since 2008 and is now ready to go to market with its first products—the “rare earth” metals neodymium and dysprosium. These materials are needed to make powerful magnets that work at high temperatures and are important for the generators found in wind turbines and many electric car motors.
Startup Has a New Way to Make Rare Earths and Other Metals | MIT Technology Review
Just as a new generation of virtual reality goggles for video games are about to hit the market, researchers at Microsoft have come up with what could be the perfect accompaniment—a way for ordinary headphones to create a realistic illusion of sound coming from specific locations in space.
Microsoft Researchers’ “3-D Audio” System Is Like Oculus Rift for Your Ears | MIT Technology Review
Jean-Claude Juncker vehemently criticized German-imposed austerity measures during the euro crisis. By doing so, he gained support in a number of countries -- especially those which would like to see the common currency zone degraded into a debt union.
Opinion: Why Germany Should Say No To Juncker - SPIEGEL ONLINE