New York Times (February 18)
“The eurozone ministers may find it difficult to make concessions to a nation they perceive as profligate and ungrateful. Nevertheless, they must still “come to grips with the fact that cutting Greece some slack now is the only good choice they have.”
Tags: Concessions, eurozone, Greece, Ministers, Profligate, Ungrateful
Institutional Investor (February Issue)
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is shaking up India with his pragmatic, pro-growth government, but it will take time to fulfill the sky-high expectations he’s raised.”
Tags: Expectations, Government, India, Modi, Pragmatic, Pro-growth
Financial Times (February 16)
“The good news is the Japanese recession is over. But that’s where the good news ends…. It’s difficult to argue there’s anything like a robust recovery in these figures.”
The Economist (February 14)
Vladimir Putin “has sown discord” among his adversaries: “among Europeans, and between them and America.” Putin’s “overarching aim is to divide and neuter that alliance, fracture its collective approach to security, and resist and roll back its advances.”
Euromoney (February Issue)
“The biggest macro risk this year we see coming is from rising disinflationary pressure, especially in Europe where the Japanification of Europe will become a market discussion point again.”
Wall Street Journal (February 13)
“In 2013, the consumer item with the fastest sales growth was private jets. Last year: used cars and trucks.” As steady growth continues, the U.S. recovery “is now beginning to benefit the average consumer more than the few at the top of the income curve.”
Tags: Consumer, Income, Private jets, Recovery, Sales growth, Trucks, U.S., Used cars
New York Times (February 11)
“It is inevitable that India will eventually grow faster than China for the simple mathematical reason that it is easier to make a small economy bigger than it is to increase the size of a larger one.” On top of that, “China’s population is aging and its labor force is shrinking whereas about half of Indians are 25 or younger and its work force will be expanding for many years to come.”
Tags: Aging, China, Economy, Expanding, India, Labor force, Population, Shrinking
USA Today (February 9)
“The Internet has produced some of history’s most innovative, agile and disruptive companies…. But the Internet has long been in danger of being co-opted by its least competitive and innovative part: its service providers.” Verizon, Comcast and other ISPs have been trying to “get a cut of the action” by forcing content providers to pay for access. “It’s great news that the Federal Communications Commission, after years of delay, is set to stop this from happening” with the adoption of net neutrality rules.
Tags: Agile, Competitive, Danger, Disruptive, FCC, Innovative, Internet, ISPs, Net neutrality
Financial Times (February 9)
“Markets predict that the Fed will raise rates only to 1.6 per cent by the end of 2017; the Federal Open Market Committee’s average forecast is 3.5 per cent. Such a divergence raises the risk of volatility and poses a communications challenge for the Fed.”
Tags: Fed, Forecast, Markets, Risk, Volatility
Washington Post (February 8)
“The central budget issue of our time” is quite simple, but overlooked. “Spending on the elderly and health care is slowly overwhelming the rest of the federal government. Spending on other vital activities (from defense to financial regulation) is being sacrificed to cover the growing costs of a graying nation.”
