Wall Street Journal (October 31)
“The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined Friday, closing out its worst week and month since March in the final lap of the presidential race. Volatility reigned” as “investors have been spooked by a record high in coronavirus infections in the U.S., fresh lockdowns in Europe that threaten economic growth and a mixed bag of earnings report from big technology companies.”
Tags: Big tech, Coronavirus, Declined, Dow Jones, Earnings, Economic growth, Europe, Investors, Lockdowns, March, Presidential race, Spooked, Threaten, U.S., Volatility, Worst
Forbes (October 28)
“Amid a global slowdown in economic growth that has seen central banks lower interest rates near zero or below in an effort to provide stimulus,” a number of “major economies are on high recession alert.” These include Hong Kong, the U.K., Germany, Italy and China. “Other highly stressed economies around the world include Turkey, Argentina, Iran, Mexico and Brazil.”
Tags: Argentina, Brazil, Central banks, China, Economic growth, Germany, Global slowdown, Hong Kong, Interest rates, Iran, Italy, Mexico, Recession, Stimulus, Stressed, Turkey, U.K.
South China Morning Post (June 20)
The trade war between the U.S. and China “is pushing the world economy closer to the edge. The longer it goes on, the harder it will be to undo the damage,” which clearly already is being inflicted. “Compared to pre-2008 crisis levels, world economic growth has plummeted by half and is at risk of a long-term, hard-to-reverse stagnation. Returning to global integration and multilateral reconciliation could dramatically change the scenario.”
Tags: China, Crisis, Damage, Economic growth, Integration, Plummeted, Stagnation, Trade war, U.S., World economy
Bloomberg (June 10)
“Pity Europe’s banks. For years, they have been in retreat, losing business in their own back yards to Wall Street rivals. Now the battlefront is shifting – but what looks like an opportunity to gain ground may be just the opposite…. Shackled by sluggish economic growth at home and record-low interest rates that are crushing margins, European firms have been unable to compete with U.S. rivals in trading and capital markets. Those same dynamics look set to play out again in transaction banking,” which is set to displace fixed income as the largest revenue driver by 2020.
Tags: Banks, Battlefront, Capital markets, Economic growth, Europe, Fixed income, Interest rates, Margins, Retreat, Rivals, Trading, Transaction banking, U.S., Wall Street
Wall Street Journal (April 4)
“Japan is joining much of the world in facing weaker economic growth, but in one respect it’s unique. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seems determined to make it worse by imposing a tax increase later this year.”
Tags: Abe, Economic growth, Japan, Tax increase, Weak
New York Times (February 3)
In recent decades, per capita GDP has doubled in the U.S., but “the bulk of the bounty has flowed to the very rich. The middle class has received relative crumbs. If middle-class pay had increased as fast as the economic growth, the average middle-class family would today earn about $15,000 a year more than it does, after taxes and benefits.”
Tags: Benefits, Bounty, Economic growth, GDP, Income inequality, Middle class, Rich, Taxes, U.S.
The Economist (August 25)
“America’s bull market in equities turned 3,453 days old” on August 22. “Since hitting a low of 666 in March 2009, the S&P 500 index has increased more than fourfold, driven by strong corporate profits, low inflation, stable economic growth and a boatload of central-bank stimulus. Despite five corrections of at least 10%, the index has never entered bear territory, defined as a drop of at least 20%. Most commentators are declaring this to be the longest bull market in history.”
Tags: Bear, Bull market, Central bank, Economic growth, Equities, Inflation, Profits, S&P 500, Stimulus, U.S.
Reuters (May 14)
“Desperate to overcome Japan’s growing shortage of labor, mid-sized companies are planning to buy robots and other equipment to automate a wide range of tasks, including manufacturing, earthmoving and hotel room service…. If the investment ambitions are fulfilled it would show there is a silver lining as Japan tries to cope with a shrinking and rapidly aging population. It could help equipment-makers, lift the country’s low productivity and boost economic growth.”
Tags: Aging, Automate, Desperate, Economic growth, Japan, Labor, Manufacturing, Productivity, Robots, Shortage, Silver lining
Reuters (March 22)
“The Trump Trade could start looking more like a Trump Tantrum if the new U.S. administration’s healthcare bill stalls in Congress, prompting worries on Wall Street about tax cuts and other measures aimed at promoting economic growth.” Investors are less optimistic “that U.S. President Donald Trump will swiftly enact his agenda, with a Thursday vote on a healthcare bill a litmus test which could give stock investors another reason to sell.”
Tags: Congress, Economic growth, Healthcare, Investors, Tax cuts, Trump Tantrum, U.S., Wall Street, Worries
Institutional Investor (November 23)
“After the global financial crisis of 2008-’09, a burgeoning gap in financing for long-term investments pushed many governments to take matters into their own hands. In fact, 17 new strategic investment funds have launched since 2008.” So far, these funds have received little scrutiny, but a recent World Bank study now suggests that these SIF’s “can promote economic growth” while delivering viable commercial returns: fulfilling their so called double-bottom-line mandate.
Tags: Commercial returns, Double-bottom-line mandate, Economic growth, Financing, Global financial crisis, Governments, Long-term investments, SIF, World Bank
