What should the IMF, ECB and EC do about Greece?

by | Jun 6, 2011 | News, Press

Economics – by invitation [Economist.com], 6th June 2011 Attempts to postpone Greek default seem sensible OPINIONS obviously differ as to whether Greece will and should default, but there must be a high risk that it will and it seems generally agreed that this...

Tricky route to a soft landing.

by | Jun 1, 2011 | News, Press

Financial World, 1st June 2011 China’s rise in inflation shows that problems with its growth rate are becoming acute, says Andrew Smithers. China causes a great deal of well justified worry. It is very large, growing very fast and pursues a disruptive policy of...

Japan’s Fiscal Deficit.

by | Mar 3, 2011 | News, Press

Nikkei Veritas – Market Eye column, 3rd March 2011 The tone of the debate in Japan about the budget deficit has changed. Although the political obstacles to change are great, there seems to be a greater sense of urgency over the need for its reduction. A key...

Deficit cuts should take priority.

by | Feb 21, 2011 | News, Press

Financial News, a Dow Jones Company., 21st February 2011 UK inflation is running at double the Bank of England’s 2% target and is expected to rise further, some say to 5%. But the economy is far from booming. GDP fell in the fourth quarter of 2010 by 0.5%,...

Tug-of-war over equity ratios.

by | Feb 1, 2011 | News, Press

Financial World, 1st February 2011 Companies’ balance sheets matter to their management, employees, shareholders and creditors. Bank balance sheets are vital for the whole economy. Creditors want strong balance sheets and management and shareholders want weak ones....