financial markets

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'Viking Bankers' Pillaged Iceland
 'Viking Bankers' 
 Pillaged Iceland 

glossies
Mar 5, 2009 2:48 AM CST

'Viking Bankers' Pillaged Iceland

How Iceland went from fishing to finance to ruin

(Newser) - The bankers who ruined Iceland’s economy possessed the mentality of its fishermen—daring, aggressive, and devoted to the “lucky catch," Michael Lewis writes in Vanity Fair. It's no surprise—after all, they were the sons of fishermen whose massive profits helped modernize Iceland in the 1970s. But...

US Risks 'Lost Decade' With Zombie Banks
US Risks 'Lost Decade' With Zombie Banks
OPINION
Mar 2, 2009 2:52 PM CST

US Risks 'Lost Decade' With Zombie Banks

Japan's mistake of liquidity vs. solvency being repeated: Baker

(Newser) - Japan’s economic troubles in the 1990s—the so-called “lost decade”—provides a cautionary tale for America’s current problems, writes James Baker, a Reagan Treasury Secretary, in the Financial Times. Japan used piecemeal bailouts and implicit guarantees to insolvent banks rather than swift action. So the “...

Jittery Investors Seek Direction From Feng Shui Gurus

In Asia, when a feng shui master talks, people listen

(Newser) - Hong Kong investors are invoking feng shui—the ancient Chinese art associated in the Western mind with interior decorating—to guide their depleted portfolios, the Wall Street Journal reports. Two inauspicious lunar eclipses have already predicted a grim year, and masters are warning investors to beware of the land of...

Battered Markets Crawl Into 2009
 Battered Markets
 Crawl Into 2009 
ANALYSIS
Jan 1, 2009 9:22 AM CST

Battered Markets Crawl Into 2009

2008 finishes as the worst year for the Dow since 1931

(Newser) - Weary relief that 2008 was finally over greeted the final bell at the New York Stock Exchange yesterday, but shaken investors worry about what 2009 holds, the New York Times reports. The final tally confirmed that the year was the worst for stockholders since the Great Depression. Stock plunges across...

Cramer Shares 'Obama Portfolio'
 Cramer Shares 
 'Obama Portfolio' 
OPINION
Dec 1, 2008 12:47 PM CST

Cramer Shares 'Obama Portfolio'

Guru picks hot stocks for 2009

(Newser) - America isn’t out of the economic woods, but savvy investors should drop some kindling on their investment fires, James Cramer writes in New York. “Obama’s swift transition and desire to spend trillions to get us moving could prove that happier days will eventually beckon, at least for...

Firms Wary of Treasury's Stalled Toxic-Asset Bailout

As Treasury shifts gears from assets to equity stakes, firms shy away

(Newser) - A survey of more than 400 financial institutions found a large percentage are reluctant to participate in the $700 billion bailout program because of confusion, the Wall Street Journal reports. As Treasury hastily shifted gears from the original plan to buy toxic debt to taking equity positions in banks, more...

Hedge Fund Selloffs Behind Swooning Dow

Investors cashing out in record numbers to meet obligations

(Newser) - Hedge funds are increasingly to blame for the swooning Dow, the Wall Street Journal reports, as demands from investors to withdraw funds have sparked a securities selling frenzy in recent days. The rush to withdraw comes as investors—endowments and  pension funds as well as wealthy individuals—see other investments...

As Investors Seek Cover, Central Banks Slash Rates

Seeking to loosen credit, central banks plan another round of cuts

(Newser) - Central banks worldwide are slashing interest rates, attempting to stem the bleeding in financial markets as investors dump holdings, credit remains tight, and currencies spasm in value, the Washington Post reports. The Federal Reserve is set to cut rates for the second time in as many weeks tomorrow, while the...

Asia, Europe Want Financial Reform Now

Beijing steps up as leaders craft plans to manage economies

(Newser) - Asian and European world leaders joined forces today to call for stricter regulation of world financial markets and a shakeup of the monetary system, the Washington Post reports. The declarations marked the close of a 2-day summit in Beijing attended by more than 40 heads of state. Bailouts in the...

Buffett: I'm Buying American. You Should Be, Too.

When fear is rampant, the markets discount America's future

(Newser) - “I’ve been buying American stocks,” Warren Buffett writes in the New York Times, and he'd like to see a stampede of others following suit. Sure, the financial system is a mess, global economies are faltering, unemployment is rising, and headlines will continue to terrorize markets. But markets...

Bush, Paulson Outline Plan to Buy $250B Stake in Banks

(Newser) - President Bush this morning confirmed the government's $250 billion plan to buy shares in banks, in the latest move to calm the turmoil in the financial markets and stave off a deep recession. Speaking from the Rose Garden after an early-morning meeting with economic advisers, Bush said the move will...

The Markets Have Evened Out When ...
The Markets
Have Evened Out When ...
OPINION
Oct 6, 2008 9:14 AM CDT

The Markets Have Evened Out When ...

Analyst gives four signs of sanity to scan your tea leaves for

(Newser) - The main thing ailing the credit markets is a crisis of information, writes L. Gordon Crovitz in the Wall Street Journal, so it’ll probably end when we have some. Things may be looking up when…
  • Prices are discovered: Right now, there’s no demand for mortgage-backed securities, and hence
...

IMF to US: Do Something NOW
IMF to US: Do Something NOW
Oct 1, 2008 7:30 AM CDT

IMF to US: Do Something NOW

Monetary fund chief pressures Congress to pass bailout, Europe to make plans

(Newser) - The US must act swiftly to avoid economic meltdown and Europe's banks need to be ready with emergency plans of their own, IMF's managing director warns. European and Asian markets have bounced back on the prospects of a revived US bailout deal, but JP Morgan analysts warned yesterday that Europe's...

European, Asian Markets Edge Up After Dive

US economic illness goes viral

(Newser) - Europe markets edged back up after an early drop today as the failure of the US bailout package continued to sap confidence worldwide, Bloomberg reports. Asia's markets went into freefall on opening this morning but gradually recouped some losses on hopes of a fresh deal. The Nikkei index was down...

Hedge-Fund Exodus May Add to Woes
 Hedge-Fund Exodus 
 May Add to Woes 
ANALYSIS
Sep 29, 2008 9:43 AM CDT

Hedge-Fund Exodus May Add to Woes

Deadline looms tomorrow for investors to bail from already-struggling market

(Newser) - Hedge funds are bracing for a major test of wills tomorrow, the deadline for investors to withdraw from the funds for the rest of the year, the New York Times reports. A spate of withdrawals could cause a cascade of flight from the $2 trillion industry, which has seen its...

Central Banks Scramble to Feed Cash Into Markets

Biz slows as bailout talks stall

(Newser) - The world's central banks are frantically spraying money into the economy to prevent it from seizing up as the US bailout package stalls and confidence plummets, Reuters reports. The holdup in Washington has made edgy commercial banks even more inclined to hoard cash and not lend to each other—leaving...

Retirees Hit Hard by Markets
 Retirees Hit Hard by Markets 
Sep 23, 2008 10:43 AM CDT

Retirees Hit Hard by Markets

Their money is in riskier investments these days

(Newser) - Among those hardest hit by the financial crisis are retirees, and they have less chance to recover than their younger counterparts, the New York Times reports. As companies have abandoned fixed pensions for 410(k)s, retirees can lose large percentages of their wealth in a short period. And low-risk investments, like...

Stocks Edge Lower at Open
 Stocks Edge Lower at Open 
MARKETS
Sep 22, 2008 9:04 AM CDT

Stocks Edge Lower at Open

Moderate drop as buybacks hold back bears

(Newser) - Stocks declined slightly at open, as big buybacks from Microsoft, HP, and Nike were offset by general financial sector pessimism. The Dow dropped 85 points at the bell, while the S&P fell 0.5% and Nasdaq dropped 0.6%. Microsoft rose 4.9%, after announcing a $40-billion buyback and...

Paulson Outlines His 'Bold' Bailout
Paulson
Outlines His
'Bold' Bailout
Sep 19, 2008 10:10 AM CDT

Paulson Outlines His 'Bold' Bailout

He and Bush say it's urgent to act now to stabilize markets

(Newser) - Henry Paulson confirmed today that he is working on a "bold" plan to buy bad loans from banks, the Wall Street Journal reports. Such a plan would cost taxpayers “hundreds of billions of dollars,” Paulson said, but he believes it is necessary to stabilize the economy. “...

Cheer Up! Total Financial Market Meltdown Isn't All Bad

Five reasons to fiddle while Wall Street burns

(Newser) - For a dedicated silver-lining hunter like Michael Lewis, there are plenty of upsides to the total collapse of the US financial system. “A lot of attractive office space seems to be opening up in midtown Manhattan, for instance,” he writes in Bloomberg. Here are five other reasons to...

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