Knowledge is Power: S&P 500 Earnings Collapse Edition

1.Subsidies to buyers are helping China auto sales soar, a move Washington might follow given personal income in the US fell as much as US$34.4 billion in March. Which doesn’t leave much cash to pay for ever-more expensive oil for those new vehicles US consumers might buy.Sinking incomes 2.With earnings season coming to an end, …

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Knowledge is Power: Banks of Brazil Ready to Bounce Edition

1.In more normal times, shareholder meetings were relatively genteel affairs. A smattering of people, many retired, would show up, ask a few questions and approve the various resolutions before demolishing the wine and sandwiches. A chief executive was more likely to be challenged over the quality of the biscuits than the finer details of the …

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Knowledge is Power: US Savings Rate Rises Edition

1.The economic downturn is forcing a return to a culture of thrift that many economists say could last well beyond the inevitable recovery.Shift to Saving May Be Downturn’s Lasting Impact Source: New York Times Related: China Consumer Spending vs. Savings 2. The market is a cruel mistress indeed. Compounding the pain of big swoons, it …

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Knowledge is Power: Bull Market is Back? Edition

1.In a switch from the downturn of 2000, retail investors have actually increased their trading volume, a panel of analysts told participants at the annual meeting of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. in Boston. Finra is based in that city and New York.Retail investors in buying mood despite downturn. 2.With his 401(k) in ruins, …

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Knowledge is Power: End of Stress Tests Edition

1.The power of the three big US rating agencies, Moody’s, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s, remains unbroken. By awarding high ratings to junk securities, they fueled financial market excesses. Now they are taking countermeasures by brutally downgrading securities. In doing so, they are making the crisis even worse.The Power of Rating Agencies 2. The U.S. …

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