Can the U.S. Create Its Own German-Style Energy Revolution? – Bloomberg 11-23-12

Salient to Investors: InsideClimateNews.org writes: In Phoenix, swimming pools outnumber solar panels by a thousand to one. Germany, with half the sunlight of Arizona, has four times as much solar power installed per capita. and 23 times more than the US. The primary reason for the renewable energy gulf between the US and Germany

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Germany’s Business Confidence Unexpectedly Increases: Economy – Bloomberg 11-23-12

Salient to Investors: Ifo said its German business climate index had its first gain in 8 months in October and above the median economist prediction. Gernot Nerb at Ifo said the momentum, at least in the next year, will come from outside the euro area. Carsten Brzeski at ING said the report is a positive surprise but certainly doesn’t mean German

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Cure for Economic Slumps Seen in Raising Rates: Cutting Research – Bloomberg 11-23-12

Salient to Investors: Stephanie Schmitt-Grohe and Martin Uribe at the National Bureau of Economic Research said the solution to an economic slump is higher interest rates when the cause of that slump is a confidence shock that cheap borrowing costs are failing to reverse, and ultra-easy monetary policy risks making fears of deflation a self-fulfilling

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French Downgrade Widens Gulf With Germany as Talks Loom: Economy – Bloomberg 11-20-12

Salient to Investors: Jan Techau at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said Moody’s downgrade increases pressure on France big-time and gives Germany more of an edge over France. French debt remains close to the record low reached Aug. 3, showing investors don’t share German concerns. The spread between French and German government

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Americans Say Europe’s Austerity Lesson Means Act Now – Bloomberg 11-11-12

Salient to Investors: Alice Rivlin at Brookings said the lesson of Europe is, don’t wait until you’re in a crisis to act and austerity is not a good prescription for weak economies. Rivlin said the US has the luxury the Europeans don’t, no pressure in the financial markets. Mohamed El-Erian at Pimco said the fiscal cliff would

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German Factory Orders Slump the Most in a Year: Economy – Bloomberg 11-06-12

Salient to Investors: German factory orders fell for a second straight month and by the most since September 2011. Thomas Harjes at Barclays said today’s data are a catastrophe – the huge problem in the rest of the euro area seems to be reaching Germany and its labor market. Harjes said the economic outlook is gloomy for

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