Salient to Investors: Simon Johnson at MIT Sloan School of Management says: The euro area faces a major economic crisis, most likely a series of rolling, country-specific problems involving some combination of failing banks and sovereigns that can’t pay their debts in full. Expect system wide stress, emergency liquidity loans from the
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: For the first time in 13 years, the real, ruble and rupee are weakening the most among developing-nation currencies, while the yuan has depreciated more than in any other period since its 1994 devaluation. Investors are fleeing the BRICs, after Brazil’s consumer default rate rose to the
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: The Bank for International Settlements said government bonds losing their risk-free status are depriving investors of wealth-preservation opportunities while Europe’s debt crisis boosts demand for havens. The global pool of safer assets has shrunk just as demand has risen due to a flight to safety, leading to a
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: George Soros said: A failure to produce drastic measures could spell the demise of the Euro. Europe should create a European Fiscal Authority to purchase sovereign debt in return for Italy and Spain implementing achievable budget cuts – funding to come from the sale of European Treasuries, which would
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: George Soros warned that a failure by EU leaders to produce drastic measures could spell the demise of the Euro and that policy makers should create a European Fiscal Authority to purchase sovereign debt in return for Italy and Spain implementing achievable budget cuts Soros said Angela Merkel
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: The MSCI World Energy Index is down 9.6 percent in 2012, more than any other group, and is up 45 percent since the market bottom in 2009, less than any other industry with earnings tied to economic growth. U.S. energy stocks are at the cheapest levels relative to the
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: Boston College Center for Retirement Research said pensions in Illinois, New Jersey, Indiana and Kentucky may have less than 30 percent of assets needed for promised benefits Pension fund shortfalls are estimated to be $900 billion to more than $4 trillion, depending on assumptions made. Andrew Biggs at the American Enterprise Institute said
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: George Soros called on Europe to buy Italian and Spanish bonds, warning a failure by leaders meeting on June 28 to produce drastic measures could spell the end of the euro. Wayne Lin at Legg Mason says the EU summit won’t produce anything extraordinary, that Soros’ views are extreme, and expects more volatility.
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: Jim O’Neill at Goldman Sachs Asset Management said over the past decade or so, inflation targeting, has not been sufficient, as great as it’s been for the U.K. O’Neill would add monitoring aspects of credit behavior and bank lending, and install a financial-conditions indicator as a warning sign. Read the full article
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: German auto rebates on new cars rose to a seven-year high in June. Moody’s cut the ratings of 15 global banks due to their significant exposure to the volatility and risk of outsized losses. Predictions: Lucy MacDonald at RCM expects extremely low growth, low interest rates and much politically driven volatility
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