A BRICS Bank Needs a Sense of Purpose to Succeed – Bloomberg 08-05-13

Salient to Investors: Jim O’Neil writes: In April, the BRICS said they would build their own development bank. Their difficulty in cooperating is simply because they are not very alike. Brazil, Russia, India and China are the world’s largest emerging economies, while China is bigger than all the others put together – China effectively

READ MORE...

Who Does America’s Banker Want as Fed Chairman? – Bloomberg 08-05-13

Salient to Investors: William Pesek writes: Asians  Indonesians, Malaysians, South Koreans and Thais have not gotten over Larry Summers’ role in forcing austerity measures on governments in the late 1990s. Asians were puzzled by the 1999 Time magazine cover heralding Summers, Greenspan and Rubin as “The Committee to Save the World” for their free-market solutions to

READ MORE...

China’s Debt Surge Pressures Xi-Li to Avert Lost Decade – Bloomberg 08-05-13

Salient to Investors: 50% of surveyed economists say non-performing local-government and corporate debt will significantly impact China’s credit and economic growth, and expect China to deal with bad loans at local governments in the next 18 months by expanding the muni-bond market and letting localities refinance with direct bond sales. JPMorgan

READ MORE...

Americans With Best Credit in Decades Drive U.S. Economy – Bloomberg 08-05-13

Salient to Investors: Joseph Carson at AllianceBernstein said: Household finances are in the best shape in decades, and the US is entering a new, stronger growth phase as healthier finances revive borrowing, spur consumer spending, generate business investment and jobs. Household wealth measured by net worth rose to $70.3 trillion in Q1,

READ MORE...

Fareed Zakaria GPS – CNN 08-04-13

Salient to Investors: Author Mark Leibovich writes: Washington works extremely well for its most important citizens, the lobbyists.  Money has trumped power as the ultimate currency. Atlantic magazine reported in 1974 that only 3 percent of retiring members of Congress became lobbyists. Today, that number is 42 percent for members of the

READ MORE...

A Bubble Continues To Form In The Stock Market – Seeking Alpha 08-02-13

Salient to Investors: James A. Kostohryz writes: Stock valuations are currently within or even slightly above a broad range that could be considered “normal” and not at bubble levels, but unprecedented levels of excess liquidity, declining liquidity preference, and a number of fundamental, technical and psychological indicators strongly indicate a bubble is forming. Probabilities favor

READ MORE...

Pesek’s View From Asia – Bloomberg 08-02-13

Salient to Investors: William Pesek writes: Former George Soros advisor Takeshi Fujimaki  said Abe delaying increasing Japan’s sales tax would worsen Japan’s debt profile, while Fed tapering would cause a fresh credit crunch that would slam Japan’s bond market. When Li Ka-Shing, Asia’s richest man, is turning to Europe as Hong Kong

READ MORE...