Global News

Pound Sterling – With UK markets closed for a national holiday it was a slow start to the week for the Pound. Although Sterling went on to weaken against the US Dollar as UK retail sales dropped to a 16-month low, it was able to recoup losses as separate reports showed a surge in British house […]

It was 18 May 2012.  I remember it well.  I wished my daughter a Happy Birthday, then turned my attention to watching what was supposed to be a day of fanfare on the NASDAQ as Facebook was about to open its IPO.  Perhaps never before has the entire world been so highly focused on an […]

In a bold and stunning presentation today, BHP Billiton (LSE:BLT) lived up to its slogan of “Resourcing the Future“.  In its coal review, the company revealed that it is shifting gears to align the company operations to be  in snyc with their projected outlook for supply and demand for metallurgical coal. Frankly, I am impressed […]

Global recovery is uneven but gradual. The global economy is moving forward, but divergence between countries and regions reflects the uneven progress made toward recovery from the economic crisis, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Outlook. Historically high unemployment remains the most serious challenge facing governments. World real gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to […]

Pound Sterling – The Pound started the week looking upwards after it made gains against the US Dollar after an industry report showed that UK home sellers raised their asking prices for a fifth consecutive month in May. As a result of the data, Sterling climbed from its lowest level in six-weeks against the US currency. […]

I am up early for Brazil and as I look out at the financial markets I see a tidal wave of markets crashing, all heading towards me.. ….and there is nothing I can do, but wait till it hits Brazil and BOVESPA when it opens later today..! As I write, Nikkei -7.3%, DAX  -2.5%, CAC […]

Do you remember what you were doing 13 years ago?  Probably still breathing a sigh of relief that the Y2K computer software issue didn’t really exist.  And, hey, things were looking good.  The key stock indicators looked great.  It was the start of a whole new millennium.  What could possibly go wrong? Well, a lot […]

Is it possible that BP (LSE:BP.) could be in deep water again?  Given the company’s activities over the past several years, including those minor headaches in the Gulf of Mexico and with their joint ventures with Russian oligarchs, it seems almost inevitable.  This time BP has reportedly been in cahoots with Royal Dutch Shell (LSE:RDSA) […]

Pound Sterling – On Monday the Pound was little changed as economists awaited the release of data which was expected to show that the number of people in the UK claiming unemployment benefits fell for a sixth consecutive month in April adding to hopes that the nation’s economy is making a recovery. On Tuesday it […]

High in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, in the quiet community of Lenoir, North Carolina sits a sprawling facility shrouded in mystery.  Lenoir used to be home to the most well-known scions of furniture manufacturing in the United States, but those factories and jobs have all been moved to China.  The most notable […]