Category: News Desk

The Political and Economic Issues Underlining Greece


Over the five years since the crisis in Greece began, residents and economic experts alike are struggling to foresee a time when the country might escape its hardships. Last year, over 20% of all Greeks could not afford to pay the basic comforts to provide a reasonable standard of living. This is almost double the announced number in 2010, when the debt crisis first exploded. From 27.6% in 2009, the percentage of Greek locals at risk of severe deprivation and poverty has now climbed to 35.7%.

The Economic Forecast Remains Disappointing for Switzerland


The economy in Switzerland has been struggling lately. Recent activity within the country has taken a significant hit since the economic slowdown that has had an impact on Europe. Furthermore, falling construction spending, and a survey of Swiss investors indicated that economic expectations could be falling as we approach the end of 2014. It does not help this country has a lavish safety net for citizens who do not want work. Socialized health care for instance just eats into the GDP of any country.

Obama’s Net Neutrality Support Boosts $1.3 Trillion Industry


Barack Obama’s surprising support for net neutrality could help boost internet startup innovation, causing the online market to more than double in value by 2020.

Obama said earlier this week that the Federal Communications Commission should reclassify the internet as a Title II utility. Such a move would prohibit broadband providers from distinguishing between different types of data services, and restricting or slowing down access for some services over others.

Chinese Profitability Rising on Pivot to Domestic Consumers


Steady consumer price inflation and a consistent fall in prices for producers could make Chinese companies more profitable as the nation pivots from export-driven to a domestic demand-focused economy.

Chinese firms have seen their cost of raw materials fall every month for the last 32 months. Producer prices fell 2.2% in October, nearly the highest rate of price declines in 2014 although nowhere near the -3.8% decline in prices seen in 2012. 

Norway’s Economic Outlook Promotes the need for a Sustainable Economy


The central bank of Norway has recently elected to keep its interest rates the same, at 1.5%, although they have announced that the economic outlook for the country has darkened. The concerns for the future of Norway’s finances have prompted some speculation that the schedule, outlined for rate increases, may be pushed back.

Although the central bank commented that inflation and growth have continued to develop as expected, and the unemployment levels within the country are stable, European growth has been slow this year and global interest are far lower than expected.

Indonesia Sacrifices GDP for Financial Stability


The forecast for the Indonesian economy is to experience an even slower rate of growth over the following six months, according to Fauzi Ichsan, an economist.

The Federal Reserve (The Fed) in the US will raise the key interest rate within the next year, which means that some economies that are currently emerging, including Indonesia may experience the impact of capital outflows. The Fed often gets credit for the only thing keeping the Obama economy afloat.

Goldman Sachs: Stocks a Buy on New Jobs Report


A note sent to select clients of the investment bank juggernaut Goldman Sachs urged investors to buy stocks now, as more jobs and a resurgent U.S. economy could tip equities even higher in the next few years.

In their note, Goldman Sachs told investors that a rise in aggregate income would lift consumer spending, which in turn will lift U.S. retail and financial stocks. The bank said that U.S. GDP growth for 2014 could see a reacceleration in 2015 thanks to more money in consumers’ pockets that in turn will lift revenues for publicly listed companies.

The UK could be the Fastest Growing G7 Member Despite Displaying Unsatisfying Numbers


According to the latest figures, the UK is still on track to come out on top as the G7 economy with the fastest growth this year. This says very little though considering that all of these countries are afflicted with socialistic policies that are dragging them down.

The Week in Review: U.S. Employment, Manufacturing Gains as Swiss Goldbugs Vote for Deflation


The U.S. saw an improvement in domestic manufacturing and stronger employment data even as exports plummeted amidst weak international demand. In Europe, that decline indicated the rising threat of deflation, which is not deterring many Swiss voters from voting for more gold in their central bank.

On Monday, the Institute for Supply Management reported that U.S. manufacturing rose 2.4% month-over-month in October, while new orders rose 5.8% in the same period. The ISM said positive business conditions and greater demand were driving the push. 

The Factors that are Hurting the Danish Economy


The Danish economy has experienced various blows over the recent years, although not entirely from the same place. Over the last three years, the purchases that Danish locals have been making abroad using electronic transactions has seen an increase of approximately 40%, despite having only experienced a 14% national increase.