Banks are making out like bandits…at least on paper. They simply post whatever earnings they feel like reporting, because loans and securities no longer have to be marked to market. So why not mark down bad loans at a glacial pace? Doesn’t matter that they might be in non- performing status and aren’t producing cash flow.
May 6th, 2010 | Dan Amoss | 2 comments | ContinuedAll Posts Tagged With: "loans"
Investors in China Have Learned Nothing From the Crash of ’07-’08
With no barriers to entry, profit margins are always squeezed by competition. And growth is limited too – other builders are always starting up. If the investor paid 40 times earnings, he can only get 2.5% on his money…
July 31st, 2009 | Bill Bonner | 0 comments | Continued
Normally Small Businesses Lead the Economy Out of Recession
Part of the phenomenon can be explained merely by the severity of the downturn. If this were a recession it would be a bad one – worse than any since the Great Depression. Consumers have rediscovered thrift. Households are cutting back.
July 28th, 2009 | Bill Bonner | 0 comments | Continued
American Banking System is a Branch of the Federal Government
You probably know the old Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” I heard it first 30 years ago from an economics professor – my mentor, in fact. He was lecturing about the problems Austrian economic models predict when banking is controlled by government.
July 8th, 2009 | Patrick Cox | 1 comment | Continued
Here Come The Commies
Stocks in the U.S. were up overnight. Here in Australia, the blind are following where the deaf boldly lead. But is anyone listening? Or is everyone too busy hoping? What we’re talking about are Ben Bernanke’s comments. The news headlines read that he predicted the recession will end later this year and the American economy will recover in 2010. But that’s not exactly what he said.
February 25th, 2009 | Dan Denning | 4 comments | Continued
Wall Street Bankers: The World’s Most Privileged Outcasts
Today we turn our attention to the world’s most privileged outcasts. “Once envied, Wall Street bankers are now mocked,” says a headline at the International Herald Tribune. So many people are getting on the bankers’ case; we’re beginning to feel sorry for them. After all, what did they do wrong? Well…
February 5th, 2009 | Bill Bonner | 1 comment | Continued
In Gono We Trust
We have it from our usually unreliable source in Washington that Gideon Gono, now head of the Zimbabwean central bank, has been called in to aid the Obama Administration. In secret talks, Gono has agreed to replace the out-going Ben Bernanke, who is said to be going to work as a helicopter pilot. Gono will take over the Fed. And a new bill has already been designed – our source was able to sneak out a copy of the new note – for 1 million U.S. dollars. That’s Gideon Gono’s picture on it…
February 4th, 2009 | Bill Bonner | 6 comments | Continued
A Nation of Patsies…in a World of Hurt
In the beginning, the U.S. government was specifically limited in what it could do. Now, very little remains that it can’t do. But in all matters – big or small…torturing people or taking their money – government leaders must pretend to be acting in the national interest. It’s a low-down, dirty business that usually attracts people of the same sort. People like George W. Bush and Joseph Biden…people with no sense or no principles – or neither. People who don’t know a lie when they hear it or…don’t mind telling one. That’s why we’re sorry to seem Obama in the trade; he seems like such a nice fellow…
January 20th, 2009 | Bill Bonner | 3 comments | Continued
Hiding Level Three Assets Won’t Solve the Problem
assets that can’t be traded and which no one wants to buy are called Level Three assets, named for the part of the balance sheet on which they reside. The banks have stuck them there the way some people might stick a crazy Aunt in the attic to avoid being embarrassed in front of the neighbours.
April 14th, 2008 | Dan Denning | 0 comments | Continued
Money Lending: Rotten to the Core
It is apparent that much of the old way of doing business – particularly in the realm of money lending – was rotten to the core. In my view, it begins with the U.S. dollar itself. The dollar has been steadily deteriorating in value for decades, so inflationary expectations are part of the worldwide consciousness. That is, just because of the long-term decline in the value of the dollar, most people expect most things to go up in price most of the time.
April 9th, 2008 | Byron King | 5 comments | Continued
