The “wipeout” in the sector was especially bad news for Babcock & Brown, Rubicon Asset Management, and Record Funds Management. These heavily leveraged firms didn’t survive the steep rise in global borrowing costs. It didn’t help that asset values began tumbling when the leveraged dried up.
August 17th, 2009 | Dan Denning | 1 comment | ContinuedAll Posts Tagged With: "rio tinto"
Buying and Holding a Bad Strategy if Bank Earnings Remain Unpredictable
If we’re right, households have just begun reducing their debt loads. It will take years for the leverage in the system to be wound down. See Bill’s comments about that below. If you’re buying bank stocks you’re assuming credit and debt growth will resume once this recession is over. That’s a big assumption. And probably stupid.
August 12th, 2009 | Dan Denning | 4 comments | Continued
Global Credit Shortage is Over According to European Central Bank
That all sounds like common sense. So why are so few policy makers using their head? The people who hope the global economy can be revived through a resumption of credit growth seem to forget that it was massive credit growth that created the problem (massive global imbalances, huge debt levels, and mal-investments) in the first place.
July 23rd, 2009 | Dan Denning | 2 comments | Continued
Australia Presents Investors With Great Portfolio of Energy Choices
The uranium spot price is coming off a low after a big correction. But as we’ve covered in Diggers and Drillers, the demand for nuclear fuel from global utilities is on the rise. Australia – with over 30% of the world’s proven uranium reserves – is in the pole position (side by side with Kazakhstan, arguably) to provide the world with what it needs.
July 21st, 2009 | Dan Denning | 1 comment | Continued
Meredith Whitney and the Buy Recommendation on Goldman Sachs
Hold that thought. Her recommendation preceded Goldman’s actual announcement on Tuesday that second quarter net earnings were up 65% to $3.44 billion. The company, like Wall Street’s very own chosen-one-boy-wizard, has once again waved its magic wand and produced something remarkable. So let’s remark on it…
July 15th, 2009 | Dan Denning | 3 comments | Continued
Can China Change the Rules of Global Capitalism?
For example, it appears China is beginning to throw its considerable economic weight around. It’s doing so in a tentative, experimental manner, not sure if it will offend but not seeming to care all that much. And why should it? The world is perfectly happy to do business with the largest emerging market of the next fifty years. Other issues-human rights, the environment, and the Rule of Law-are secondary.
July 13th, 2009 | Dan Denning | 5 comments | Continued
Mortgage Bubble and More at Stake Between Australia and China
Two other items of note in yesterday’s housing numbers. The First Home Buyer’s consolidated their position as the most important group propping up Australian house prices. First home buyers increased their percentage of total owner-occupied mortgage demand from 28.6% in April to 29.5% in May. Nearly a third of all demand for new mortgages is coming from new buyers sucked in by the grant. Hmmn.
July 9th, 2009 | Dan Denning | 5 comments | Continued
Were Chinalco’s Intentions With Rio Always Honourable?
By the way, no one should assume that Australia will always have China to fall back on, whether it is for capital in a pinch, or long-term resource demand. China’s apparent economic recovery is “mild” and “unstable” according to a study…
June 9th, 2009 | Dan Denning | 6 comments | Continued
Rio Scraps Deal to Sell to Aluminium Corporation of China
So what now? Well, the Chinalco bid came at the bottom of the market. Things are a bit better now. And shareholders seem eager to provide the needed capital rather than bringing on board a suitor whose intentions are at best, opaque.
June 5th, 2009 | Dan Denning | 0 comments | Continued
Bankers Going Galt
Why aren’t the banks lending locally and what are they doing instead? Well, they’re probably terrified that commodity prices won’t recover any time soon, rendering the collateral posted by mining companies worth a lot less. Or, worried about future losses in commercial property, the banks are saving up for a rainy day.
March 31st, 2009 | Dan Denning | 19 comments | Continued