Seems no one wants a strong currency anymore, but instead wants to keep their real wages down.
So fears of a dollar crash seem again to be overblown.
Nor is there any immediate risk of inflation from excess demand.
The cost push risk from the Saudis hiking prices remains, and so price is unpredictable with demand relatively flat
The situation in Greece seems to be binary, based on political decisions.
Also markets are already discounting maybe a third of what happens if they get it wrong.
So betting one way or the other has a lower risk/reward than a few weeks ago.
US economy looking internally ok with risks remaining external- greece, china, etc.
On Thu, Apr 29, 2010 at 3:09 PM, EDWARD wrote:
BBG:
‘ Moody’s said it has previously indicated that a “multi-
notch downgrade” is likely and the specific lowering “will
depend on the level of ambition of the multi-year economic and
fiscal program.”’
BRL:
*BRAZIL’S TREASURY DOLLAR PURCHASES HINGE ON REAL STRENGTH
*BRAZIL’S TREASURY MAY DOUBLE DOLLAR PURCHASES TO PAY DEBT
*BRAZIL DOLLAR PURCHASES TO STEM CURRENCY’S RALLY, AUGUSTIN SAYS
*CORRECT: BRAZIL TREASURY MAY STEP UP DOLLAR PURCHASES
*BRAZIL SOVEREIGN FUND TO BE USED WHEN NECESSARY, AUGUSTIN SAYS
*BRAZIL SOVEREIGN FUND MAY BUY FOREIGN CURRENCY, AUGUSTIN SAYS
It appears that the sovereign fund will be used as a mechanism to affect the BRL and thus policy tool of the government from these headlines (which seems a little odd for sovereign wealth fund whose assets were acquired by foreign exchange policy implementation, unless they are talking about investing in USD assets along with USD buying). More details/clarification to follow.
I’m quite new to this perspective, but I am astonished that one could consider the US economy to be “looking internally ok.”
Given a population saddled with something like 13 trillion in debt, a bloated military and expanding theatres, massive unemployment with no end–only worse–in sight, more mortgage types due over the next two years, and the prospect of an idiot government raising taxes, I’d hardly call that looking good. May I know what the reference point is here that you have in mind?
I think he’s talking about continued GDP growth and the employment situation improving, albeit, slowly.
Frank,
I echo JCs comments. Warren saying “ok” is not saying: robust, strong, significant job creation, its just “ok”, Warren has often used the phrase “muddling through”. US corporations can make adjustments that are detrimental to employment, but can result in increased profits even though significant numbers of the citizens are suffering.
This puts the lie to the old, outdated catch-phrase “what’s good for business is good for America” in this new era of large net imports. this cycle has proven for sure that the direct interests of both business and the citzens as a whole are often at odds. a fiscal adjustment by the Fed govt can act as a counter cyclical force to maintain incomes and employment levels (and not be counter to US business interests but actually help business!) if our “leaders” understood how all of this realy works…
Resp,