Resource Search

The positive supply shock to the economy created by the increase in U.S. oil production has policymakers reconsidering this country's four-decade-old oil ban on exports. From a pure economics standpoint, exporting domestically-produced oil would benefit both producers and consumers and increase overall efficiencies in the domestic energy market.This article discusses how middle market firms with links to oil extraction, energy, transportation and construction could disproportionately benefit if the decades-old ban on oil is lifted.

Most market watchers seem to be missing the point about the Fed’s impending rate hike cycle. It’s not about the when, it’s about the how.

At a Daily Journal annual meeting in Los Angeles earlier this year, Charlie Munger – the 91-yearold Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway – shared his opinion on the investment landscape when asked about negative interest rates in Europe and persistently low rates in the United States:"This has basically never happened before in my whole life. I can remember 1½ percent rates. It certainly surprised all the economists.

U.S. stock market activity has been unusually volatile in the last couple days, with the S&P falling roughly 3.2% Friday and 3.9% Monday before rebounding about 2% in early Tuesday trading.Lower-quality credit markets has also suffered while treasuries and high-grade debt have rallied. This market commentary discusses where the global market stands in the face of the Chinese debt crisis.

On August 19, the Federal Reserve released the minutes from its July 28-29 Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which showed the Fed’s concern about China’s economic growth and market turmoil, as well as broader weakening in emerging market economies. The minutes also indicated the Fed’s view that a weakening global economy has revealed some areas of vulnerability in an otherwise fundamentally sound US economy.

It’s a bit early for Halloween, but the equity markets have been scary over the past few weeks and months. Fear is problematic, particularly when it comes to investing in equities.There are currently two macro-driven events affecting the equity markets: the impact of the Greek debt crisis on the Eurozone’s recovery and implications of China’s stock market rout for global growth. This article separates fact from fiction and alleviates some of the fears investors have in the current state of the equity market.

The Export-Import Bank was created in February 1934, as part of the New Deal, to finance trade with the newly established Soviet Union. A second bank was created a month later to finance trade with Cuba and shortly thereafter expanded to include all countries with the exception of the Soviet Union. Congress passed legislation to combine the two banks in 1935. They also granted the unified bank more powers along with more capital.

This article reviews the latest 1.9% devaluation of the Chinese yuan (CNY) reference rate and identifies the three factors that prompted the currency move and the potential long- and short-term implications for Chinese and global asset classes.

While it was not expected that as of July 16, Greece’s creditors would still be attempting to keep the country in the euro with a plan that does not work with the economics of Greece. The reforms that the Greek Parliament accepted on July 16 was poorly designed and far harsher than the vote rejected by the Greek populace 10 days earlier.

This strategic article forecasts what the global economy will look like in the next 12 months. Key market drivers include an expected disruption of official rates and the very first interest-rate hike by the Federal Reserve.