LONDON | By Barclays analysts | Although there is a train of thought that the sharp acceleration in US crude oil supply growth will sooner or later result in a turning point for oil prices and a possible price collapse, our analysis suggests 2014 is too early for that.
SAO PAULO | By Benjamin Cole at Marcus Nunes’ Historinhas | It is an old trick question: What state has not one but two of the 12 regional banks of the United States Federal Reserve System? Is it New York state, the nation’s financial, commercial and manufacturing powerhouse when the Fed was founded in 1913? Answer: Missouri.
MADRID | By Reuters | Spain new car sales jumped 15.1 pct in November from a year earlier, car manufacturers’ association Anfac said on Monday, the third straight month of rising sales which have been boosted by subsidies.
BRUSSELS | By European Voice via Presseurop | UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s decision to withhold benefits from new migrants betrays his lack of moral courage and a propensity for the populist, rather than admitting the reality that Britain’s economy needs immigrants.
LONDON | By Laurent Fransolet at Barclays | While the debate about the ECB policy options and the state of the euro economy continues, and euro area financial markets have been stuck in a tight range recently, some important monetary, activity and inflation data have been released in the past few days. Overall, they point to the recovery proceeding, in a low inflation environment, and the ECB staying on hold for now.
By David Brunat | LATAM CORRESPONDENT | There are more SIM cards in Costa Rica than people in the country. In 2012, the Central American nation had a penetration of 116% in active mobile phone lines. No wonder why Latin America is becoming the new El Dorado for leading telecoms and device manufacturers.
BERLIN | By Presseurop| The contract for a new grand coalition government between Angela Merkel’s Christian democrats and the Social Democratic Party, which was presented on November 27, has not met with much enthusiasm in the German press. For some, the long-awaited deal is too generous to the left, while others argue that it fails to take into account the interests of Europe.
BEIJING | By Zhu Yishi at Caixin | The war between the country’s two Internet giants, Tencent Holding and Alibaba Group, in the mobile Internet arena has escalated. The Internet giants enter the mobile Internet industry with different strengths but a similar determination to come out on top.
ROME | By Barbara Spinelli at La Repubblica via Presseurop | Silvio Berlusconi has been expelled by his peers from the Senate and stripped of his immunity in a long-awaited vote on November 27. Despite no longer being in Parliament, Il Cavaliere has indelibly left his mark on this era and society, writes Barbara Spinelli.
LONDON |By Barclays analysts | The interim nuclear deal concluded this weekend marks an important first step that could eventually lead to the normalization of relations between Iran and the west. However we believe the path to a final deal, one that would lead to the removal of the most sweeping sanctions, remains challenging given that some key stakeholders could act as spoilers.