According to Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater, 90% of governments’ attempts to reflate their economies have ultimately been successful over the past 200 years. In other words, after a few years of monetised deficits, trials and errors by policymakers, inflation will eventually rise.
The Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) reported that 92.4 thousand formal jobs were created in August, equivalent to 8.3% of the 1.1 million jobs lost from March to July. The weak recovery in employment could not stop the deterioration of the labor market in a generalized way.
World Bank data indicate that 47.7% of people aged 15 or over had a debit card in 2017, an increase from 2011, when it stood at 30.7%. In the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden, more than 98% of the population had a debit card; in contrast, in South Sudan and Sierra Leone, only 2% had a card of this type.
With less than 50 days before the US elections, market participants will be preparing their portfolios for turbulent times ahead. New Covid-19 cases continue to rise, and particularly in some US states and European countries, worryingly so. In our view, the proximity of the elections in the US leaves the debate about further fiscal stimulus in a no-man’s land, where it is difficult to see a quick and impactful resolution. In the picture, new cases of Covid-19 per million inhabitants per day
The coronavirus pandemic and the deaths of several black people while in police custody have laid bare the US longstanding problem of discrimination against minority groups, especially against Black people, and how inequality has produced real economic costs and social losses. The gaps are wider now than in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Citi’s Global economists Dana M Peterson and Catherine L. Mann identifiy in the following report the underlying causes of this racial and economic gaps.
Bradley Handler, Matt Henry and Morgan Bazilian via The Conversation | These are very challenging times for U.S. fossil fuel-producing states, such as Wyoming, Alaska and North Dakota. The COVID-19 economic downturn has reduced energy demand, with uncertain prospects for the extent of its recovery. Meanwhile, rising concern about climate change and the declining cost of renewable energy are precipitating a sharp decline in demand for coal in particular.
The total value of stablecoins has surpassed $20 billion for the first time, as investors move to hedge their risks in both cryptoassets and traditional markets. Coindesk, quoting data from Coin Metrics, show that the total value of assets for all stablecoins breached the $20 billion mark yesterday, just four months after breaking a $10-billion record in May.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), wage income in the world has fallen by 10.7% in the first nine months of 2020, equivalent to $3.5 trillion or 5.5% of global GDP in the first three quarters of 2019. From the perspective of income, the positive side is that the figures do not take into account government subsidies which have provided a key safety net for families’ vital consumption.
Donald Trump and Joe Biden have pronounced policy differences on corporate taxes, energy and US-China trade, but generally similar views around drug pricing, large-cap tech firms and infrastructure investment. As the US presidential election draws closer, the race is tightening between both candidates. While much is at stake in this election cycle, the three policy areas noted above could have a large impact on the markets and portfolio allocations, warns Allianz GI.
After being hyped up by CEO Elon Musk in the run up to it, Tesla’s ‘battery day’ disappointed investors, as the new innovations unveiled remain years away. The firm’s share price closed the day 5.6% down, then slumped further in after-hours trading, after Musk clarified that some of the technologies showcased are “close to working” and require a “a ton of work from here to there.”