LONDON | By Aroop Chatterjee at Barclays | Implied volatilities in a number of asset markets have been recently trading close to their lowest levels since 2007. This has happened despite prevailing uncertainties about the durability of US economic growth or the path of Fed policy.
LONDON | By Tal Shapsa at Barclays | Our export performance analysis points to a positive outlook for the fragile five of the emerging countries. A simple model we developed – which attempts to gauge future changes in the current accounts based on the export performance indices – suggests that the recent improvement will likely be sustained, providing additional tailwind for EM trades and carry in particular.
SAO PAULO | By Marcus Nunes | According to San Francisco Fed president John Williams (and he´s far from being a lone voice) it seems “financial stability” is right up there together with inflation and unemployment.
BEIJING | By Andy Xie via Caixin | What’s important in today’s financial world is perception, not substance. If you check out what important financial figures have proposed in the past, they have been good for forming bubbles, not for growing the real economy.People around the world will only begin to question their economic policymakers when they realize living standards are slowly worsening.
WASHINGTON | By Pablo Pardo | America is losing one of its culture icons. Born in the 50s to provide customers with both entertainment and a purchasing experience, shopping malls are no longer attractive nor exclusive. As the middle class -which used to be the malls’ main target- is leaving the suburbs due to gentrification, its members prefer to run their errands online or downtown.
MADRID | By Álex García.
BEIJING | By Caixin | A breakthrough can only happen when central SOEs inChina – not just their subsidiaries – welcome private investment.
WASHINGTON | By Pablo Pardo | It is twice easier getting a minimum wage job with no benefits at Wal-Mart than being admitted as an undergrad to Harvard. The comparison shows how extreme is the labor market in the US for non-educated workers, and also that, in today’s world, getting a first-class education can be easier than a third-class job.
BEIJING | By Will Spence via Caixin | The English Gentleman may be one of our country’s most enduring national symbols, but it is still a somewhat controversial topic back home. In China, however, the concept has flourished in a wholly positive way. The Chinese government often says it wants to build up its soft power, but for this to happen it may have to embrace its heritage and adopt a gentler approach.
WASHINGTON | By Pablo Pardo | Would the true IMF prediction please stand up? The Fund has just predicted a growth of 0.9 percent GDP for Spain in 2014. Three months ago, it was 0.6 percent. Seven months ago, it was 0.2 percent.