Submitted by Econbrowser
More confirmation that the slowdown in housing has spilled over to manufacturing.
The Federal Reserve Board announced this week that its index of industrial production fell 0.5% between January and February, putting it about back to the level we saw last June.

The separate Business Outlook Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia continued […]

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Submitted by The Capital Spectator
It’s probably too early to call a bottom in global equity markets, but the thought is tempting after looking at the past week and discovering that we’re still standing. Survival is always a confidence builder.
Still, this is no time to be a roaring bull, although some degree of optimism may be […]

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Submitted by Econbrowser
We seem to have no fewer than six separate entries in the 2008 NCAA Bracket Econbrowser Challenge with a perfect score so far, having accurately predicted the outcome of all 16 of the first night’s basketball tournament games. And five of those perfect entries all seem to have been submitted by a certain […]

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Submitted by Businomics Blog
It’s so much fun to disagree with Seth Godin.  I spend so much time on his blog admiring his insights that it’s very rare for me to disagree.  But here’s what he said about recession:
So, there’s plenty of bad economic news floating around. From the price of oil to Wall Street to […]

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Submitted by Businomics Blog

What are the big changes coming in the next decade? Demographics, globalization, finance and technology are covered with a focus on what businesses should do today to prepare for tomorrow.

This is a new speech topic for me.  I’ve been weaving the components of this into my other speeches and writing, but decided it’s […]

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Submitted by Businomics Blog
The quick read from the press is that the purchase of Bear Stearns by JPMorgan Chase was a “bailout.”
Jim Hamilton over at EconBrowser doesn’t buy that story.  He says, “$2 a share is no bailout, but instead represents a fire sale price.”
I buy that, because Bear had been selling for $57 a […]

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Submitted by Businomics Blog
Is it possible to take advantage of a recession?  In Businomics, I wrote about AirTran, which left the 2001 recession in a far stronger position than it entered it.  McKinsey Quarterly published an article  back in 2001 called “Learning to Love Recessions,” that shows how companies can use a recession to their […]

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Submitted by CARPE DIEM

From the Bank of Canada’s website:
Inflation-control targeting has been a cornerstone of monetary policy in Canada since its introduction in 1991. At present the target range is 1 to 3%, with the Bank’s monetary policy aimed at keeping inflation at the 2% target midpoint.
The inflation-control target has helped to make the […]

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Submitted by CARPE DIEM
Dwindling foreign oil, rising prices at the gas pump and hype from politically well-connected U.S. agribusiness have combined to create a frenzied rush to convert food grains into ethanol fuel. The move is badly conceived and ill advised.
The science is clear: The use of corn and other biofuels to solve our […]

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