Economy & Markets
The important economic and stock market news that advisors need to know.
Data Casts New Doubt on Housing Market Turnaround
By Gil WeinreichThe health of the housing market has come under fresh doubts after the National Association of Realtors released substantially revised figures showing 3 million fewer homes than previously thought were sold between 2007 and 2010.
December 22, 2011
S&P Downgrades Hungary to Junk After It Defies IMF and EUHungary was downgraded to junk for the second time in a month, this time by S&P, after Moody's took a similar action previously, but markets reacted little to the news.
December 22, 2011
Greece’s Creditors Resist IMF Push for Bigger LossesGreeces creditors are pushing back against an IMF drive to get them to accept larger losses on the countrys sovereign debt, with one Madrid-based hedge fund pulling out of the debt swap talks over the matter.
December 21, 2011
Outlook 2012: Equities–Top 5 Trade Ideas for the New YearHeres what the experts are saying about the investment outlook for stocks in 2012.
December 21, 2011
Top 10 Christmas Movie VillainsChristmas is a time of giving and love. But for movies (and real life) the truth is that without a villain (or at least a gaggle of relatives with irritating habits) we would never know just how joyful the season can be at times.
December 21, 2011
Greenhill Managing Directors Killed in Plane CrashTwo managing directors from investment bank Greenhill & Co., Inc. were killed on Tuesday when the small plane they were in crashed in New Jersey. Ice on the wings was cited as a possible cause for the plane to come down.
December 21, 2011
Italy Teeters on Brink of RecessionItaly got bad news on Wednesday as its economy contracted in Q3, with GDP falling 0.2%, as opposed to a 0.3% expansion in Q2. The news could signal a beginning of Italys fifth recession since 2001, just as new austerity measures are being put in place that will further threaten...
December 21, 2011
ECB Lends to Banks to Keep Credit FlowingThe European Central Bank surprised analysts by offering a record amount of 489 billion euros in loans to stressed banks.