Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis |
- Global Trade Sags; Striking Workers Shut Down Fuel Pipeline to Paris; US Backs Off Currency Manipulation Charges
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- 32% of Homeowners Expect Home Prices to Drop Next Year, Highest Short-Term Pessimism Ever; Recognition Phase Underway
Posted: 16 Oct 2010 12:22 PM PDT With most eyes fixed on Quantitative Easing let's take a look at some global macro events. World Trade Sags Yet Again In yet another sign of the slowing global economy, World Trade, Once Rising, Is Starting to Sag Again THE rapid recovery in world trade after the financial crisis appears to have slowed this spring and summer, raising new concerns about the global economy. Exports of many countries have stabilized at levels well under the peaks reached before the crisis sent world trade into a tailspin.For some interesting currency and trade charts that accompany the above article, please see World Exports Level Off. Striking Workers Shut Down Fuel Pipeline to Paris Reuters reports Fuel to Paris reduced as French protests escalate Striking French oil refinery workers shut down a fuel pipeline supplying Paris and its airports on Friday and airport workers grounded some flights as protests mounted to derail an unpopular pension reform.French Political Refugee Chimes In My friend Bruno, a French political refugee has a few insights I would like to share. Bruno writes ... Hi Mish,The "PATCO" Solution Bruno's reply was to comments I made on Tuesday in French Unions On Strike Against Pension Reform, Disrupt Rail, Air Traffic The correct government response to this mess is to do what Reagan did to the PATCO workers, fire all the public union employees on strike and terminate their benefits.Free Lunch Mentality Runs Deep Bruno thinks the unions would destroy the country if Sarkozy tried what Reagan did. If so, France will be destroyed one way or another because this spending is not sustainable. U.S. Backs Off Currency Dispute In what may be pre-election jitters, or perhaps a sign that cooler heads are prevailing, U.S. backs off in currency dispute with China The Obama administration backed away on Friday from a showdown with Beijing over the value of China's currency that would have caused new frictions between the world's only superpower and its largest creditor.Search for Scapegoats Regarding scapegoats, I said the same thing on Thursday in Geithner's Search for Scapegoats Avoids the Harsh Truth No One Wants to Hear Labeling China a currency manipulator would be a big mistake, but it is quite possible after the elections. The open issue is whether or not Obama would sign such a measure. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List |
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Posted: 16 Oct 2010 09:34 AM PDT Rasmussen Reports recently released an interesting survey that shows Homeowners Are More Pessimistic Than Ever About the Short-Term Housing Market A new Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 32% expect the value of their home to decrease over the next year, the highest finding since Rasmussen Reports began asking the question regularly in December 2008.Recognition Phase Some will look at the survey results and see a contrarian indicator. I rather doubt it. I do not think we bottom until homeowners sour on long-term optimism. Given current conditions, housing inventory, shadow inventory, another jobless "recovery", and changing social attitudes from younger generations, home prices will likely stay depressed for a while. So instead of the survey being a contrarian indicator, I view these attitudes as part of the recognition phase. Consumers are starting to realize the economic headwinds and what that will do to housing prices in the short-term, even if they have not yet figured out the long-term demographic mess. Time and Price is the Only Legitimate Cure The most encouraging sign in the report is that "a majority of Americans continue to oppose any government intervention in the housing market." The only legitimate cure for what ails housing is price and time. Prices need to fall to the point there is genuine demand. When that happens, the bottom will be in, although appreciation off that bottom will be quite slow. In the meantime, the Fed's misguided attempt to prop up prices, in conjunction with all the interference by Congress, just stretches out the bottoming timeline. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List |
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