January, 2018

• 20 January

  The expanding millionaire class of the United States

  

  Call them the new millionaires. Once upon a time — certainly within living memory — becoming a millionaire was a big deal. It was a badge of economic distinction, enjoyed by a tiny elite. No more. By 2016, slightly more than 9 million US households had a net worth of $1 million or more, according to new calculations by economist ...

  Read More »
• 20 January

  Time for Facebook to unfriend iconic thumbs-up symbol

  

  Everyone is still trying to sort out the implications of Facebook Inc.’s news feed reboot announced last week. One thing I’m wondering about: Why hasn’t Facebook taken the hatchet to the “like” button? Mark Zuckerberg says he wants more “meaningful social interactions” on Facebook. He doesn’t want people to spend so much time scrolling around aimlessly on Facebook or otherwise ...

  Read More »
• 20 January

  Don’t freak out about UK’s vanishing banking jobs

  

  It’s ‘seismic.’ At first glance, last month’s 52 percent decline in the number of job openings in London’s financial industry looks dramatic. In Brexit there’s an easy bogeyman to blame. But the picture isn’t so clear. Take the survey that recruiting firm Morgan McKinley, from which that figure comes. You need to adjust it for seasonality: December is never a ...

  Read More »
• 20 January

  Weaker dollar won’t derail global growth

  The depreciation of the dollar was one of the market surprises of 2017, defying the predictions of many analysts and economists at the start of that year. Continued weakness in 2018 has led some, including European officials, to warn about possible detrimental effects on growth. They are highlighting what may be thought of as the foreign exchange markets’ “hot potato” ...

  Read More »
• 20 January

  Dear Bitcoin fans, digital currency is still a dream

  

  Bitcoin breaks my heart. Not because I missed the great run-up (though I did) and not because I fear that the bitcoin bubble will end badly (it will, but that’s not my problem). Rather, it is because I have been waiting for decades for someone to invent a purely digital currency, a currency for online purchases that wasn’t linked to ...

  Read More »
• 20 January

  Japan, Europe start the central bank reset

  

  This is going to be an exciting year for monetary policy. In fact, it already is, thanks to Europe and Japan. Investors were taken aback last week when the Bank of Japan bought fewer bonds and the European Central Bank revealed — shock, horror — its language would have to evolve with the euro region’s economy. Both developments, and the ...

  Read More »
• 20 January

  Apple needs to admit it still has a labour problem

  

  For all the talk of cleaning up its supply chain, too many stories keep popping up about poor working conditions and excessive overtime. Every year at around this time, Apple makes a song and dance about how much it cares for workers and the environment. Fans point out that Cupertino is doing far more than most others in the industry, ...

  Read More »
• 20 January

  ECB seen closer to signalling QE end as hawks gain sway

  

  Bloomberg Economists brought forward their estimate of when the European Central Bank will set an end-date for its bond-buying program, amid signs that more optimistic views on inflation might be gaining sway among policy makers. While no action is expected at the Governing Council meeting on January 25, almost half of respondents in a Bloomberg survey predicted the ECB will ...

  Read More »
• 20 January

  Indian bank shares surge on FDI plans

  Bloomberg Indian bank shares surged the most since November on a report the government is considering allowing foreign investors to own larger stakes in the country’s lenders. The Bankex Index, a gauge for 10 lenders, rose 2 percent to a new record high as of 9:30 a.m. in Mumbai. Gains were led by privately owned Yes Bank Ltd., which is ...

  Read More »
• 20 January

  Bank of Canada raises rates but cautions stimulus still needed

  

  Bloomberg The Bank of Canada indicated it’s in no rush to pursue aggressive interest rate hikes, citing “important unknowns” such as the future of Nafta as it raised borrowing costs for the third time since July. At a rate decision, central bank officials led by Governor Stephen Poloz sought to quell expectations Canada’s economic boom could prompt them to move ...

  Read More »