Larry's Blog
Reflections on the Surprising Results of the Iowa Caucus
February 2, 2016
Ted Cruz, who recently turned 45, upset the perceived front-runner, Donald Trump, to win the Republican race. Trained as a lawyer and formerly a Solicitor General of Texas, Cruz won a U.S. senate seat in the November 2012 election as an underdog with Tea Party support. My misgivings about his candidacy are several: Cruz is […] More
Central Bank Watch
Reserve Bank of India Leaves Monetary Policy Settings Unchanged
February 2, 2016
The key RBI repo rate of 6.75% as well as the 5.75% reverse repo rate and 4.0% reserve requirement were not cut further after the first central bank policy meeting of 2016. No changes had been anticipated, and none occurred at the prior meeting in December. A statement from officials runs down the litany of […] More
Central Bank Watch
Australian Official Cash Rate Held Steady at Record Low of 2.0%
February 2, 2016
The Reserve Bank of Australia released a statement today after its first Board meeting of 2016. It observes that “the exchange rate has continued its adjustment to the evolving economic outlook” and makes the following other points: Recent Australian economic growth has remained positive but not quite as good as was expected. A four-year-long deterioration […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Plenty for Investors to Fret About
February 2, 2016
Fed Vice Chair Stanley Fisher, heretofore a solid defender of the Fed’s December rate increase and need for several follow-up moves in 2016, conceded that the global outlook continues to darken and that just maybe markets, rather than Fed officials, may have been right in assessing the advisability of tightening and understanding what the U.S. […] More
