Articles About Economics

Sales of luxury goods are doing quite well, according to a recent report from LVMH, the manufacturer of Louis Vuitton bags and accessories and Dom Perignon champagne.  The world’s largest luxury goods purveyor, LVMH reported a 53 percent increase in net profits to €1.1 billion ($1.4 billion) on sales of €6.9 billion in the 1st […]

Curiosity is growing about which Wall Street banks will be the first to get out of proprietary trading or the private equity business as they restructure to come into compliance with new financial regulatory reform legislation. The Volcker Rule – named for former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker – limits banks from these practices and […]

One company that is holding its own despite the shaky economy is Peoria, IL-based Caterpillar, Inc., which reported an enviable quarterly profit thanks to growth in emerging markets.  The world’s largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment is benefiting from growing mining and energy operations with orders outpacing shipments to dealers.  Additionally, Caterpillar plans to […]

There’s good news and bad news about the health of European banks.  Of the 91 financial institutions that recently underwent stress tests, only seven outright failed. Those seven who did not perform well were ordered to raise their capital by €3.5 billion (approximately $4.5 billion).  The number of failures were far less than what was […]

With the passage of historic financial reform legislation, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is being given the authority to reshape bank regulations, oversee financial markets and create a consumer protection agency.  Few Treasury secretaries will wield this much influence once President Obama signs the new financial overhaul legislation passed by Congress. Geithner’s fingerprints are all over […]

The next item on President Barack Obama’s ambitious agenda is likely to be overhauling Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-backed mortgage firms that so far have cost American taxpayers $145 billion to keep afloat.  The two firms, which own more than half of the nation’s $11 trillion in home mortgages, collapsed along with the […]

As the nation gradually recovers from the Great Recession, several years are likely to pass before lending returns to pre-crisis levels, according to Federal Reserve Governor Elizabeth Duke.  The return of credit growth is far slower than during any business cycle of the last four decades with the sole exception of the 1990 – 1991 […]

It’s ironic that — even in the depths of the Great Recession — the number of millionaires around the world grew by 17 percent to 10 million.  Their collective wealth surged 19 percent to $39 trillion, according to the latest world wealth report from Merrill Lynch-Capgemini. “We are already seeing distinct signs of recovery and, […]

Debt-laden European governments seeking ways to raise money are considering the possibility of selling public properties such as office buildings.  Countries considering selling assets include Germany, the U.K., France and Greece, all of which were hit hard by the global banking crisis. “It is clear that several European governments are looking to secure disposals on […]

Spain’s extraordinary win in the 2010 World Cup means the country now joins a rarefied group of soccer royalty – Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy and France – as one of the handful of countries to win the game’s highest honor.  The defining features of the Spanish team were their midfield dominance — Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas  […]