Finance

Junk Bond Carnage

High-yield bonds, also known as junk bonds, issued by U.S. energy companies have come under selling pressure in recent weeks as oil prices have fallen to lows not seen since mid-2009. Bloomberg says investors in these bonds are facing $11.6 billion in losses at the moment. Energy company-related debt issued in the past three years alone…

Great Graphic: Major Currencies On Trade-Weighted Basis

This Great Graphic was composed on Bloomberg. It draws on the Bank of England’s trade-weighted indices of the dollar (yellow line), the euro (white line), and yen (green line). The data was further indexed to the end of 2009. Trade-weighted measure is more important than bilateral measures when considering the impact of currency movement on a domestic economy. That…

Weekly Gasoline Price Update: Down Another 13 Cents

It’s time again for my weekly gasoline update based on data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Rounded to the penny Regular dropped 13 cents and Premium 12 cents. Regular is now at its lowest price since October 2009. Will the price decline in gasoline boost discretionary spending during the holiday season? Stay tuned! According to GasBuddy.com, Hawaii…

Germany Ready To Destroy Its Economy Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Germany’s Constitutional Court will rule on a major tax case that could devastate German business owners. There was no estate tax in Germany so businesses could pass from one generation to the next intact. That may all come to an end tomorrow. The country’s constitutional court will decide whether families can continue to transfer companies…