As the deadline for the US Government to reach an agreement on the debt ceiling looms (it is, in theory at least, the 17th of October), we take a look at who holds most of the debt, and what that means in the face of a potential default.
October 2013
The light at the end of this particular tunnel is the hope that our political classes will get the message that less legislation, less pandering to vested interests and more concentration on balanced budgets might be politically popular. Always looking for this elusive light, one can only hope…..
Chart of the Week: Week 41, 2013: Profitability of UK Companies
There has been quite a contrast in profitability in the services and manufacturing sectors recently, with the services sector at a four year high, while the manufacturing sector is at a ten year low.
Chart of the Week: Week 40, 2013: US Debt Ceiling (Again)
At the very end of last year, the US was heading towards a “fiscal cliff”, and although a deal was agreed, the Economic Research Council pointed out in our first Chart of the Week of 2013that the debt ceiling still loomed ahead.
June 2013
The wild card in the world economy is Europe. One can be more sanguine about China as they have huge resource in both financial and, more importantly, senior government intellectual competence. The greatest worry for the rest of the year, and well into next year, will be the European experiment. Youth unemployment in southern Europe, in many areas…
May 2013
The UK Government continues to muddy the waters of recovery. The lack of political leadership along with incoherent economic and infrastructure policies is not helpful. Political attacks on business do not encourage investment, political polarisation and slanging matches over Europe are also not helpful. The lack of government grip discredits the…