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Showing 2931 - 2940 of 3072 results for "Benjamin"

Four Bad 'Bers'

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 1 DEC 2008
Today we welcome the last of the 'ber' months - December. Chances are this month will go the way of the other three 'bers' that preceded it as fresh data proceeds to tell the story of global economic weakness and financial market uncertainty. While ...

Thank you

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 28 NOV 2008
Wall Street celebrates Thanksgiving Day today - a 400-year tradition celebrated by Americans commemorating the pilgrims' gratitude for a bountiful harvest. Given the way the global economies are shaping up, Thanksgiving 2008 offers only patchy harvests. ...

You earn, I spend

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 27 NOV 2008
Just about five years ago in late 2003, then Australian Federal Treasurer Peter Costello flagged the possibility of retiring the Commonwealth government debt and effectively shutting down the country's bond market. While markets had no argument against ...

Ho hum

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 26 NOV 2008
The Australian equity market rallied nearly 6 per cent yesterday - its biggest one-day advance in more than 10 years. Ho-hum. Given the spectacular volatility in the equity markets over the past few months, daily movements of plus or minus 5-7 percent ...

In defense of Citi

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 25 NOV 2008
The US government's bail-out of Citigroup shows that policymakers have learnt the lessons of September when the collapse of Lehman Brothers launched financial market panic of seismic proportions. The 158-year old Lehman Brothers - may it rest in peace ...

Free money can be costly

BENJAMIN ONG  |  SUNDAY, 23 NOV 2008
Inflation is out and deflation is the new black. If the prospect for falling prices becomes entrenched even free money will be expensive. Just over four months ago when crude oil reached nearly US$150 a barrel, many central bankers remained keenly focused ...

Three rich beggars

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 21 NOV 2008
'There's a delicious irony in seeing private luxury jets flying into Washington D.C. and people coming off of them with tin cups in their hands.' This was US Democratic representative Gary Ackerman's comments to the CEO's of the big three US carmakers ...

Don't worry, be happy

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 20 NOV 2008
'Be careful what you wish for.' If there is only one thing Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Glenn Stevens will be remembered by, it could be his rational warning to Australians. In a speech before a function sponsored by the Committee for Economic ...

The best forecaster

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 19 NOV 2008
Those of you who still remember the 'Maestro' - former US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan - would also recall one of his musings, the long-term interest rate conundrum. In his testimony before the US Congress in February 2005, Greenspan declared ...

Main Street is burning

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 18 NOV 2008
Wall Street was at first content to wait while the G20 Generals fiddle but Citigroup's announcement of a 53,000 reduction in its workforce brought home the point that Main Street is roasting. After initially fluctuating between both sides of zero, the ...