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Money Matters: Q3 and Q4

July 1, 2008 - 8:10am — Mitch McEwen
Things to watch for Q3 and Q4 of 2008:

- The spread between the European Central Bank rate and the Fed Funds rate. This is one of the major pressure points on the value of the U.S. dollar right now. Or is it? If the spread narrows, will the dollar stop its freefall?

- Municipal bonds. These are interesting both as investment vehicles and as predictors of U.S. cities' abilities to cope with the building economic crisis/recession. If muni interest rates get too high, cities will be under even more pressure to cut back on spending, especially for infrastructure projects.

- China. Have they overbuilt? Will their demand pressures on commodity prices ever cease (not just oil, but steel and iron ore, too), or are these long-term shifts in input costs for every international economy to swallow?

- South America. Brazil's discovered oil, Bolivia may be legalizing coca and the whole region seems to be gaining real independence from the U.S. Will the net effect of the region's changes be globally stabilizing or de-stabilizing? Why does de-stabilizing always sound so scary?

- Africa. The next China?

- Nokia vs. Apple. Two device companies competing for market share in entertainment distribution. This is what the near future of consumer business looks like.

- Bette. The L Word, last season. Will they finally explain to us how Bette manages to make so much damn money in the art world and academia? Or has it really been Tina paying most of the bills all along?

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7 Comments

July 3, 2008 - 12:08pm — foxyloxy

Observations

- Nokia vs. Apple. Hmmm....while I do see Nokia making gains in market share, the die-hard Apple users are certainly a force to be reckoned with. Should be interesting.

- Bette. The L Word. LOL Academia as a cash cow...I thought I was the ONLY one contemplating that idea... ~_^

*** ***
"It matters not Who you love, Where you love, Why you love, When you love, Or how you love, It matters only that you love." - Lennon

July 1, 2008 - 11:38pm — shane123

Further questions:

Further questions:
1. What will the dependence of China effect in the US?

2. How will the ECB build their headquater with 500 000 000 € in Frankfurt?

July 1, 2008 - 4:56pm — Lezbeth

So many questions

-What will our individual priorities be, food, gas or housing?

-Starbucks, are they finally getting the law of supply and demand by noticing that a store on every block isn't creating enough scarcity to make their customers clamor. Or are people asking themselves gas or latte?

-China - could their markets be experiencing fall-out from globalization including their investments in our financial sector and taking a hit with the mortgage debacle?

-Africa, the new China? It depends on the country and their ability to resolve the inter-tribal conflicts involved in governing within the colonial, not tribal boundaries.

-Bette and her money - she only sold that one piece (the fawn?) in what was it, the 2nd season when they fired her from the CAC? If her career involved being a successful art dealer, that might explain it.
Lezbeth

editor
July 1, 2008 - 10:46am — Grace Moon

re. Bette and the L Word

In the Last 5 years the value of contemporary art has increased 3 fold. the number of international Art Fairs have increased 10 fold or more. and the art market is still thriving in this poor economy.

All Bette has to do is sell a few pieces of art which she has collected over the years and she's good. she probably has works that possibly span 15 years, judging from the fact that she used to sell contemporary art, then became a director then an academic -- I gage her first purchases at a couple thousand of an emerging artist have increased significanly.

July 1, 2008 - 4:39pm — Peacekitty

Thanks for the information,

Thanks for the information, I enjoyed reading that. Do you know why the value of contemporary art has increased so much over the last few years? Is it just contemporary art that is increasing in popularity?

I just visited the Corning Glass Museum in NY. I didn't think it would impress me very much, but I was totally awestruck. I was amazed at some of the symbolism behind the glass artwork. Some of the older pieces were very kitsch, but the contemporary pieces were stunning.

"the art market is still thriving in this poor economy."

I'm thinking that people who can afford to collect expensive art probably aren't affected too much by the poor economy anyway.

July 1, 2008 - 4:40pm — Peacekitty

I love your last question.

I love your last question. College Deans don't make that much...at least not enough to have the digs that Bette does. Good point.

July 1, 2008 - 8:41am — chasingsunset

q3 and q4

- Oil @ $170-$200
- America admitting stagflation has made a comeback while swimming in a bear market mess.
- America.... Obama? A Mc Cain win will be the upset of the century so far.
- Africa - Hopefully someone will assasinate Mugabe
- Brazil - topping growth forecasts for the BRIC nations
- India & China - fighting inflation
- European Central Bank (ECB) - taking greater measures to slow down inflation while dealing with their housing sector slump.
- Caribbean - Trinidad & Tobago battling to become an Internation Financial Centre (see Cayman Islands), at a faster pace currently than Jamaica and Dominican Republic
- Another country dropping out of OPEC?
- Frontier economies growth coming closer to Emerging economies levels....
- Blue Chips stocks don't do as well as in the past.
- BHP and Rio Tinto...... Yahoo and Microsoft..... Anheuser Busch and InBev... which Merger/Takeover will happen first? Let's watch.
And in football...... Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Man Utd to join Real Madrid......?!
The markets rule.