Posts From Alex Christensen
Draghi risks becoming the Boy Who Cried Wolf over QE
Recent remarks by ECB President Mario Draghi have promised to tackle the near-recession level of activity plaguing the Eurozone. But while words have come often, there has been far less
Will low oil prices affect the US Fed’s decisions?
Falling oil prices are the newest wrench in the Fed’s decision making, but the effect might seem counter-intuitive. Since the Fed’s last meeting in October, oil prices have fallen 25%. With
6 reasons 2015 will be defined by market volatility
Markets spent most of 2014 calmly moving up, but 2015 may be a different story. Outside of a brief surge in volatility in October, markets were complacent throughout 2014. Even
Four consequences of Obama’s immigration action
The rift between Republican and Democratic characterizations of President Obama’s executive order on undocumented immigrants could hardly be wider. The actions, which were carefully announced after the midterm elections but
Forex scandal exposes difficulty of financial regulation
The latest foreign exchange fixing (forex) scandal, which led to a $4.3 billion bank settlement with American, British, and Swiss regulators reinforces the difficulties of effectively regulating the financial markets.
Headwinds for the US and UK economies
Economies in the UK and US are bright spots in the developed world, but not quite bright enough to instill confidence. If there has been one trend across the developed
Three perspectives on falling oil prices
Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the US will feel the effects of oil prices in radically different ways. It would be logical to think that the emergence of ISIL would have
3 things to watch in emerging market currencies
The US dollar has been on a tear since July, and its effect are beginning to hit emerging markets. First there was the taper tantrum, then another, then another. Emerging markets
Inversion rules transform US tax reform debate
The new US rules to discourage tax inversions are surprisingly tough, and set the table for tax reform debates in 2015. The ongoing tax inversion debate in the US can
US credit rating reform comes up short
US legislators have proposed several reforms of the US credit rating system. Yet, incentives for credit agencies remain misaligned, while a new subprime market begins to grow. Financial regulation in
