Quarterly National Accounts - GDP Growth - Third Quarter 2010, OECD
November 22, 2010--OECD GDP growth slows to 0.6% in the third quarter of 2010
Gross domestic product (GDP) in the OECD area grew by 0.6% in the third quarter of 2010. This marks the sixth consecutive quarter of growth, but is down on the 0.9% recorded in the second quarter.
Euro area and European Union GDP grew by 0.4%, down from the 1.0% recorded in the previous quarter. At 0.7%, growth in Germany remained relatively robust but this was still sharply down on the record 2.3% growth recorded in the previous quarter. GDP growth also slowed in France (0.4%), Italy (0.2%) and the United Kingdom (0.8%). Growth rates accelerated in Japan (0.9%) and, marginally, in the United States (0.5%), compared to the previous quarter.
Relative to a year earlier, GDP in the OECD area expanded by 3.1%, the same rate as in the previous quarter.
Source: OECD
Physical commodities draw scrutiny
November 22, 2010--Regulators are to examine trading in some of the biggest physical commodity markets, where actual raw materials such as oil change hands, expanding efforts to overhaul their oversight of derivatives.
In contrast to financial commodities markets, which are tightly scrutinised by national watchdogs, the global physical market is largely unregulated. The industry relies on common law and on private pricing agencies for price discovery.
Source: FT.com
November 2010 Monthly Preliminary Performance Report Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Indexes
November 22, 2010--The Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index was down 1.47% for the month of November. The Dow Jones-UBS Single Commodity Indexes for Silver, Feeder Cattle and Lean Hogs had the strongest gains with month-to-date returns of 10.64%, 5.96%, and 5.58%, respectively. The three most significant downside performing single commodity indexes were Zinc, Corn and Sugar, which were down 11.15%, 10.31%, and 10.20% respectively, in November.
Year to date, the Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index is up 4.25% with the Dow Jones-UBS Cotton Sub-Index posting the highest gain of 68.29% so far in 2010. Dow Jones-UBS Natural Gas Sub-Index has the most significant downside YTD performance, down 42.22%.
Source: Mondovisione
Private Equity Faces Fund-Raising Crunch
November 19, 2010--Wall Street Journal reports, private equity is in a tight spot. Buyout firms are sitting on $450 billion in uncommitted capital they raised before the financial crisis. Now, they are rushing to spend it before the cash must be returned to investors.
That is driving up the cost of making new investments at a time when debt still is scarce. That could make life difficult for the many firms hoping to raise new funds in 2011 after a three-year break.
Source: Wall Street Interactive
The World Bank Launches a New Digital Collection: The Complete World Development Report Online
November 18, 2010-- A new online collection of all World Development Reports since 1978 was launched today by the World Bank.
The Complete World Development Report Online, which allows users to easily access and search across these World Bank annual flagship publications, is free and open to the public and may be accessed at http://wdronline.worldbank.org.
For over thirty years, the annual WDR has provided a window on development economics to a broad international readership. The report has served as one of the principal vehicles for encapsulating the World Bank’s knowledge of and policy recommendations on key global development trends. From agriculture and the environment to economic growth and international trade, the WDR has tracked theoretical and empirical findings as well as policies in the field of international development.
Source: World Bank
Economy: Growth picking up steam but recovery uneven, says OECD Economic Outlook
November 18, 2010--Economic activity in OECD countries will gradually pick up steam over the coming two years, but the recovery will be uneven and unemployment will remain persistently high, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Outlook.
With the functioning of the financial sector returning to normal and households and business in a position to renew spending and investment, the main challenge facing governments today is moving from a policy-driven recovery toward self-sustained growth.
“As stimulus is withdrawn, governments will have to provide a credible medium-term framework, to stabilise expectations and strengthen confidence, particularly for the private sector,” OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said. “Enhanced confidence could result in a faster-than-projected recovery"
Source: OECD
Ernest & Young Report-Cash-in-the-barrell: Benchmarking and analysis of working capital management in the oil and gas industry
November 18, 2010--Benchmarking and analysis of working capital management in the oil and gas industry.
Source: Ernest & Young
US Tsy's Wolin: Committed To Implement Basel III 'On Time'
November 17, 2010--The U.S. is committed to applying Basel III standards "on time" and implementing tougher capital requirements on banks' trading books, all while it continues implementation of Basel II, U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin said Wednesday.
In prepared remarks to the London Stock Exchange, Wolin also welcomed the Financial Stability Board's work "to strengthen the intensity of supervision of the systemically important financial institutions" and the European Commission's proposals on central clearing of derivatives.
"We commend the European Commission's proposals on central clearing," Wolin said, stressing that derivatives should "reduce risk, not magnify it."
Derivatives regulation is one of the areas where global convergence is essential, he said.
read more Source: Marketnews.com
China and Europe rattle markets
November 16, 2010--Rising inflation in China and deepening financial turmoil in Europe rattled global markets, triggering widespread falls in both stocks and commodities on investor concerns of slower economic growth.
Major stock markets from Asia, Europe to the US were sharply lower on Tuesday, while European government bond yields ...
Source: FT.com
Bloomberg to launch water data and analysis service
Media giant adds to ESG service offering
November 16, 2010--Global media and data giant Bloomberg says it plans to launch a service focusing on water in early in 2011. "We ourselves will be launching a water service in the New Year,” said Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Speaking at the presentation of the Carbon Disclosure Project’s new Water Disclosure project’s inaugural results in London, Liebreich cited the “very poor information” currently available on water usage. “Water is the next big challenge,” he said.
Source: Bloomberg