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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Sponsors' Action Plans Mitigate Number Of CreditWatch Placements In EMEA Structured Finance Due To Updated Counterparty Criteria

Sponsors' Action Plans Mitigate Number Of CreditWatch Placements In EMEA Structured Finance Due To Updated Counterparty Criteria (00:09:26 min)

Updates to Standard & Poor's Ratings Services' methodology for assessing counterparty risk in structured finance became effective on Jan. 18, 2011. As a result, we placed nearly 2,000 Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) structured finance ratings on CreditWatch negative, affecting 30% of transactions that we rate. However, many other transactions' sponsors provided us with action plans to mitigate any potential rating effect from the criteria update. In this CreditMatters TV segment, Senior Director Andrew South reveals the asset classes in which CreditWatch actions were most widespread, and discusses which sectors had the most action plans from transaction sponsors.

S&P's Updated Criteria For Rating U.S. States

Standard & Poor's Updated Criteria For Rating U.S. States

Jan 18, 2011 | 00:05:24 min

On Jan. 3, 2011, Standard & Poor’s published “U.S. State Ratings Methodology,” which updates our existing criteria for rating U.S. states and territories. This follows the publication of our request for comment concerning proposed criteria revisions in May 2010. In this podcast, Managing Director Robin Prunty discusses the scope of the new criteria, our updated analytical framework for rating the states, potential rating implications, comments we received, and more.


http://www.podcasts.standardandpoors.com/

Friday, January 14, 2011

Muni bond fears run wild

Muni bond fears run wild

By Charles Riley, staff reporterJanuary 14, 2011: 3:20 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Municipal bonds continued to sell off this week, as worried investors fled the market, and the media continued to churn out stories about state and local governments struggling with severe budget shortfalls.

It's easy enough to understand the concern. A growing number of states, including some of the biggest -- like California and Illinois -- face budget shortfalls of billions of dollars.

(more)

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The ‘New Normal’ Is Actually Pretty Old

The ‘New Normal’ Is Actually Pretty Old
By CATHERINE RAMPELL
Everything old is new again, including normality.

I had the pleasure of attending the American Economics Association’s annual conference this weekend, and over the course of many meetings with various brilliant thinkers one theme persisted: Everyone needs to get over the fear of the “new normal.”

......

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Catching of one’s breath on Frankfurt’s market for office space

Catching of one’s breath on Frankfurt’s market for office space
5 Jan, 2011, Frankfurt

The annual property area turnover of 475,000 m² in 2010 represented an increase of about 36% over the result achieved in 2009

http://www.cushwake.com/

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Hiring surges in December, buoys economic outlook

Hiring surges in December, buoys economic outlook

(Reuters) - The number of U.S. private-sector jobs surged in December at a rate three times stronger than forecast, a hiring report showed, the most bullish signal in months that a recovery in the world's biggest economy is shifting up a gear.

The ADP Employer Services private-sector jobs report logged its biggest-ever rise on Wednesday. It comes two days ahead of the U.S. government's closely watched and more comprehensive payrolls report for December, spurring many economists to raise their forecasts for that data.

......

2011: Happy New Job!

2011: Happy New Job!

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- "Hire more workers" appears to be a popular New Year's resolution for employers this year.

Economists are raising their forecasts for employment growth, as various job readings are suggesting that the long-awaited hiring boom may finally be here -- or at least near.

"http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/05/news/economy/jobs_outlook/index.htm

Monday, December 20, 2010

Request For Comment: S&P's Proposed Criteria For Rating Bond Anticipation Notes

Request For Comment: Standard & Poor's Proposed Criteria For Rating Bond Anticipation Notes (00:08:48 min)

On Dec. 20, 2010, we published a request for comment concerning proposed revisions to our criteria for rating bond anticipation notes. The piece focuses on our proposed linkage between the long-term rating on the type of debt intended to retire the notes and the short-term rating on them. In this podcast, Standard & Poor's credit analyst Gabriel Petek discusses the scope of the proposed critieria, the public's responses, our framework for bond anticipation note analysis, and more.

Monday, December 13, 2010

PRN: Lyxor Asset Management Expands Operational Due Diligence Capabilities

Lyxor Asset Management Expands Operational Due Diligence Capabilities

NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Lyxor Asset Management Inc. has hired Nicole Sivel, expanding its Operational Due Diligence capabilities. Ms. Sivel will assume a senior role within the Operational Due Diligence team, focusing on the review and evaluation of all operational aspects related to potential and existing hedge fund investments.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Business Insider: 30 Bernanke Quotes That Are So Absurd You Won’t Know Whether To Laugh Or Cry

Business Insider

30 Bernanke Quotes That Are So Absurd You Won’t Know Whether To Laugh Or Cry
Michael Snyder, The Economic Collapse | Dec. 8, 2010, 11:05 AM

Did you see Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on 60 Minutes the other night? Bernanke portrayed the Federal Reserve as the great protector of the U.S. economy, he claimed that unemployment would be 15 percent higher if the Federal Reserve had sat back and done nothing during the financial crisis and he even started laying the groundwork for a third round of quantitative easing.