Rising Oil Prices Raise the Specter of a Double Dip

ECONOMY|FEBRUARY 24, 2011
Rising Oil Prices Raise the Specter of a Double Dip

By JUSTIN LAHART

A sustained and significant rise in oil prices could derail the U.S. economic recovery by stirring inflation and putting the brakes on spending.

Oil futures touched $100 a barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange Wednesday—the highest since before the financial crisis hit in late 2008—before pulling back. Pricier oil drives up the costs of everything from gas at the pump to the raw materials used to make nylon and food packaging. That could mean higher inflation and prompt consumers, who lately have shown more willingness to spend, to cut back their purchases.

Home Sales Rise as Prices Fall (WSJ)

HOMES|FEBRUARY 23, 2011, 11:12 A.M. ET
Home Sales Rise as Prices Fall

By TOM BARKLEY And JEFF BATER

WASHINGTON—Existing-home sales unexpectedly rose last month, though a drop in prices to their lowest level in nearly nine years suggests the housing market continues to search for a bottom.

Demand for used homes increased by 2.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.36 million in January, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday.

WJS: German Consumer Confidence Climbs

ECONOMY|FEBRUARY 22, 2011, 2:35 A.M. ET
German Consumer Confidence Climbs

By TOM FAIRLESS

FRANKFURT—German consumer confidence is set to rise further in March following a jump in income expectations, signaling that domestic demand will help underpin the country's brisk rebound from the financial crisis, German market research group GfK said Tuesday.

U.S. Economic Outlook And The Implications For Structured Finance (S&P)

Standard & Poor's U.S. Economic Outlook And The Implications For Structured Finance (00:06:18 min)

Over the winter, the U.S. economy picked up the pace, although we expect it to drag a bit during the second quarter. In this CreditMatters TV segment, Standard & Poor’s Chief Economist David Wyss provides our economic forecast for rest of 2011. Topics include GDP, unemployment, interest rates, inflation, home prices, consumer performance, and commercial real estate.

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Former JPMorgan Executive Starts Advisory Firm

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/former-jpmorgan-executive-winters-starts-advisory-firm/

FEBRUARY 17, 2011, 6:49 AM

Former JPMorgan Executive Starts Advisory Firm
BY JULIA WERDIGIER

William T. Winters, a former senior executive at JPMorgan Chase, has teamed up with the investment firms of Jacob Rothschild and the South African billionaire Johann P. Rupert to set up an asset management and advisory firm in London.

Bill Winters to Establish Renshaw Bay, a Global Alternative Asset Management and Advisory firm, in Partnership with Lord Rothschild's RIT and Mr Johann Rupert's Reinet

http://www.ritcap.com/news-item?item=583915836327601

RNS Number : 3765B
RIT Capital Partners PLC
17 February 2011

17 February 2011

RIT Capital Partners is pleased to announce its participation in the launch of a new global alternative asset management and advisory company and the intention to appoint Bill Winters, formerly Co-Chief Executive Officer of J P Morgan Investment Bank, as a non-executive director of RIT. The announcement released today by the new venture is reproduced in full below:

Bill Winters to Establish Renshaw Bay, a Global Alternative Asset Management and Advisory firm, in Partnership with Lord Rothschild's RIT and Mr Johann Rupert's Reinet

Bill Winters, formerly the Co-Chief Executive of JP Morgan Investment Bank, has teamed up with RIT Capital Partners plc, chaired by Lord (Jacob) Rothschild and Reinet Investments SCA, chaired by Mr Johann Rupert, to set up a new global alternative asset management and advisory company, Renshaw Bay. Mr Winters will become Chairman and Chief Executive, with Lord Rothschild and Mr Rupert joining as Directors.

Bill Winters Gets Rothschild Funding for Renshaw Bay

Bill Winters Gets Rothschild Funding for Renshaw Bay
By Simon Clark - Feb 17, 2011

Bill Winters, the former co-chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s investment bank, started an asset management and advisory firm with funding from Jacob Rothschild’s RIT Capital Partners Plc.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-17/bill-winters-gets-rothschild-funding-for-renshaw-bay-update2-.html

How Shifting Trends In Cable And Wireless Markets Are Shaping The U.S Telecom Industry

How Shifting Trends In Cable And Wireless Markets Are Shaping The U.S Telecom Industry (00:08:35 min)

Although Standard & Poor’s outlook on U.S. telecom and cable companies is stable for 2011, major industry shifts could affect credit quality. In this podcast, credit analysts Naveen Sarma and Michael Senno discuss some of the key issues confronting these issuers. Topics include Internet-based alternatives to cable, the possible effects of 4G networks and the impact of Verizon’s iPhone on the wireless market, and the potential credit implications for companies this year.

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SocGen's Greek unit Geniki says 2010 loss widens

ATHENS | Tue Feb 15, 2011 10:58am EST

Feb 15 (Reuters) - Geniki Bank (GHBr.AT), majority-owned by France's Societe Generale (SOGN.PA), said on Tuesday its losses more than tripled last year as Greece's economic woes caused a jump in bad debts.

Key Takeaways From The American Securitization Conference 2011

Structured Finance Research Week: Key Takeaways From The American Securitization Conference 2011 (00:05:38 min)

In this CreditMatters TV segment, Standard & Poor's Howard Esaki, head of Global Structured Finance Research, reviews the major issues discussed at the recent American Securitization conference in Orlando, Fla. Topics include the outlook for ABS and RMBS issuance in 2011, prospects for the U.S. economy, the residential real estate market, and banking.

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