Resources
Long View
Fears of US double-dip recession
Government props are still essential, not least in the housing markets. Sustaining these is not easy, writes Aline van Duyn
Principal content
US inflation figures rattle markets
Yields on short-dated US Treasury bonds rose to their highest level in over three years, as the latest inflation figures underlined fears that interest rates would have to rise faster.
The Short View: Clock ticking for credit spreads
The General Motors profit warning last week seems to have ignited a feeling that the boom times for the credit markets are over. Spreads over government debt finally reached their nadir. However, the critical point might not yet have been reached, writes Philip Coggan.
Market sell-off hints at end of risky era
Investors are wondering if the market sell-off last week marks the end of a long love affair with risky assets and the beginning of a switch into less volatile...
Risk concerns weigh on emerging markets
Emerging markets bonds, stocks and currencies took a hit as investors worried that a long-running rally might finally have peaked.
GM bond fall knocks wider markets
The slump in General Motors' bonds could signal a possible turning point in the credit cycle. Other markets were rattled by the GM move and Treasuries gained as jittery investors shifted into the traditional safe haven.
Falling appetite for risk threatens refinancing
Companies could face “significant” difficulties in refinancing debt over the next three years if market appetite for risk declines, analysts at Moody's Investor Services have warned.
The Short View: The lowdown on credit spreads
Credit spreads, as has been widely noted, are low by historical standards. Now the consultancy Smithers & Co has come up with an intriguing theory for this phenomenon: the tax system. But might there be an alternative explanation, asks Philip Coggan.
Growing fears credit boom may implode
Bankruptcy advisers are hiring extra staff amid fears that an end to the global credit boom could spark a surge in business failures in the US and Europe.
Lex: Takeover premiums
M&A volumes in the US rose more than 40 per cent last year and this year has also got off to a strong start. But takeover premiums have stayed relatively low.
One-way bond betting causes concern
Benign credit market conditions are reflected in calm reactions to the potential downgrade of GM’s bonds. But conditions can change, writes Deborah Hargreaves.
