The U.S. stock market’s downward trend appears to be continuing, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 down 4% and 6% respectively since the beginning of the year. And that’s just one of many signs that should prompt any sensible business leader, investor or policymaker to start preparing for an economic slowdown …
Category: Developed Economies
analysis for Developed economies
The Greek Economy is Moving on Shattered Ground
The Greek economy is starving, unable to breathe, and this is clearly evident from a survey by the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry published last week. The ACC is calling on the government to correct the suffocating situation faced by small and medium-sized enterprises due to government policy. They focus on the following: over-taxation, …
The US is “controlling” debt with inflation
There is an old joke among investors that, in our time, is tragically accurate. Countries start by borrowing from each other. When that trust is gone, they borrow from the banks. And when that source is exhausted, they end up stealing from the people. This theft can appear in various forms: from taxes and special …
Return to the gold standard when Western central bankers dislike gold?
Donald Trump and Elon Musk have been particularly vocal about what’s been going on at Fort Knox lately, the location where America keeps its official gold reserves. Both have said they will visit the place soon to check it out and make sure the gold is there. According to Trump and Musk, they want to …
Trump administration cuts borrowing costs in two ways: Musk’s DOGE in spending and cheaper energy
By sidelining the Federal Reserve in order to lower borrowing costs for Americans, the Donald Trump administration says it will reduce government spending and increase energy supplies. The payoff will be twofold: it will ease inflationary pressures and strengthen the economy’s fiscal position. While President Trump continues to urge the Fed to lower short-term interest …
Can Bitcoin foreign exchange reserves prevent a US bankruptcy?
President Donald Trump has taken bold steps to position the United States as the global leader in the cryptocurrency industry. One of his first acts was to sign a bill titled “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology,” which aims to promote monetary innovation while ensuring regulatory clarity in the crypto space. The bill outlines …
Europe’s Welfare State: expensive and ineffective
European states have the largest welfare systems among OECD members and among the most expensive in the world, symbolizing the post-war social democratic social contract. But all of this has begun to be overturned with the pandemic and later the Ukrainian crisis as a starting point. At the same time, Europe’s economic dynamism has faded …
Trump will crush the dollar to revive the US economy
The new US administration will sail into uncharted waters to address the ongoing economic decline, as President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly pointed out – the transformation of monetary policy that followed the end of the gold standard is the core of his announced Make America Great Again strategy. The US’s “excessive monetary privilege” has enabled …
European Productivity: Slowdown with wage freezes and layoffs
Productivity in Europe is slowing, putting a damper on real wage increases, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has found. In its “World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2025” chapter, the ILO highlights that labour productivity has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic. Real labour productivity per hour worked in the EU-27 economies fell by 0.1% per …
FED – Cuts interest rates by 0.25% to a range of 4.25% to 4.50% – Forecast for two 0.25% cuts in 2025
The Federal Reserve (Fed) cut interest rates by 25 basis points to a range of 4.25% to 4.50%, confirming forecasts. At the same time, central bankers now predict that the central bank will proceed with only two 25 basis point interest rate cuts in 2025. As the Monetary Policy Committee (FOMC) stated in its decision, …