Monthly jobs data

Posted by Jason Apollo Voss on Jun 3, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments This morning Automatic Data Processing (ADP) announced private sector job creation for the month of May.  According to the payroll firm 55,000 jobs were added last month by U.S. businesses.  This compares to an economist expected jobs added of 75,000.  April’s previously reported job creation of 32,000 was revised upward to 65,000. Separately, the Department of Labor reported that weekly...
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Credit ratings agency scrutiny by the EU

Posted by Jason Apollo Voss on Jun 3, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments Yesterday the European Commission announced the creation of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).  The Authority will be charged with both the regulation of, and monitoring of, credit ratings agencies.  As stated now ESMA would come into being next year.  The creation of this new European regulatory agency comes in the midst of a firestorm of criticism of the major credit ratings...
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Worst May DJIA performance since 1940?

Posted by Jason Apollo Voss on May 31, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments While factually true that May 2010 was the worst May since 1940, the Dow Jones Industrial Averages were down 122.36 or 1.2%, I feel subjectively this is not true.  Why? During May of 1940 the world was still just at the end of the Great Depression.  Furthermore, World War II was in full swing having started in September of 1939.  While, the United States was not involved directly in the war, it...
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Raid by Israel on Turkish aid convoy to the Gaza Strip

Posted by Jason Apollo Voss on May 31, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments During the night of May 31 Israel Defense Force (IDF) commandos raided a Turkish aid convoy bound for the Gaza Strip in the Palestinian occupied territories.  Initially it was reported that 10 of the passengers on the convoy were killed by the IDF, then that number was escalated to 16, and the latest information I saw says only 10 were killed. Reportedly Israel first contacted the aid convoy via...
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Home resales continue to rise

Posted by Jason Apollo Voss on May 24, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments April’s sales of existing homes rose 7.6% according to the National Association of Realtors.  What’s more March sales were revised upward to an increase of 7.0%.  However, the end of April marked the end of the Federal government’s first time home buyer tax credit. Analysis: While much of the investment world is wondering if the housing market can sustain itself sans the...
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The German parliament approves bailout package

Posted by Jason Apollo Voss on May 21, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments Good morning everyone! The EU bailout package was designed to reassure financial markets of the seriousness of European nations to handle their own financial affairs.  Needless to say, the financial markets were not reassured by the package.  Primarily the concerns seem to be focused on the inherent weakness of the EU structure.  Namely, is it possible to have a coordinated response when 27...
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A creative spark about financial regulation

Posted by Jason Apollo Voss on May 20, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments I thought I would share with you a creative inspiration I had this morning about financial regulation.  Currently banks and other financial institutions contribute monies to insurance programs such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).  What if these institutions were forbidden from taking on risks greater than the amount of insurance they had purchased?  That would mean that...
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