IMF Eliminates Borrowing Cap On Rescue Facility In Anticipation Of Europe Crisis 2.0; US Prepares To Print Fresh Trillions In "Rescue" Linen

Back in April, when we discussed the inception of the IMF's then brand new New Arrangement to Borrow (NAB) $500 billion credit facility, we asked rhetorically, "If the IMF believes that over half a trillion in short-term funding is needed imminently, is all hell about to break loose." A month later the question was answered, as Greece lay smoldering in the ashes of insolvency, and the developed world was on the hook for almost a trillion bucks to make sure the tattered eurozone remained in one piece (leading to such grotesque abortions as Ireland, whose cost of debt is approaching 6%, funding Greek debt at 5%). Well, if that was the proverbial canary in the coalmine, today the entire flock just keeled over and died: today the IMF announced it "expanded and enhanced its lending tools to help contain the occurrence of financial crises." As a result, the IMF has as of today extended the duration of its existing Flexible Credit Line (FCL) to two years, concurrently removing the borrowing cap on this facility, which previously stood at 1000 percent of a member’s IMF quota, in essence making the FCL a limitless credit facility, to be used to rescue whomever, at the sole discretion of the IMF's overlords.

Let’s Make a Deal: How the Mergers-and-Acquisitions Boom Will Hurt the U.S. Economy

With its $39 billion hostile bid for Canada's Potash Corp. (NYSE: POT), mining giant BHP Billiton Ltd. (NYSE ADR: BHP) capped an active August in the mergers-and-acquisitions market. With the moribund growth prospects of the U.S. economy, there would seem to be no great urgency for companies to go on an M&A spree, yet the total value of announced buyout deals for August alone has topped $175 billion. Cynics are reaching only one conclusion: With interest rates so low and corporations so cash-rich, it seems that company management teams would rather do anything with that cash than to give it back to shareholders via stock buybacks or boosted dividends. And those deals signal additional trouble ahead for the U.S. economy.

Brace yourself: markets have further to fall

The City may have shut up shop yesterday for the Bank Holiday, but it was business as usual elsewhere in the world. And investors weren't in a cheery mood at all.

UK consumer confidence rises sharply despite austerity onslaught

UK consumer confidence bounced back sharply in August despite the austerity onslaught and rising fears of a double-dip recession, confouding those who thought fiscal tightening would set off a self-feeding downward spiral.

Backlash over China curb on metal exports

China's draconian export curbs on rare earth minerals needed by the rest of the world for frontier technologies is escalating into a serious diplomatic and trade clash with the United States and other leading powers.

The True Value of Gold

Demand for gold has risen since September 2008, when the financial crisis began roiling the markets, following the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Investors may have lost faith in paper money, but by June this year, $81.6 billion was stored in gold-backed, exchange-traded funds -- more than eight times the amount invested in March 2006. Meanwhile, the Rand refinery in South Africa, which produces the world's most popular gold coin, the krugerrand, has been forced to increase production to keep up with demand. And in May the Austrian Mint sold 238,000 ounces of its Vienna Philharmonic coin, a six-fold increase in a year.

Commercial Property Owners Choose to Default

Like homeowners walking away from mortgaged houses that plummeted in value, some of the largest commercial-property owners are defaulting on debts and surrendering buildings worth less than their loans.

Chinese Inflation Could Be 80% Higher Than Reported In July

China's official consumer inflation statistic hit a 21-month high in July -- at just 3.3%. While the figure is nearly hitting a two-year high, but some are questioning the accuracy of the official inflation data, because prices seem to rising much faster based on anecdotal information. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-inflation-2010-8#ixzz0xzvgeqAj

It pays to riot in Europe

Ireland must now pay more than Greece to borrow. Dublin has played by the book. It has taken pre-emptive steps to please the markets and the EU. It has done an IMF job without the IMF. Indeed, is has gone further than the IMF would have dared to go. It has imposed draconian austerity measures. The solidarity of the country has been remarkable. There have no riots, and no terrorist threats.

Fed in emergency bid to put bailout ruling on hold

The Federal Reserve asked a U.S. appeals court to delay implementing a ruling that would force the central bank to disclose details of its emergency lending programs to banks during the financial crisis.

Fed's Bernanke says 'pre-conditions for US growth in place', buoys global markets

Ben Bernake, the Federal Reserve chairman, buoyed global stock markets on Friday when he said that despite a recent slowdown in the US recovery the “pre-conditions” for growth in 2011 are “in place”.

US economic growth revised down to sluggish 1.6pc

The US economy grew at a slower annual rate in the second quarter than previously estimated, the Commerce Department said on Friday.

US jobless claims fall more than expected to 473,000

New claims for unemployment benefit dropped sharply in the US last week – but remain much higher than they would be in a healthy economy.

Bank of England will use 'all powers' to stave off any future crisis

The deputy governor of the Bank of England signalled that the Bank would make aggressive use of new powers planned by the Government to head off any future financial crisis.

Gold Spikes As World Gold Council Says Gold Demand Surges 36% In Q2, Sees Ongoing Demand Out Of China And Europe

Rumors of Gold's imminent death in a liquidation-driven collapse continue to be greatly exaggerated, and in fact the shiny metal continues to perform inversely to stocks, which take on ever more water, and is a confirmation that the market expects continued dollar destruction courtesy of the Marriner Eccles residents. And courtesy of the World Gold Council's just released Gold Demand Trends update, there is an explosion in demand for the precious metal which will likely not cease any time soon: in a nutshell, in Q2 demand for gold surged by 36% from 770 tonnes to 1,050 tonnes: a huge move, and one which solidifies the thesis for a fundamental rise in gold, aside from all the talk that gold is now just a backstop to Central Bank idiocy. Lastly, the WGC sees a huge demand coming out of Chinese consumers for gold in the future which will provide a constant bid floor: "Recent developments in China are likely to have positive longer-term implications for this increasingly important market.

Bank of Korea `Under Pressure' to Boost Gold Holdings, Shinhan's Oh Says

The Bank of Korea, which has shunned adding gold to foreign-exchange reserves, is “under pressure” to consider purchases as the global economy worsens and the price advances, Shinhan BNP Paribas Asset Management Co. said.

Morgan Stanley Says Government Defaults Inevitable

Investors face defaults on government bonds given the burden of aging populations and the difficulty of increasing tax revenue, according to a Morgan Stanley executive director. “Governments will impose a loss on some of their stakeholders,” Arnaud Mares in the firm’s London office wrote in a research report today. “The question is not whether they will renege on their promises, but rather upon which of their promises they will renege, and what form this default will take.” The sovereign-debt crisis is global “and it is not over,” he wrote.

UK bank accounting rules 'fatally flawed', warns influential watchdog

The Government has been warned of a “regulatory fiasco” in which British banks have apparently adhered to flawed reporting standards for more than five years.

3 Reasons Why The World's Biggest Miner Is Worried About The Global Economy

From BHP Billiton's mid-year presentation, here are the three reasons they're concerned about what the future holds. Austerity, Debt Levels and China.

The two key numbers you must watch out for on the US stock market

I am becoming increasingly worried about global stock markets. I'm starting to think we may even have another rout on our hands. So today I want to take a look at the technical action of the market, and consider where we might be headed next. I have been saying since April that cash is the place to be. And, I'll warn you now, my opinion hasn't changed. The action I am seeing is ugly – and I'm concerned it could get uglier...

Illinois Teachers' Retirement System selling off $3B to cover benefits

Illinois Teachers' Retirement System, Springfield, plans to sell $3 billion in investments, or about 10% of its $33.1 billion in assets, in the current fiscal year to pay pension benefits, according to Dave Urbanek, public information officer.

California Delays $2.9 Billion School, County Payments Amid Budget Impasse

California will delay paying $2.9 billion of subsidies to schools and counties in September, a month earlier than projected, to save cash amid an impasse that has left the state without a budget for 54 days.

Existing-home sales plunge 27.2%

Inventory of unsold homes jumps to 11-year high. The sale of existing U.S. homes sank 27.2% in July -- the biggest one-month drop ever -- largely because of the phase-out of a federal tax credit, according to an industry trade group.

Markets sell-off as recovery fears trigger flight to safety

Stock and commodity markets across the world suffered a torrid sell-off on Tuesday as investors fled for safe havens amid new fears over the durability of the global recovery.

China in Focus: Britain needs to buck up in Beijing

As Britain braces itself for a decade of austerity at home, it is clearer than ever that the long road back to prosperity will run though the emerging markets of China, Brazil, India and Russia. In a series of articles, Telegraph.co.uk examines the opportunities and obstacles for British business in the largest of those economies – China.

BoA sees US double-dip danger from `fiscal chicken'

Bank of America has accused the Democrats and Republicans in Congress of endangering the US economy in a game "fiscal chicken", risking a grave policy error by tightening too early.

PwC warns of 'slowth' decade for house prices

UK house prices will not recover to their 2007 peak for another decade, once the effects of inflation are included, the world's largest accounting firm has warned.

Clean-Coal Technology Makes A Big Move - To China

Colorado-based Evergreen Energy Inc. (NYSE:EEE) may have found a way to turn coal into a clean fuel. And so it has embarked on a pioneering joint venture... in the country that needs that technology most. Teaming up with Beijing Gang Jing Hong Ren Technology (BGJHR), Evergreen has far more at stake than its $500,000 commitment. This is a pilot test of the company's breakthrough new clean-coal technology. And Evergreen's survival rides in the balance.

Economists React: Consumer Can’t Drive Recovery

Economists and others weigh in on the increase in retail sales.

Greek crisis refuses to go away

he European Commission has approved the next €9bn (£7.4bn) tranche of loans for Greece but the underlying economy continues to deteriorate as Greek banks suffer a record loss of deposits and output contracts at a quickening pace.

401(k) withdrawals spike

Hardship withdrawals from 401(k) retirement saving plans rose to the highest level in 10 years during the second quarter, Fidelity Investments said on Friday, in the latest sign of a dismal economy.

The best way to profit from China's potential

China now looks set to become the world's second biggest economy this year, ahead of Japan. Japan's nominal GDP for the second quarter came in at $1.288 trillion. That compares to $1.337 trillion for China. The process has been helped by the fact that Japan's economy slowed by more than expected in the second quarter.

Bank of England's King forced to write another letter to Osborne as prices stay high

The Bank of England governor has been forced to write his third letter this year to the Chancellor to explain why prices across the economy are rising faster than they should be.

Eurozone inflation hits 20-month high on energy and food price increases

Inflation rose to a 20-month high in the eurozone, driven by higher energy and food prices.

Why China has already overtaken the U.S. in cleantech

It's been fashionable to debate whether China will some day surpass the U.S. in clean technology. Yet, after reviewing some of the metrics that really matter, one could conclude that it already has.

Is BofA Bailing on its Asset Management Business?

Bank of America is rumored to be considering selling its 34% stake in BlackRock, according to The Wall Street Journal. Now the question is whether the bank is looking to get out of asset management altogether.

Mortgage industry cuts forecast for UK reposessions

The mortgage industry has cut its forecasts for repossessions as the numbers of people losing their properties or in arrears continued to fall.

US jobless claims close to six-month high

America's unemployment situation continues to worsen, with the number of new claimants for out-of-work benefits rising to a near-six month high last week.

US banks seizing homes at record levels

Repossessions of houses and flats by major US banks is at close to an all-time high as the American housing market continues to struggle.

Eurozone economy grows faster than the US

The eurozone economy grew at the fastest pace in four years in the second quarter as it surged past a retreating United States.

An Anemic Economic Recovery Keeps the Fed From Focusing on Inflation

With interest rates near zero and a balance sheet that's in excess of $2 trillion, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke would be very glad to offload some of the Fed's obligations. But so far he's has been unable to do so, as an anemic economic recovery continues to monopolize his attention.

U.S. Is Bankrupt and We Don't Even Know It: Laurence Kotlikoff

Let’s get real. The U.S. is bankrupt. Neither spending more nor taxing less will help the country pay its bills.

Morgan Stanley: There's A Massive Short Position In The Dollar Right Now

Stephen Hull at Morgan Stanley believes much of the FOMC's meeting was already priced-into the dollar, highlighting a massive net-short position which has accumulated. The most likely path is for the U.S. dollar to bottom, then strengthen he believes, either due to better than expected U.S. economic data or worse than expected non-U.S. economic data.

Trade gap likely points to slower economic growth

A decline in exports and a sharp rise in imports pushed the U.S. trade deficit in June to its widest point since October 2008, raising new concerns about the weakening economic recovery.

Irish debt under fire on fresh bank jitters

Ireland’s borrowing costs have begun flashing warning signs again on fears the full damage from the country’s banking crisis has yet to surface.

Bank of England backs Coalition cuts despite double-dip fears

The Coalition's spending cuts have won the Bank of England's seal of approval despite increasing the chances of a double dip recession.

The Fed’s Treasury Purchase Plan is Just Further Proof That It’s in the Denial About the Dollar

This week's decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve to buy Treasuries in an effort to prop up borrowing is further proof that the economy is worse off than policymakers would have us believe. But more than that, the Fed's Treasury purchase plan is just one more reason for investors to anticipate inflation and take steps to protect their money from it. In case you missed the news, here's what happened...

Reagan insider: 'GOP destroyed U.S. economy'

"How my G.O.P. destroyed the U.S. economy." Yes, that is exactly what David Stockman, President Ronald Reagan's director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote in a recent New York Times op-ed piece, "Four Deformations of the Apocalypse."

Employment jumps thanks to part-timers and retirees working

The number of people working in Britain jumped by the largest amount in over two decades, pushing down unemployment to 2.46 million and giving hope that the crisis in unemployment could be coming to an end.

US Federal Reserve starts 'QE-lite' to placate markets

America's central bank attempted to reinvigorate the country's fading economic recovery by starting what has been dubbed "Quantitative Easing-lite" by one economist.

Rising Food Prices in Asia

Airtime: Mon. Aug. 9 2010 | :30:0 m. ET As food prices begin to creep up in Singapore, CNBC's Sri Jegarajah speaks to CIMB's Song Seng Wun about what measures the government can take to contain the emerging inflationary pressures, in this Cost Concern special.

China pushes for gold; India follows suit

Hot on China's heels, India's Central bank is mulling a proposal to allow banks to trade in gold. If cleared, the move will only strengthen the validity of the bull case for the metal.

Food inflation is a rumble that won't go away

Is the era of cheap food coming to an end? With wheat prices jumping 20pc last week after the failure of the Russian harvest, fears of an imminent food shock have once again emerged.

Greece's tough action to cut deficit wins praise from IMF

Greek efforts to implement a package of unpopular austerity measures to tackle its debt crisis have enjoyed a "strong start" according to the European Commission, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank.

Duration of Unemployment

Here a graph that shows the duration of unemployment as a percent of the civilian labor force. The graph shows the number of unemployed in four categories: less than 5 week, 6 to 14 weeks, 15 to 26 weeks, and 27 weeks or more.

An August Surprise from Obama?

Main Street may be about to get its own gigantic bailout. Rumors are running wild from Washington to Wall Street that the Obama administration is about to order government-controlled lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to forgive a portion of the mortgage debt of millions of Americans who owe more than what their homes are worth.

Snap up this US share while the markets aren't watching

The end of last week saw the usual first Friday of the month US market freak out. That's the day when the US Labor Department publishes its latest 'non-farm payrolls' number. This shows how many jobs have been created, or lost, in America's economy.

John Williams: Times That Try Our Souls

When Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke admits to seeing an "unusually uncertain" economy ahead, it's pretty terrifying to imagine what he's really thinking. What John Williams envisions—and he's by no means looking to the far horizon—is a systemic collapse, a hyperinflationary great depression and the cessation of normal commerce. Despite that bleak outlook, however, when the economist and editor of ShadowStats.com sat down for this exclusive Energy Report interview, he also had some good news.

Gold crawls back -- radical bugs vindicated?

Gold seems to have stemmed its recent summer slide -- perhaps vindicating the gold bugs who watch physical demand, primarily from India.

Commercial property shares are still a 'sell'

The banks' results have dominated the news flow on the stock market this week.

Why Britain's consumers and companies should ignore exhortations to borrow more

Economies such as the UK's don't recover in a real and sustainable way from traumas like the credit crisis without fundamental and lasting change taking place first.

Hot political summer as China throttles rare metal supply and claims South China Sea

The United States and Europe have been remarkably insouciant about supplies of rare earth minerals so crucial to frontier technologies, from hybrid engines to mobile phones, superconductors, radar and smart bombs.

Banks report $450 trln i-rate derivatives-TriOptima

Outstanding volumes in privately traded interest-rate derivatives stood at around $450 trillion at the end of June, with around 47 percent of the market being placed in central counterparties, TriOptima, which records trades in the market, said on Wednesday.

ICI Reports 13th Consecutive Week of Massive Domestic Equity Outflows As Banks Start To Panic

What more can we say here that we have not said for 12 times in a row already. Retail investors are dunzo. The latest update from ICI shows that the week ended July 28 saw a record 13th consecutive outflow from domestic mutual funds as stocks bloody surged. Good thing the HFT algos can now essentially communicate with each other in the actual unique flow patterns of cancelled stock bids, thereby announcing to all other participants the plans of one which promptly become those of all, in the most under the radar concerted effort to "club" the market's HFT participants as one big trading force.

The Unemployment Rate May Be Sliding, But Food Stamp Use Isn't .

The labor market continues to be the key concern of all those watching the American economy, with the jobs report due on Friday. But what about the further impact of high unemployment, and the programs the government has had to expand to meet the needs of those without jobs?

What rising food prices mean for your investments

Wheat prices are surging in the wake of a drought and wildfires in Russia.

Gold Takeovers Set Record to Boost Fees at BMO, HSBC, Merrill

Global gold mining takeovers set a record this year with “chest-beating” miners chasing deals as the price of the metal surged, boosting fees at advisory banks BMO Capital Markets, HSBC Bank Plc and Merrill Lynch.

US Treasury yields fall to record low on Fed's 'QE lite' plan

Yields on short-term US Treasury debt have fallen to the lowest in history on mounting expectations of extra stimulus from the Federal Reserve.

China Plans to Help Bullion Producers Expand Overseas, Central Bank Says

China, the world’s largest gold producer, will support overseas investment plans by “large- scale” bullion companies by backing them financially, the People’s Bank of China said. Banks should extend credit lines to gold producers and offer loans for overseas acquisitions, the central bank said today in a statement on its website. The government will “support” the companies when they issue corporate bonds and help reduce financing costs, it said, without clarifying what that meant.

How much further can the US dollar fall?

The fall in the US dollar over the past two months has been simply breathtaking.

Bush-Era Tax Cuts Should Remain, House's Pence Says

Congress should retain tax cuts passed under former President George W. Bush without offsetting the $40 billion cost of including families earning more than $250,000, said Indiana Representative Mike Pence, the third- ranking U.S. House Republican leader.

US Environmental Protection Agency warns against slow adoption of renewable energy

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has spoken out against those that deny that the impact of climate change is real and threatening to public health, stating they will slow the country’s adoption of clean energy.

Smartphones pose a threat to debit and credit cards in the US

Debit and credit cards may become a thing of the past if a new trial involving Barclays and a host of US mobile phone companies bears fruit.