Many Greeks have always preferred not to pay taxes, and to retire in their 50s. This lifestyle was well understood by their new partners when they joined the Eurozone a decade ago, since when German/French banks have happily funded it with support from their governments. The chart, from the Bank of International Settlements (the central […]
Chemicals and the Economy
Markets down 9% – 15% since Downturn Alert began
When the blog launched its IeC Downturn Alert in early May, it noted that “they don’t ring bells at market turning points”. However, it hoped that the Alert would provide a replacement. It seems to be doing its job. As the chart above shows, prices for all the products highlighted are now down between 9% […]
Global economy goes Back to the Future
Between 1854 and 1982, the US economy was in recession for 35% of the time, according to Deutsche Bank research. But between November 1982 and December 2007, as the chart shows, it was only in recession for 5% of the time, just 16 months in 25 years. Something very unusual clearly happened during this period. […]
Bernanke says no QE3 planned
The chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, has issued a sober update on the current state of the US economy. Expressing his disappointment that growth this year “has been somewhat slower than expected“, he then listed a number of key problem areas: • “Supply chain disruptions” caused by the Japan disaster • “The […]
Oil demand falls whilst prices rise
The major US investment banks saw their revenues from commodity trading jump 55% in Q1, as oil and other prices rose. According to the Wall Street Journal, JP Morgan (which employs 1800 people in its commodities unit), made $750m in Q1, well ahead of its $1.2bn target for the whole of 2011. The driving force […]
China’s PE cutbacks suggest economy is slowing
China’s stimulus programmes have been a major support for the global chemical industry over the past 2 years. In polyethylene (PE), for example, its total demand grew an astonishing 53% between 2008-10, from 11.7MT to 17.9MT. But now, China’s rapid demand growth seems to have slowed. According to Thomson Reuters, China’s PE consumption actually fell […]
Global stock markets slide as demand disappoints
It is now 5 weeks since the IeC Downturn Alert was launched. The chart above therefore updates the blog’s regular review of financial markets, showing how these have moved over the same period. Most are down around 4%-5%. Russia is the worst performer (down 8%) and Brazil the best (down 3%). But government bond prices […]
US auto sales slip in May as prices rise
Higher auto prices are slowing US demand. As the chart shows, sales in May (red line) were back below the 1.1 million monthly level again. This used to be a minimum in the pre-2008 period. Now, with just a few exceptions, it seems to have become a maximum. Of course, the rise in May’s average […]
Boom/Gloom Index reaches record high
The IeC Boom/Gloom Index is now 2 years old. It was developed as a measure of market sentiment, and so far its track record has been good: • It is now at an all-time high (blue column), which mirrors financial market confidence and their belief that chemicals may be in a supercycle • The austerity […]
US housing in double-dip as BabyBoomers age
US house prices fell 4.2% in Q1, and have entered ‘double-dip’ territory, having fallen below March 2009 levels, according to the S&P Case-Shiller Index. They are now back to mid-2002 levels. Further falls are more or less inevitable. S&P suggest the ‘shadow inventory’ of homes is now 52 months at current sales rates, up from […]
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