ICIS Blogs : president obama

Gasoline markets slip, financial markets stumble

Chemicals & The Economy — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:47:44 GMT

Yesterday's financial market action was very revealing. As Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix perceptively describes it, "liquidation on gasoline led to a correction in crude oil, which in turn pressured equity markets". The problem is that financial...(read more)

G-20 prepares for London meeting

Chemicals & The Economy — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:55:42 GMT

Leaders of the G-20 represent 85% of the global economy, and 65% of world population. Set up by Finance Ministers after the Asian crisis in 1997/8, they first met at Heads of Government level in the USA last November . Sadly, although their communiqué...(read more)

Global economy to shrink in 2009

Chemicals & The Economy — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:00:43 GMT

The world's major financial institutions become more pessimistic each time they report on the economic outlook. 6 weeks ago , the blog noted that the IMF expected "the global economy to come to a virtual standstill in 2009". Today, the World...(read more)

"An economic crisis of historic proportions"

Chemicals & The Economy — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:30:38 GMT

President-elect Obama has become the latest world leader to "get it", as his wife Michelle once remarked. For far long, politicians seemed to believe their platitudes about the "underlying strength" of their national economies. This...(read more)

Obama wins, Bush stays in office

Chemicals & The Economy — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:20:00 GMT

Sen. Barack Obama duly won a landslide victory in yesterday's US Presidential election, but will not take office until 20 January. I suggested last month in ICB, that "this delay, at such a critical moment, is not good news for chemical companies...(read more)