We're All State Capitalists Now 'No, according to some commentators, the contest between the two Asian superpowers is also fundamentally a contest between economic models: market capitalism vs. state capitalism.' [more inside]
posted by the man of twists and turns on Feb 10, 2012 - 29 comments

"Any industry would be proud of an average annual growth rate of 34% over ten years and of a global reach from Austria to Taiwan. But the headlong expansion of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which by May this year controlled almost $1.5 trillion of assets (not far short of the $2 trillion in hedge funds), has become a matter for concern among financial regulators. Could ETFs be the next source of financial scandal, or even of systemic risk?" Characterizing the Financial sector "like a hyperactive child" that "can never leave a good thing be", The Economist appears to be wishing for the ETFs to be better regulated because "it would be a shame if reckless expansion spoiled a good innovation".
posted by vidur on Jun 26, 2011 - 28 comments

High frequency trading crop circles. Automated trading is flooding stock exchanges with nonsensical orders making odd patterns like The Knife at millisecond scales. Bugs, emergent phenomena, or market jamming strategies? No one seems to know.
posted by Nelson on Aug 7, 2010 - 108 comments

The Watchful Investor "Bringing you the underreported, the underappreciated, and the overlooked news from the markets."
Jim Waddell created this frequently updated journal providing economic news and commentary, as well as a newsletter which gives more detailed coverage of specific market events and issues. Accessible and interesting, yet not dumbed down.
posted by knave on Jul 18, 2005 - 9 comments

DIVE! DIVE! DIVE! - Markets in free fall. Remember the heady DotCom bubble days, and innocuous scandals - Clinton & Monica,the cigar?! Then, WHAM: 9-11, Enron, Worldcom et. al, the push for invasion of Iraq, ballooning deficits, while a new US neocolonial American ideology of preemption suggests more invasions to come - with a worldwide surge in anti-American attitudes. "Irrational Exuberance" turned to terror, fear, worry, anger, rage. What possible train of events and U.S. government policies could more efficiently send world economic markets into free fall? Hold on: it was a two decade long ride up - the ride down has merely begun. Those among us with a few spare billion lying around will wait until the bottom, and buy on the cheap. For everyone else, it's bankruptcy, frugality, middle class decline, cans 'o beans and darned socks. But cheer up: play, joy, creativity, generosity, indeed love itself - and also the classic "recreation of the poor" are all free.
posted by troutfishing on Mar 7, 2003 - 79 comments