Greg Smith

When cash is not king 5- May -2009
One remaining ‘bubble’ that will at some point have to be (forcibly) addressed by financial markets is the extremely high historic valuations for bonds. This is an accident waiting to happen. At some point bonds will be shunned by investors worldwide. We believe this will mark the beginning of a new era of inflation which has really been absent in large doses since the 1970s. The US is going to have to move back to basics and address the issue of economic growth in such away that the economy moves forward in a sustainable way. The debt bubble that the world has just witness implode, is not going to be a viable catalyst for future growth. Coming off life support!* 8- Apr -2009
Many investors today question whether the economic history of the 1930s is about to be played out again. There are clear parallels with the past 15 to 20 years and the late 1920s, which led up to the stock-market collapse. The boom periods during both bull markets were similar in nature, characterised by greed and excess. Financial wealth was then as it has been today, illusory in many instances. Paper tycoons seemingly sprung up overnight, only to find ruin when markets collapsed, and for some ultimately jail. Pulling out the stops 25- Mar -2009
Fresh stimulus plans across the pond this week brought a welcome boost for stock markets. Despite the euphoria though, it remains clear that we are not out of the woods, just yet. The ills underlying the financial sector, and the global economy mean that there will be no quick fix. Investors have however some cause for cheer. Credit market freeze continues 2- Oct -2008
With the horse having bolted and the dust long settled, Republican politicians in the US have slammed the gate firmly shut. The US dollar and oil...Clouds of war gathering for a perfect financial storm 10- Jun -2008
Prior to the oil price going through the roof on Friday, something unusual occurred last week - the US dollar rallied, albeit briefly. Bull or Bear? 5- Feb -2008
So far, 2008 has been an extraordinary year for investors. Sharp falls in December and January, which culminated in last Tuesday morning's panic selling, saw the FTSE100 down more than 20 percent from October highs. Forget the credit crisis, try a currency crisis 26- Oct -2007
Ever since August, there have been constant references to the credit crisis as the source of the market's (then) woes.   The butterfly effect 7- Aug -2007
In the past seven days, volatility returned to the markets with a vengeance for the first time since late February. Once again, the US housing market has been the catalyst for the widespread declines.   Global Equities - The Chinese Bubble 23- May -2007
The rise and rise of the Chinese stock market has received increasing media attention in recent weeks. The Markets 30- Mar -2007
Eye of the storm? Equity markets around the world have recovered strongly following the late February/early March sell off.