Although Scotland voted in September to remain in the United Kingdom, both sides hailed the high voter turnout as recognition of democratic engagement and growing European dissatisfaction with over-centralised, bureaucratic, seemingly unaccountable government. The effect has been to raise morale in Catalonia and a handful of other potential breakaway regions. This is bad news for Europe’s leaders.
Low interest rates contribute to weak labour markets
A new measure of Unemployment and Labour Market Conditions gains support at the Annual Jackson Hole Conference. Doubts continue about European QE as near-zero interest rates may actually be preventing employment from picking up.
Concerns about Repo Market Disruptions
The Repo market is becoming less attractive due to new Leverage Ratio rules. Doubts remain as to whether this can prevent reoccurrence of credit seizing up should insolvency worries reappear in the financial sector.
BIS has doubts about monetary policy in the Euro area
Latest BIS Report says that present monetary policies risk permanently destabilizing the global economy. It calls for A New Policy Compass, focussing on the ‘Financial Cycle’, not the Business Cycle.
Banks remain fragile and imbalances persist
The BIS notes that banks have been recapitalising, but in some countries problems with asset quality and earnings persist. The recent issue of a convertible bond for TESLA is a prime example of the behaviour of the financial markets, perhaps akin to the boom in subprime mortgages only a few years ago.
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