Oil Below $70, a Price Last Seen in June 2007
Oil prices plummeted on Thursday, falling below $70 a barrel for the first time in 16 months, and prompting the OPEC cartel to call for an emergency meeting next week.
US hedge funds suffer heavy withdrawals
Investors pulled at least $43bn from US hedge funds in September as market turmoil led to unprecedented withdrawals, an analysis by a leading research house shows.
The data from TrimTabs Investment Research – which was to be sent to clients late on Wednesday – come as hedge funds are working to prevent far bigger redemptions by the end of the year, when many funds give investors a chance to take out money.
Credit Cards Could Become Next Trouble Spot in Crisis
As the economy worsens and unemployment rises, more Americans are having trouble paying off their credit card balances. That has pushed up losses for credit card issuers, forcing them to tighten standards, which puts a further squeeze on cash-strapped consumers.
Bank of England Announces Reforms To Its Market Operations Framework
Thursday, the Bank of England revealed three major reforms that are intended to improve the functioning of its existing market operations framework. The central bank said it is planning to introduce two new permanent liquidity insurance facilities for banks to access in stressed financial conditions.
Canadian stocks slump further
Stocks in Toronto retreated Thursday as commodities fell further on fears of an impending recession, with oil below $70 (U.S.) for the first time since August, 2007.
FTSE shares plunge as Opec announces emergency talks
Share prices plunged today in the wake of an emergency meeting called by Opec for next week to discuss oil prices.
Weekly Jobless Claims Fall By More Than Anticipated
Thursday morning, the Department of Labor released its report on initial jobless claims in the week ended October 11th, showing that weekly jobless claims fell by much more than economists had been anticipating.
SNB’s Roth: UBS Bailout Will Not Affect Monetary Policy
Thursday, Jean-Pierre Roth, the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank, said the US$54 billion loan extended to UBS will not affect the central bank’s monetary policy in any way. The reason he cited was that the entire operation is funded by US dollars.
Foreign investors hit the road
Foreign investors are still showing a voracious appetite for U.S. Treasury bonds…but they’re selling everything else the United States has to offer.
