News
CNN Money | Microsoft ups dividend, plans $40 billion share repurchase
Microsoft on Tuesday raised its dividend by 22% and announced a $40 billion share repurchase program.
Bloomberg | Homebuilder Confidence in U.S. Holds at Highest Level Since 2005
Homebuilder confidence held in September at the highest level in almost eight years, a sign housing will remain a bright spot for the U.S. economy.
Econ Comments & Analysis
WSJ | How to Create a Real Economic Stimulus
Earlier this year, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers expressed doubts about the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing policy of buying $85 billion a month of government bonds and other long-term assets. His skepticism antagonized some Fed insiders and liberal Democrats, who recently opposed his consideration by President Obama as the next Fed chairman.
Barrons | Bernanke's Swan Song
Will the Federal Reserve begin scaling back its easy-money stimulus? The market seems to think so. Investors have been paring back bonds susceptible to rising interest rates, and the 10-year Treasury yield has already jumped this summer from 1.6% to nearly 3%, far faster than the pace of economic improvement. Last week, a Wall Street Journal survey of 47 economists found that two out of three think the Fed will begin tapering after Wednesday's policy powwow.
Washington Times | Sluggish global economic recovery ahead
A robust recovery for the global economy remains well out of reach.That’s the view that emerges from a survey of economists just as the Federal Reserve is expected this week to reduce its stimulus for the U.S. economy.
Blogs
WSJ | Economist Identifies Best Measure of Global Economic Activity
Tired of data overload? Looking for the best single measure of global economic activity in real time? After an exhaustive search, an economist at the Bank of England believes there is such a thing, and it turns out to be the export orders measure from the J.P. Morgan-sponsored Purchasing Managers Index for manufacturing.
Library of Economics | Four Readings from Frederic Bastiat
File Frederic Bastiat under "under-appreciated thinkers." I'm talking about Public Choice in my principles of macroeconomics class tomorrow, and here are a few readings from Bastiat that continue to inspire me
