2005 Archives
Tsunami Time
January 2005
Dr. Hans Black
The tragedy of the tsunamis in South Asia was that the warnings were ineffectual. This prompted Dr. Hans Black to ask if the markets are sufficiently protected.
A Time For Humility
February 2005Eliot A. Cohen
Eliot A. Cohen looks back on the war in Iraq from the perspective of the recent elections — at the failures and the lessons to be learned.
Interest Rates Do Matter
March 2005 Dr. Hans Black
Dr. Hans Black discusses the interest rate environment, revisiting the summer of 1987, when stock market prices and interest rates were both rising.
If The Greeks Can Do It, So Can You!
April 2005 Dr. Hans Black
Dr. Hans Black looks at a number of accounting sleights-of-hand perpetrated over the last 5 years by countries and corporations alike.
A Looming Banking Crisis
May 2005 Dr. Hans Black
China has been one of the most important engines in the world economy over the past 4 years. Now that engine is beginning to splutter.
Greenspan Is Worrying Again
June 2005Dr. Hans Black
Not since the heady days of the Long-Term Capital Management debacle have hedge funds come under such scrutiny as they have over the last few weeks. Dr. Hans Black looks at what has changed and what has not in the world of hedge funds since 1998, and points to the measures taken, and advice offered from official sources as an indication of the concern over recent developments.
Bono Fide Aid
July 2005 Alex Black
The agenda for this month’s G8 ministers’ meeting in Scotland has been highlighted by the staging of concerts around the world to draw attention to debt relief in Africa and other developing countries. Whether the consensus among the ministers will match the enthusiasm for the Live8 concerts, the issue of debt relief has come to the fore. Alex Black discusses some of the successes and pitfalls of debt relief so far.
Iraq: A Reassessment
August 2005 Eliot A. Cohen
Eliot Cohen, Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, candidly reassesses the war in Iraq from various viewpoints: that of military historian, commentator on current events and, most recently, as father of a soldier who will soon be sent off to fight in a war he had advocated.
China's Banking Bubble
September 2005 Dr. Hans Black
While the outward appearance of the Chinese economy is robust, the problems in the banking sector will not go away. In fact, they are getting worse.
Europe 50 Years On
October 2005Hans Arthur Black
On its fiftieth birthday, Hans Arthur Black looks at the progress of the European Union and the hurdles it still has to overcome to realize the vision of its founding father, Jean Monnet.
Changing The Guard
November 2005 Dr. Hans Black & Alex Black
After 18 years at the helm of the US Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan retires in January 2006. His successor was recently picked by President Bush from his Council of Economic Advisors, but unlike some other presidential appointees, Dr. Ben Bernanke appears eminently qualified for the job. Dr. Hans Black and Alex Black match Dr. Bernanke's economic thinking and pronouncements with the challenges he will face.
What Keeps Us Up At Night
December 2005 Dr. Hans Black
What are the developing issues that have the potential to alter the fundamental balance of portfolios and thus keep money managers up at night? Dr. Hans Black, in response to several requests, has expanded his list of such issues to include the spread of avian flu, the derivative market and the US housing market. Identifying such issues and monitoring their development are the initial stages of building a finely balanced portfolio.