CNBC - Live; The market has a ways to go to rebound, but imagine how much you’d lose if you miss out on the upswing. A University of Michigan study showed that in the history of the market, if you miss 1% of trading days, you miss out on 96% of market gains...
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Times Online: The US economy shrank at its fastest rate since 1982 in the final quarter of 2008 as Americans stopped spending on all but essential items, such as food and petrol. Read More...
The world's biggest economy contracted at an annual rate of 3.8 per cent between October and December, according to official data published today by the US Commerce Department.
Consumer spending, which measures how much Americans purchase on everything from household goods to services, dropped by an annual rate of 3.5 per cent between October and December. Read More...
CNN Money Online: NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The U.S. economy suffered its biggest slowdown in 26 years in the last three months of 2008, according to the government's first reading about the fourth quarter released Friday.
Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation's economic activity, fell at an annual rate of 3.8% in the fourth quarter, adjusted for inflation.
That's the largest drop in GDP since the first quarter of 1982, when the economy suffered a 6.4% decline.
The decline was less than the 5.5% drop forecast by economists surveyed by Briefing.com. The fourth quarter plunge followed a more modest decline of 0.5% in the third quarter.
Still, some economists cautioned that the smaller than expected drop in economic activity wasn't good news, but a warning sign about further weakness ahead.
"Today's GDP report is no cause for celebration," said Jay Bryson, global economist for Wachovia. "The economy is even weaker than the number would suggest."
Hit by tight credit and soaring job losses, Americans slammed the brakes on spending in the quarter.
Consumer spending fell at a 3.5% annual rate, which was the seventh biggest drop on record. Spending on big-ticket durable goods plunged at a 22% pace, the largest decline since 1987. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of overall economic activity.
But it wasn't just consumers pulling back. Fixed investment in equipment and software, taken as an indication of business spending, plunged at an annual 28% rate. That's the biggest drop in 50 years.
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Property Community Forum: The rise and rise of Brazil over the last few years has been nothing short of startling, moving from South American basket case to a country which is attracting international investment on all levels. So what prompted the change in Brazil? Why it is so popular amongst the international property investment fraternity?
The truth is that Brazil has always been a giant waiting to jump out of the box but because of a number of different factors it has been kept out of the headlines and off the international investment map for some time. There were a number of issues which for many years made Brazil a no go area for international investors which included...
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NU Bricks: Brazil real estate is a newcomer to the overseas property scene. The attraction of virgin sands, carnival atmosphere and an undeveloped tourist market are driving demand for Brazil beach property in Natal and Bahia where property prices are on an upward trend and strong economic growth are the impetus behind Brazil property investment.
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H I F X Currencies: Buying a property abroad is a significant investment and fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates can make a huge difference to the final price you pay. Every year, the experts at HiFX help thousands of people achieve their dreams of owning a property overseas.
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Prian EU International Property: According to data presented by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, direct foreign investment into Brazilian property market has increased by 20.6% in 2008, amounting to $41.7 million, up from $36.6m in 2007. Brazil is getting prepared to host the 2014 football World Cup and makes claims to hold the 2016 Olympic Games, which has a positive impact on the construction industry. Brazilian market has a good potential and is considered to be quite favorable for long-term investment, the experts claim.
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Overseas Property Professional: New distribution channels for overseas property sales continue to emerge. Focusing on a select group of alliance partners, OPP looks at how each is contributing to a more evolved overseas property industry.
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