Commentaries

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: September 12, 2012 |

The ECB Chants In Paradisum: Seeking Safe Collateral in the Midst of Delusion

Last Thursday, Mario Draghi the President of the ECB indicated willingness to start again his “asset purchases program”, baptized this time with the title of OMT (outright monetary transactions) a.k.a. […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: August 26, 2012 |

The Great Bailout of Germany

It has been almost three years now since the rumors started that something was rotten with the Greek public finances. Excesses have been documented. Wasteful expenditures, inefficiencies, and corrupt practices […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: August 22, 2012 |

On Risk Premiums, Earnings Growth Potential, and Monetization Routes: Diminishing Returns and the Liquidity Tree

Over the last few weeks, we have argued that we are entering a watershed moment in economic and financial history, when significant decisions have to be made, since kicking the […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: August 14, 2012 |

European Disintegration and the Mystery of Institutional Hangover: Living in the Times of Capital Flight

There are good chances that the EU – as we know it – may be headed towards its last tango, made in Berlin. It seems that the EU has lost […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: August 7, 2012 |

On the Road to Damascus: Amplifying Spillover and Applying Sick Prescriptions to Dying Markets

It seems that the regime in Syria is going through its last phase. The emerging civil war may wrap up the first phase of the face-lift in the Middle East. […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: July 19, 2012 |

Socrates Meets QE3: Welcome to the Ether of Financial Purgatory

I am of the opinion that one of the many things we should always remember from the great teacher is that the “unexamined life is not worth living”. It seems […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: July 12, 2012 |

From Dreaming to Screaming: Strategic Disintegration Part V

People are wondering these days: “Where is the stock market going?” Analysts look at charts, at P/E ratios, at profit margins and several other figures and try to make pronouncements […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: July 6, 2012 |

Capital Structure, Dollar Shortages, and Malinvestments: Implications for Portfolio Holdings

A general perception that the global economy is slowing down seems to prevail. At the same time the Euro zone crisis – in spite of the measures taken – will […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: June 29, 2012 |

The EU, the Strings of the Market and the Phantoms of Credit: Seeking the Deus ex Machina

The markets celebrate today the outcomes of the EU summit. The delusion that through more debt and political manipulations the cancer can be treated is truly the amalgam of illusion […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: June 16, 2012 |

Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) and Financial Tremors: Useful Idiots Part III

About two weeks ago, we were assured by the government in Spain that they only needed about €50 billion for their banks. All of a sudden the €50 billion became […]