Stores never pay shoppers to take their goods away, but in extreme circumstances some businesses do, though generally in a very limited way. What’s happened in the oil market, however, was a massive and unprecedented negative swing, as the price on some …
All kinds of markets took a drubbing in mid-March as the depth of the economic disruption caused by the pandemic sank in. But what happened in U.S. securitized debt stood out, as the asset class was pummeled by margin calls that forced selling in …
A petroleum price war exploded in March after the dramatic collapse of an alliance between the OPEC cartel and Russia, a pact that had underpinned world oil markets for three years. In the days that followed, the price of oil plunged more than 50%, …
Being a fallen angel is not a good thing, whether in the Bible or the bond market. For investors, a fallen angel is a company that has been downgraded and lost its investment-grade debt ratings — a fall that can …
Like every other part of the world, Europe is facing an economic crisis, unleashed by a global pandemic. What’s unique in the region is how the crisis has led to a renewed push for a never-before-tried financial tool — now aptly renamed …
The state-funded German safety net known as Kurzarbeit, which keeps salaries flowing to workers even when their work has dried up, is getting renewed attention as governments around the world grapple with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The …
At the center of the U.S. government’s $2 trillion economic stimulus package in response to the coronavirus pandemic are direct payments that will put money in the wallets of most Americans. The hope is that those payments — as much as $3,400 for a …
With the 2008 global financial crisis still in the rear-view mirror, the coronavirus and a plunge in oil prices have put jittery markets on the alert for signs of another credit crunch. That helps to explain why one important indicator of stress …
A global run on the U.S. dollar triggered by the coronavirus pandemic is once again prompting the Federal Reserve to step in as the lender of last resort for investors and companies scrambling for dollars. The Fed enhanced the existing dollar-liquidity swaps it offers foreign central …
Because the coronavirus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic is new to humans, doctors lack vaccines to prevent it and proven medicines to treat it. Researchers and companies are scrambling to fill the void. In normal times, the process of approving new drugs …
We’ve had the 20%+ rally, now here comes the hype. The explosive gains put in by the world’s equity markets over the last few days have been impressive, to be sure, and in some quarters may even have stirred a …
European and U.S. stock futures are under pressure after three days of strong performance in the cash market. A quarter-end portfolio rebalancing lift to equities and a pricing in of a short duration of economic weakness on stimulus measures appear …
The dollar rose for a ninth straight day and the yen had its worst week in three years amid dire warnings about the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic that sent U.S. stocks to a three-year low. Treasuries advanced, with …