Why aren’t the big oil companies reinvesting their huge profits?
Author Archives: James_Hamilton
New GDP data and recession probabilities
The Bureau of Economic Analysis yesterday released its advance estimates for the third quarter, reporting real GDP grew at an annual rate of 3.8%.
Proposition 80
Here’s some background on the problems in the California electricity market over the last 10 years and why I believe that Californians should vote no on Proposition 80.
China GDP Statistics
More and more people are concluding that those unbelievable China GDP statistics are, well, unbelievable.
Ben Bernanke: new Fed chair
Let me add my enthusiastic endorsement of the choice of Ben Bernanke to replace Alan Greenspan for chair of the Federal Reserve Board to the positive support earlier expressed at Marginal Revolution, the Big Picture, New Economist, Economist’s View, and Angry Bear.
Ford joins the club
Having commented on a number of occasions about General Motors’ woes, and striving to be an Equal Opportunity PunditTM, it’s only fair to give credit where credit is due. Ford this week showed that it can compete with the best of them in terms of losing money,
posting a loss on its North American operations of $1.2 billion for the third quarter and $2.4 billion over the last 15 months. I’m not sure what advice to give Ford. But here’s what I think we might expect from U.S. policy makers.
Oil supply: trying to digest some of the recent developments
Here I report on some new data on the intermediate-term prospects for oil supply
Here and there around the web
Catching my eye here and there around the web: latest housing indicators may not be as bullish as they seem, what to make of all the indictments, price-gouging is all-American, and more insights into fuel use per dollar of GDP.
GM losses and other economic news
No matter how amazing your accomplishments, it’s always nice to try to set your goals even higher. I was pretty impressed when General Motors managed to lose $1.2 billion on its North American operations in the second quarter of this year. But yesterday GM announced it had outdone even this, losing $1.6 billion on its North American operations in the third quarter.
How important is saving?
Tyler Cowen of
Marginal Revolution (along with a number of my own readers) has asked about
this statement by Michael Mandel: