Insights

The German Constitutional Court has ruled that Germany’s participation in the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) does not infringe on the German constitution. This means that there are currently no pending landmark decisions which could derail the ECB’s efforts to reduce the yields demanded for the government bonds of Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy. To measure the effects of the ruling, we examine the status of each country.

After months of drama, the leaders of Europe's leading financial institutions have finally (apparently) reached a deal with Greece's governing coalition which will impose further austerity measures on that country in exchange for a €130 billion bailout.

The accelerating rate of change in the deterioration of the global financial situation of the last three years was not anticipated by even the most seasoned forecasters. The scope and severity of the current financial dislocation has not been seen since the 1930’s.

The U.S. dollar's importance as a reserve currency has been declining for more than a decade. The highest percentage, 70.9 percent, was reached in 1999 as compared to the 2010 level of 61.4 percent. The value of the dollar, as measured by the Dollar Index (DXY), has declined over the same period.

The dollar is at a new 18-year low and no one seems to be upset. There are no headlines, no demonstrations, no scathing editorials. The issue has not even been pulled into the domestic political arena by politicians decrying the demise of one of the most enduring symbols of the United States.

After another tumultuous year in global financial markets with more unprecedented government intervention, the outlook remains uncertain to say the least. The guarded optimism at the end of 2009 has been replaced by a more subdued view, seasoned by the realization that although the juggernaut may have slowed, any accurate forecasts of its eventual halt and consequences are probably unintentional.