Professional Documents
Culture Documents
∙ Homebuyers tax credit – lawmakers in Washington have no plans of extending again the
homebuyers tax credit ‐ “That’s not on the table,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max
Baucus said; “I think that’s pretty much it,” said Senate Banking Committee Chairman
Christopher Dodd; “I said when we passed it before that I would not come back to the well and
I’m not going to,” said Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia. Bloomberg
Existing Home Sales
The credit has been a big boost to home sales. It extends through June 30, 2010, a binding sales contract
must be signed no later than April 30.
∙ Quick morning summary: strong earnings (INTC, LLTC, ASML, CSX) but Greek CDS back out
to 405 (wider than Fri's close) as Fitch says rescue framework may need to be activated within 2
weeks and a German economist threatens legal action over Greek aid; Portugal in focus as EU
said country may need additional budget measures this yr to meet deficit target; Moody’s
upgraded S. Korea’s sovereign rating (raised to A1 from A2) while Singapore made pos.
comments (raised eco growth outlook from 6.5% to 9% and announced a surprise currency
revaluation, sparking speculation China may follow soon).
∙ Fed’s Lacker changes tone a bit on rates ‐ "A couple of months ago, I was saying I was
comfortable with the extended period language…The recent data has made me think that it
might be sooner rather than later that we would move that language. It depends on more data
coming in," Reuters
∙ Fed and banks – the country’s largest banks will side w/the Fed in arguing that the
identities of crisis loan recipients shouldn’t be made public (Bloomberg)
∙ Obama said on Tuesday the yuan was undervalued and while he had no timetable for
China to move toward a more flexible exchange rate regime, he believed it was in their own
best interests. Reuters
∙ “Wall of debt” worries ‐ Companies in the U.S. will struggle to refinance a $2 trillion “wall
of debt” maturing over the next five years – Bloomberg/S&P
∙ Germany’s Merkel faces growing political risks over acquiescence to the Greek bailout.
WSJ
∙ German elections ‐ Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and its Free Democratic Party
coalition partner are short of a majority in North Rhein‐ Westphalia; an election is scheduled for
May 9 – Bloomberg
∙ For the second straight year, slightly less than half of Americans say the amount of federal
income tax they have to pay is too high, while almost as many say the amount they pay in taxes
is about right.
I anybody else surprised by this? I would think there would always be a higher amount of
people saying taxes are too high vs about right.