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Analysis: Stuck in reverse, Detroit edges closer to bankruptcy
- (www.reuters.com) General Motors Co (GM.N) and Chrysler (FIA.MI), which along with Ford Motor Co (F.N) gave the Motor City its identity,
survived near-death experiences after filing for bankruptcy during the financial
crisis. Now, Detroit itself is edging closer to a similar precipice, only
unlike the automakers, its chances of getting a federal bailout are almost
nonexistent. The story of Detroit's decline is decades old: Its tax revenue and
population have shrunk and labor costs have remained out of whack. But the
city's budget problems have deepened to such an extent that it could run out of
cash in a matter of weeks or months and ultimately be forced into what would be
the largest-ever Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy filing in the United
States. Frustrated by the lack of concrete progress, Michigan Governor Rick
Snyder, a Republican, last month appointed a team to scour the city's books.
The audit could result in a state takeover of Detroit's finances through the
appointment of an emergency financial manager. Such a manager, who would seize
control of the city's checkbook, could then propose federal bankruptcy court as
the best option.
Consumer Confidence in U.S. Falls to Lowest Level Since 2011
- (www.bloomberg.com) Confidence among U.S.
consumers declined more than forecast in January, reaching the lowest level in
more than a year as higher payroll taxes took a bigger bite out of Americans’
paychecks. The Conference Board’s index decreased to 58.6, the weakest
since November 2011, from a revised 66.7 in December, figures from the New
York-based private research group showed today. The January reading was lower
than the most pessimistic forecast in a Bloomberg survey, which had a median
estimate of 64. The drop in confidence coincides with a two percentage- point
increase in the payroll tax used to fund Social Security, a hurdle for
consumers after a projected pickup in spending in the fourth quarter. The
outlook for employment prospects and incomes also deteriorated this month,
today’s data showed. “The thing that’s particularly troubling is the sizable
decline in expectations,” said Guy
Lebas, chief fixed-income strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
in Philadelphia, who projected a reading of 61.6.
Dubai Suitcases of Cash Circumvent Loan Rules: Mortgages - (www.bloomberg.com) Dubai real estate agent Laura
Adams remembers the Iranian homebuyer because of how he wanted to pay. “He
literally put a suitcase on my desk, opened it up and it was full of 1,000
dirham notes,” the Carlton Real Estate managing director said in an interview.
“I asked him to go across the road to Western Union and get it exchanged for a
manager’s check, half a million dirhams ($136,000).” Cash is king in the
Persian Gulf emirate’s rebounding property market, limiting the power of
regulators to control rising prices that fueled the last property bubble by
imposing restrictions on mortgage loans to foreigners. Buyers
from Iran to Russia to Greece are paying cash in as many as 70 percent of Dubai
home purchases, up from 49 percent in 2007, according to researcher Reidin.com.
ECB's Draghi met Italy minister over Monte Paschi case - (www.reuters.com) The Bank of Italy's review of
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS.MI) does not show a need for the
troubled lender to be placed under special administration, the Italian economy
minister told parliament on Tuesday. "The regulator has given a positive
evaluation of the bank, and so it does not need to be put under special administration,"
Vittorio Grilli told the parliamentary finance committee. Grilli said he had
not received any specific warnings about the stability of any banks, and did
not see any alarm signals concerning the wider Italian banking system.
Caterpillar
Considers ‘All Options’ as Probe Continues - (www.bloomberg.com) Caterpillar Inc. (CAT), the largest maker
of construction and mining equipment, said it’s considering “all options” to
recover losses from false accounting at a Chinese business that led to a $580
million writedown. The company is also seeing how it can hold those responsible
to account for the “multiyear, coordinated accounting misconduct,” Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer Doug
Oberhelman said yesterday. “We
are not done,” Oberhelman said on the company’s fourth-quarter earnings
conference call with analysts. “We are putting in more effort to finish our
investigation.” Caterpillar, which revealed the discrepancy on Jan. 18, said
yesterday it first became concerned about issues at its Zhengzhou Siwei
Mechanical & Electrical Manufacturing Co. unit after a count of physical
inventory.
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