The World Bank is not like your local branch of PNC. There is no customer service for the average citizen. No pristine carpets and offers of coffee. No smiling employees waiting to help you however they can. But the World Bank does provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries, offering low

(eToro Blog) Operating under the credo “there’s no time like the present,” S&P yesterday downgraded the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) by a single notch to AA+, an act which could make it more difficult for the facility to find investors. Following the mass downgrade of several Eurozone member states last Friday, which included

(eToro Blog) China reported fourth quarter GDP rose 8.9% from a year earlier. The data beat most analyst expectations of a print of 8.6%. While the data was better than analyst expectations, the results fell short of the GDP growth experienced in the previous quarter. There was a 9.5% growth in the third quarter from a year earlier. The biggest

In light of weak December retail sales, while the economy remains relatively stagnant and US consumers are squeezed by rising gas prices, should we prepare for a coming retail implosion by the time the 2012 holiday season arrives? For several reasons, I believe an upcoming retail implosion may very well be on the horizon.

When considering the

Canadian dollar is gaining today, drawing strength from rising commodities. Canada is especially seeing some support from rising oil prices. With oil supply in question, prices are up and the loonie is following suit.

Additionally, commodity currencies and other riskier currencies are in demand, despite the downgrade of nine eurozone countries — in

(eToro Blog) The Bank of Canada is expected to announce its interest rate decision on Tuesday January 17^th at 2pm London time. The BOC is expected to keep rates on hold at 1%. At its last policy meeting, BOC Governor Mark Carney was concerned about the situation in Europe and its impact on financial markets. Carney balanced the European concerns

US dollar index is lower as greenback falls pretty much across the board. A successful French debt auction is helping the euro, and commodity currencies are getting a boost from higher oil and gold prices.

Right now, events seem to be conspiring against a higher US dollar. Concerns about oil supply are rising, thanks to strikes in Nigeria, as well