2012, end of the world

Meredith Whitney, the banking analyst whose prediction of “hundreds of billions of dollars” of municipal-bond defaults last year didn’t prove true, plans to write a book about the market, according to the New York Times.

Spurred by predictions of profits even in the worst forecasts, big-money investors are returning to the same complex loan pools that nearly washed away the financial system.

Sweden Fin Min Sees 2012 GDP Growth Below Previous Forecast

Blackstone Group LP (BX) ’s Byron Wien , whose prediction for the U.S. economy and stock market in 2011 proved too optimistic, said he may need to lift his estimate for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index for this year.

A Citi analyst on Tuesday downgraded his investment rating on Bank of America Corp. after a recent rise in the company's share price, saying he believes other analysts are too optimistic in predicting profit growth over the next two years.

Moody's warns that Britain could lose its AAA rating within a year, as German leader Angela Merkel states that there won’t be any changes to Greek rescue measures despite riots in the debt-stricken country....

Greece's prime minister is promising an end to the country's recession next year and better-than-expected budget figures in 2012 if crucial debt-relief deals are accepted.

Australia's central bank Friday trimmed its growth and inflation forecasts for the year to June and signalled it has leeway to cut interest rates amid uncertainty over Europe's debt crisis.In its quarterly ...

My December 5, 2011 commentary concluded with a prediction for silver and gold as last year drew to a close.

The FTSE 100 has closed at a seven-month high after US data showing more US people are in work boosted global markets, while Greece announces it is to auction €625m of Treasury bills next week.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has urged the Government to consider a £20bn fiscal stimulus in the event of the eurozone break-up, saying a possible plan B should be outlined in the Budget.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected Wednesday to give a stark warning to economic policymakers that Greece may yet face meltdown amid a crisis that has brought the European single currency to the brink of collapse.

-- Economic rebound 'by no means' finished

By  EconMatters Bob Doll, chief investment officer at the world's biggest money manager-- BlackRock ($3.6 trillion in assets), who has produced an annual prediction for over a decade, just  published  his 10 predictions for 2012:  The European debt crisis begins to ease, even as Europe experiences a recession.  The US economy continues to muddle through yet again.   Despite slowing growth, China ...