links for 2009-10-21

IT'S TIME FOR the FederalReserve to stop talking about an "exit strategy" and to start implementing one.

Book retailer and major Amazon competitor Barnes & Noble (BKS) will be unveiling its own e-reader to the public today at a New York press event.

The US government’s case against Galleon Management could be bad news for founder Raj Rajaratnam, who along with five other people was charged with $20 million worth of securities fraud and insider trading, but it offers valuable lessons for those who take the time to read through it.

Arguably, the market has begun to decouple from fundamentals; instead, liquidity has overcome almost any other influence as every little setback has been countered with an avalanche of buying.

The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 1/4 per cent. The Bank Rate is unchanged at 1/2 per cent and the deposit rate is 1/4 per cent.

Recent indicators point to the start of a global recovery from a deep, synchronous recession. Global economic and financial developments have been somewhat more favourable than expected at the time of the July Monetary Policy Report (MPR), although significant fragilities remain.

The Brazilian real dropped sharply on Tuesday, giving back some of its recent strong gains, after Brazil’s finance ministry announced that it would impose a 2 per cent tax on overseas purchases of Brazilian stocks and bonds. The tax was aimed at curbing the recent rise in the real, which has gained more than 10 per cent against the dollar since the start of September.

The tax was aimed at curbing the recent rise in the real, which has gained more than 10 per cent against the dollar since the start of September.