Links 4 December 2013

Global Macro / Markets:

• Housing bubbles: inflated by foreign capital? – Canadian Business
• These 17 countries may have housing bubbles. If they pop, God help us all – Washington Post
• Hendry: I would buy Bitcoin if I could – Investment Week
• Many Signs That Stock Values Are Too High – New York Times
• Global economies increasingly at risk: PIMCO – The AFR

North America:

• The $5 trillion dilemma facing banking regulators – Reuters
• Big Hair on Campus: Did Donald Trump Defraud Thousands of Real-Estate Students? – Vanity Fair
• How Solid is the Case for Raising the Minimum Wage? – Economics21
• A new measure of US GDP – VOX
• The tally of U.S. banks has sunk to a level not seen since at least 1934 – Wall Street Journal
• US home prices rise just 0.2% – The Australian

Europe:

• Britain’s Christmas Spending Binge Leaves U.S. Trailing – Bloomberg
• Biggest drop in savings for 40 years, Bank of England figures reveal – The Telegraph
• EU regulator slams rating agencies over sovereign debt – Financial Times

Asia:

• Japan preparing $53 billion economic stimulus package this week: sources – Reuters
• Bank of Japan considers options to expand stimulus – CNBC
• Yuan Passes Euro as Second-Most Used Trade-Finance Currency – Bloomberg

Local:

•  Apartment living looms as national trend – The AFR
• Builders want more hours amid apartment boom – The AFR
• Happy days ahead for construction industry – The AFR
• Retail to improve in 2014: Deloitte – The AFR
• Budget deficit grows in South Australia – The AFR
• QLD’s Newman prepares voters for assets sale – The AFR
• RBA uncomfortable with high AUD – The AFR
• RIO, Vale bullish on iron ore – The Australian
• RIO can afford to be a one trick pony on iron ore – The Australian
• Port Hedland may get outer harbour – The Age
• Aussie students fall far behind – The Age
• Toyota calls on PM over car industry – The Age
• Australia pays too much for medicines – The Age
• That’s it for cuts, time to spend – The Age
• Damn the Dollar, medium speed ahead – The Age
• Greens demand debt explanation – The Guardian

Other:

• Is There One Economic Model to Rule Them All? – The Fiscal Times
• Does it matter whether or not economics is a ‘science’? – Reuters
• In fracking, sand is the new gold: Demand soars for key ingredient used in drilling – Wall Street Journal