OPEC cut production by 1.5 million barrels a day starting November after their emergency meeting on October 24th [...]]]> On October 16th, Oil prices plummeted below $70 for the first time in 16 months, loosing half its value since hitting a record high of $147.27, prompting the oil cartel OPEC to call an emergency meeting.

OPEC cut production by 1.5 million barrels a day starting November after their emergency meeting on October 24th one month ahead of their scheduled meeting.

Although their next meeting was not scheduled until December 17th, the OPEC cartel will meet again this coming November 29th in Cairo, most likely to make another cut in production. In this global financial turmoil, they run the risk of taking things too far as demands for energy increase during the winter months.

The drop in prices has already created problems for oil producers, who have become accustomed to high prices. Iran needs oil prices at $95 a barrel to balance the budget, Russia needs $70, Venezuela needs $60 and Saudi Arabia needs $55 a barrel, according to Deutsche Bank estimates. Cartel representatives have hinted at the idea of fixing a price high and low, which they call “ideal” ranging between $70 and $90 a barrel.

Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo was a Venezuelan minister of energy that popularized the phrase “oil: the devil’s excrement” and the minister said that the oil corrupts the power.

Gasoline: The fall in world oil prices since July has pushed gasoline in the United States, the world’s largest oil consumer, from a high of $4.114 a gallon on average to $1.91 a gallon Monday, according to motorist group AAA.

Source:

http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/24/markets/oil/

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/16/business/oil.php

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008429585_webgasprices24m.html

What’s amazing to me, is how the board of directors allowed this company to go downhill for over 2 years without taking action.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ahaczm7Ahw

Its definetely been a wild couple of weeks for the world economy, but has it really been that bad?

How does this [...]]]>

Dimensional Vice President Weston Wellington offers perspective on the unpredictability of market movements, how the current market downturn compares to past bear markets, and the resilience markets have historically shown.

Its definetely been a wild couple of weeks for the world economy, but has it really been that bad?

How does this economic slump compare to other recession/depressions in history?

Yesterday CNN reported, that it was the Biggest one-day runup ever for the Dow Jones; which gives me food for thought for another post.

There is more here than meets the eye. It has become apparent that there are powerful forces here at play.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU6PamCQ6zw

Peter Schiff’s take on the BailOut Bill.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSPSiDX0Xnk

This book just jumped to the top of my reading list. (Crash Proof: How to Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse)