Monday, July 6, 2015

"What's the Worst That Can Happen?"

July 6, 2015
Expert predictions on what lies ahead for Greece

What's the worst that can happen?

There's little chance that Greece's fundamental economic problems will have much effect on either the U.S. or the rest of Europe, Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi said last week.


What's the worst that can happen if I don't wear a seat belt?

There's little chance that I will be involved in a head-on collision that will send me flying through the front window and onto another car's front hood. I can tell you that. For the life of me, I have no idea why people even wear the darned things.

September 4, 2007
Recession risk up - but still not likely

Zandi is optimistic, however, that the economy will steer clear of recession given how financially sound and profitable businesses outside the housing sector are and how well positioned the banking system is to weather problems.

October 25, 2007
FUTURE BRIGHT, BUT A WAYS OFF

"I caught the falling knife," Zandi said of his recent home purchase.

You tell 'em Zandi, my very favorite worst case scenario expert!

4 comments:

fried said...

Greece may be small potatoes in the scheme of things...China's stock market is even more impressive...

The Shanghai Composite dropped 3.2 percent at the midday break Tuesday, with 31 stocks falling for each that rose. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index of mainland shares traded in Hong Kong slid 2.9 percent, approaching a bear market after tumbling almost 20 percent from its recent high.
Even after the slump, the median valuation of stocks on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges amounts to 59 times reported earnings, almost triple the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.

Stagflationary Mark said...

fried,

China is an economic miracle!

Looks like we may need to burn the heretic again. Tag, you're it! ;)

Anonymous said...

I have a house for Mark Zandi: SF mid-peninsula 4 br 3 ba. Fully and really nice remodeling. Back yard is into a hill and really nicely landscaped. You can sit up in the back yard and look over the roof and see the lights and even some of the SF Bay. $2,080,000 listed.

You will probably never believe a thing I say again.

Stagflationary Mark said...

Joseph Constable,

At the current national minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, assuming 2000 hours worked per year, and no taxes or any other living expenses of any kind, that's only 143 man-years of labor. With the right teaser rate and assuming perpetual exponential price increases in real estate, I think pretty much anyone can afford it.

Hey, I'm just trying to think like Zandi and be the eternal optimist. ;)