By Bill Watkins, Oregon Economic Forecast
California Lutheran University
Full Report here
Oregon is in for at least a couple of more years of economic challenge, and there is little that can be done in the short run. The United States economy will be very soft, and Oregon has the assets and liabilities it has. To paraphrase a former Secretary of Defense, you fight the recession with the economy you have. Unfortunately, Oregon’s economy, while certainly diversified from, say, 20 years ago, is still very tied to building materials and California’s economy. Giv
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?”(There is) a growing recognition that the dispersion of credit risks to a broader and more diverse group of investors…has helped make the banking and wider financial system more resilient. The
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() New York – It was beginning to look like gold prices would continue heading down with no short-term return to the $1200 level, but on Friday gold finished the week up over $1,180 while gold stocks followed. Investors are now watching to see which mining stocks will be the hot play going into August.
The Gold Composite finished the week up 1.52% at 1011.1, while in Toronto, the S&P/TSX Global Mining Index finished the session Friday up 0.03% at 96.52 after reaching a session high of 96.72.
The Kitco Gold Index leaned towards precious metals buying as the predominant factor in the gold price closing up on Friday. S
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The coldest winter for 30 years helped the UK’s biggest energy firm almost double first-half profits today.
Centrica said its British Gas residential arm posted a surplus of £585 million – 98% ahead of last year – as shivering households cranked up the heating and gas usage rose 8%.
British Gas was also helped by the addition of 223,000 new customers this year after it cut gas bills in February. Centrica pushed up overall operating profits 65% to £1.56 billion.
Centrica said its price cuts – plus increased energy efficiency measures – meant average bills for its 16 million customers were slightly lower last winter despite the fierce cold.
The firm also stressed British Gas profits would be mostly booked in the first half of the year as rising wholesale gas prices squeeze margins through the rest of 2010. Press
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— Timothy Frye @ 4:47 am — 
July 31, 2010