abu yahya's definitions
Largest oil company in the world (as of 2010; in 2009, it was #2). Sales in 2009 were $285 billion. Worldwide proved reserves of 14.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Most of the oil giant's crude is produced in Nigeria, Oman, the UK, and the USA. Shell is also investing heavily in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project, which converts oil sands in Alberta to synthetic crude oil. The company operates 44,000 gas stations (the world's largest retail fuel network) in more than 80 countries.
Shell is implicated in exploitation and support for dictatorships in Nigeria, Angola, and elsewhere. It operates a huge, stunningly toxic facility in the Niger River Delta, but provides almost no compensation to the Ogoni people. In 1994, Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was arrested for allegedly inciting violence against Shell staff and executed, along with 8 other Ogoni.
Shell is implicated in exploitation and support for dictatorships in Nigeria, Angola, and elsewhere. It operates a huge, stunningly toxic facility in the Niger River Delta, but provides almost no compensation to the Ogoni people. In 1994, Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was arrested for allegedly inciting violence against Shell staff and executed, along with 8 other Ogoni.
Royal Dutch Shell is, like BP, p.l.c. and Exxon Mobil, very large, very old, and very evil. It is based in the Hague--ironically enough, near the International Court of Justice.
by Abu Yahya July 18, 2010
Get the Royal Dutch Shellmug. (FINANCE) a situation in which an investor stands to gain if a particular investment instrument (stocks, bonds, gold, real estate) goes up in value. One "takes a long position" with respect to a particular item.
There are several ways of taking a long position; an obvious way to go long is to actually own the thing itself. Supposing you are taking a long position on Intel common stock (NASDAQ:INTC), here are some other ways:
* Buy a call option for INTC, especially with a strike price higher than the current spot price.
* Write a put option for INTC, committing yourself to buy more INTC stock if the price goes down over the near term
* Buy a futures contract for INTC at spot (or more).
CAVEAT LECTOR: there are many _potential_ definitions of long position; I have given the broadest one available.
There are several ways of taking a long position; an obvious way to go long is to actually own the thing itself. Supposing you are taking a long position on Intel common stock (NASDAQ:INTC), here are some other ways:
* Buy a call option for INTC, especially with a strike price higher than the current spot price.
* Write a put option for INTC, committing yourself to buy more INTC stock if the price goes down over the near term
* Buy a futures contract for INTC at spot (or more).
CAVEAT LECTOR: there are many _potential_ definitions of long position; I have given the broadest one available.
MICHAEL: I want to flatten my long position on T-bills.
ANNA: I would recommend buying a covered interest swap with another major currency, like yen.
ANNA: I would recommend buying a covered interest swap with another major currency, like yen.
by Abu Yahya April 10, 2010
Get the long positionmug. a current account deficit; a negative net flow of liquid assets to the citizens of a particular country. The external balance includes the trade balance, net foreign factor income, and net foreign aid *received*. Usually the main cause of an external deficit is a trade deficit.
by Abu Yahya February 14, 2009
Get the external deficitmug. (ECONOMICS) situation in which demand confidence in banks or borrowers is so low that monetary policy (i.e., lowering interest rates) has no positive impact on the economy. A characteristic of an economic depression.
When the economy contracts, or is in a recession, it is occasionally sufficient for the authorities to lower the discount rate or the federal funds rate. This lowers the cost of borrowing money, so more people do so, more stuff is bought, and the economy recovers. But in a depression, people will hoard cash (if they have any); if the interest rate is lowered, they still won't borrow, and the banks won't lend (because they want to restore their balance sheets).
When this happens, only fiscal policy has any chance of restoring economic growth.
When the economy contracts, or is in a recession, it is occasionally sufficient for the authorities to lower the discount rate or the federal funds rate. This lowers the cost of borrowing money, so more people do so, more stuff is bought, and the economy recovers. But in a depression, people will hoard cash (if they have any); if the interest rate is lowered, they still won't borrow, and the banks won't lend (because they want to restore their balance sheets).
When this happens, only fiscal policy has any chance of restoring economic growth.
In the fall of 2008, the failure of so many major banks caused a global liquidity trap. For two quarters, the world economy suffered a very severe contraction, and millions of people lost their jobs.
by Abu Yahya April 18, 2010
Get the liquidity trapmug. (IRANIAN HISTORY) (1882-1967) Democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953. Ousted by coup d'etat organized by MI-6 and the CIA after he nationalized the assets of the Anglo Iranian Oil Company (BP, p.l.c.).
Mossadegh was involved in the 1924 Constitutional Revolution that was supposed to have ended autocracy in Iran and replaced it with a democratic republic. Instead, Reza Khan (Shah Reza) replaced the Qejars as as monarch. Later, Mossadegh rose to power because of rising anger at colonial deal between AOIC and Iran. His nationalization of AOIC triggered a balance of payments crisis for the UK, and two years later he was ousted by Operation Ajax. After he was overthrown, Shah Muhammad Reza was a dictator, and dependent on the USA to remain in power.
Mossadegh was involved in the 1924 Constitutional Revolution that was supposed to have ended autocracy in Iran and replaced it with a democratic republic. Instead, Reza Khan (Shah Reza) replaced the Qejars as as monarch. Later, Mossadegh rose to power because of rising anger at colonial deal between AOIC and Iran. His nationalization of AOIC triggered a balance of payments crisis for the UK, and two years later he was ousted by Operation Ajax. After he was overthrown, Shah Muhammad Reza was a dictator, and dependent on the USA to remain in power.
Muhammad Mossadegh was a true Iranian patriot whose overthrow in a British Petroleum-instigated coup poisoned relations between the USA and the Islamic world.
by Abu Yahya July 19, 2010
Get the Muhammad Mossadeghmug. (US GOVERNMENT) Federal Open Market Committee; a committee whose members include the 7 governors of the Federal Reserve Board plus five presidents of the Federal Reverse Banks (there are 12 district banks). The FOMC is responsible for open market operations of the Federal Reserve System.
The FOMC manages purchases and sales of Treasury securities.
by Abu Yahya June 17, 2010
Get the FOMCmug. Money that (a) derives its value entirely from the mandate of the government, and (b) cannot be freely traded. Fiat money is not the same thing as floating currency, because if a floating currency is intrinsically worthless then its lack of worth will be reflected in the forex markets. Fiat money, on the other hand, does not require a disciplined monetary of fiscal policy on the part of the issuing authorities; exchange rates are fixed by decree, which means the state also controls supplies of hard (foreign) currency.
by abu yahya September 28, 2008
Get the fiat moneymug.