Credit Crunch Easing?

There is some evidence that the mood in the financial sector is very cautiously optimistic. The TED Spread is down 18 basis points to 3.89%, from a high of 4.64% a week ago. (This is 3-month LIBOR minus 3-month T-bills, and hence a measure of banks’ willingness to lend to each other rather than to the U.S. government.) Still, it may take weeks for banks to have cash in the places they need it and feel comfortable loaning money again.

The highly informative and frequently updated blog Calculated Risk (link also in our sidebar) is doing a daily post on this and other credit market measures, so if you’re addicted you may want to go there.

True junkies may prefer Across the Curve, which focuses exclusively on credit markets, including some you’ve never heard of.