On the other hand, too lax policy, such as keeping the real deposit rate deeply negative, could fuel asset price bubbles that, by definition, eventually burst.

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He has admitted asset bubbles are a negative side effect, or a cost as he puts it, of low rates, and has acknowledged savers are getting the short end of the stick.

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NextEra, with 95% of its portfolio in clean or renewable fuels, noted that the mark-to-market effects of certain hedges, the net effect of other than temporary impairments (OTTI), and certain asset sales had a substantially negative effect on its earnings.

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"You are taking people in negative equity, pushing more money down their throat to back an asset that is still going down in value, " he said.

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Safe interest rates are negative, once you adjust for inflation, and that has pushed investors out into riskier asset classes.

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That negative surprise you encounter can ultimately become a barrier to competition, if you treat it as an asset as Sharp did.

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So even though goodwill is a fictitious asset, and does not affect the firm's cash profits, it has a negative effect on the books.

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Treasurys are the only sure-fire safe asset around, even though real yields on shorter-dated U.S. debt are negative.

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Despite the negative press it has received lately, real estate will also continue to be one of the fastest growing asset classes.

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