MID-DAY UPDATE: Davos and FCIC

The World Economic Forum is underway in Davos, Switzerland, and already we’re hearing from forum participants. A senior executive of Goldman Sachs said this morning that tougher bank regulation could trigger the next financial crisis. This statement left analysts “shocked by the temerity of these bankers,” who seem to be annoyed by the banking regulations put into place to prevent another crisis.

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission released its report today, saying that that the financial crisis was the result of mismanagement, risk-taking and regulatory failures and that the financial crisis of 2008 was “avoidable.” The 545-page document will be released in bookstores and the internet.

And finally, for the first time in nine years S&P has downgraded Japan’s long term credit rating to AA-. The downgrade is due in part to the country’s debt load, and could have a critical affect on the U.S. economy.