Stock markets came under pressure over the past few days as skepticism crept in that economic green shoots could be withering. On top of that, fears that the the US could be facing a credit rating downgrade (are the rating agencies now relevant again?) also caused losses for the US dollar and bonds.

These issues, together with another dose of discussion about the repayment of TARP funds, featured prominently in this week’s video clips. Commentators included in the selection below include James Galbraith, Jim Bianco, Robert Shiller, Sam Stovall, Bill Gross, David Rosenberg, Jim Rogers and Steve Leuthold.

The compilation kicks off with a top-quality interview with James Galbraith, saying that the banks can hardly lose but the rest of us aren’t so lucky, and concludes with the “American Casino” movie trailer.

Yahoo Finance, Tech Ticker: Galbraith - banks can hardly lose “Big banks have raised billions since the stress tests and policymakers

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By Martin Hutchinson
Contributing EditorMoney Morning

[Editor's Note: When Slate magazine recently set out to identify the stock-market guru who most correctly predicted the stock-market decline that accompanied the current financial crisis, the respected online publication concluded it was Martin Hutchinson, a veteran international investment banker who is one of Money Morning's top forecasters. It was no surprise to our readers: After all, Hutchinson warned investors about the evils of credit default swaps six months before the complex derivatives did in insurer American International Group Inc. Then, last fall, Hutchinson "called" the market bottom.

Now Hutchinson has developed a strategy for investors to invest their way to "Permanent Wealth" using high-yielding dividend stocks. This strategy is tailor-made for an unpredictable stock market that's backdropped by an uncertain economy. Just click here to find out about this strategy- or Hutchinson's new service, The Permanent Wealth Investor.]

India remains a …

India’s weekend election gives the ruling Congress Party a big win and paves the way for economic reforms.

India’s ruling Congress Party has a goal of helping India’s poor and pushes free-market reforms.

After this election, India is apt to open up its retail, insurance and banking sectors to more foreign investment.   Moreover, the government may reduce its ownership in refineries, banks and fertilizer companies.

This election could pave the way for a large amount of capital to flow into Indian stocks.

Bombay Stock Exchange stocks are taking off as investors look optimistically at a critical election victory for the Congress Party-led alliance.

The best way to play India: PowerShares India (NYSE: PIN). This Exchange Traded Fund holds a nice basket of Indian stocks and seeks to mirror the Indian stock market measured by the Indus India index.

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Industrial Production declines…  Stocks sell off, leading currencies down…  Indian election spurs a rally…  China stockpiles commodities… And Now… Today’s Pfennig!

Well… As much as I dislike having to say so, because I told you this might happen… The currencies have given back some major ground VS the dollar since Friday morning. It’s all tied to the fact that the euphoria going around the markets the previous week regarding stocks and the U.S. economy, came to a screeching halt last week. I pleaded and begged for the currencies to break this link to stocks, but it wouldn’t / didn’t happen and voila!

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by Manuel Alvarez-Rivera, Puerto Ricobr /br /Contrary to exit poll findings and widespread expectations of a closely fought race, India's ruling Congress Party - formally the Indian National Congress - and its allies won a clear victory in the general election held in April and May of this year, emerging well ahead of the right-wing, Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In all, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won 261 of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha - the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament - and came within eleven seats of an absolute parliamentary majority, while the BJP-headed National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured only 157 and the Third Front - composed of leftist and regional parties - captured 80 seats. Meanwhile, the new Fourth Front also fared poorly, obtaining just 27 seats, while the remaining 18 seats went to other parties.br /br /The Election Commission of India has ...