Now they find themselves deep in debt - a drag, for the present, on the broad Spanish economy.

For the broader economy, this may turn out to be just a hiccup.

The question is how much investment must come down and whether the reduction will cause a slump in the broad economy.

The market takes account of all the information available about it and about the broad economy.

If it is, then the broader economy has some problems.

The effect on the broader economy is never quick and rarely small.

And if housing was strong, it's a good bet the broader economy would be, too.

But consumers - and perhaps the broader economy - are taking on more risk.

But the ability of big companies to cope does not necessarily mean that Japan's broad economy will do as well.

This has important implications for the broader global economy, as well.