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Wall Street Journal (February 27)

2015/ 02/ 28 by jd in Global News

“Tens of billions of dollars in U.S. market value have disappeared in recent years as more than 170 U.S.-listed Chinese companies have faced scrutiny for embezzlement, theft, misrepresentation and other alleged abuses.” Regrettably, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has caved-in on tighter inspections, deciding “not to suspend the Chinese audit firms or penalize them beyond token fines of $500,000.” As a result, U.S. investors “still lack basic protections against Chinese fraudsters” while Chinese authorities “remain as free as ever to stymie future investigations.” Furthermore, the SEC’s lack of spine increases “China’s rising confidence that it can play by its own rules.”

 

The Global Times (February 26)

2015/ 02/ 27 by jd in Global News

“Japan used to dominate the global household electrical appliance market, but now consumers only recognize its toilet seats or rice cookers, which demonstrates the regression of its industry. The growing popularity of Chinese household electrical appliances has gradually squeezed the sphere which used to be taken up by ‘Made in Japan’ goods.” This makes it a shame “that Chinese tourists spent 6 billion yuan ($959.4 million)” in Japan, purchasing such items during the spring holidays” and also “makes a mockery of China’s boycott of Japanese goods.”

 

Financial Times (February 25)

2015/ 02/ 26 by jd in Global News

When then Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke signaled a potential policy change in 2013, he “triggered a ‘taper tantrum’ in financial markets across the world” and “put a chill on the US housing market.” Current Fed Chairman Janet Yellen “is determined not to do the same and catch the markets unaware.” Judging from the calm market reaction to her recent guidance, she is earning “high marks” for successfully managing expectations.

 

Institutional Investor (February Issue)

2015/ 02/ 25 by jd in Global News

“Over the past five years, as Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland in the U.K., UBS and Credit Suisse in Switzerland and even Deutsche Bank have pared back their investment banking activities, U.S. banks have powered ahead in the European arena in just about every sector, including the all-important FICC and M&A advisory categories.”

 

New York Times (February 23)

2015/ 02/ 24 by jd in Global News

“The heavy parliamentary weapon France’s Socialist government deployed to ram an economic reform bill through opposition in its own ranks might seem excessive for a measure that basically lets some stores stay open on some Sundays.” This raises the question of how President François Hollande will proceed when the “far tougher package of tax breaks, easing of labor laws and other reforms is due later this year.”

 

Washington Post (February 22)

2015/ 02/ 23 by jd in Global News

“There is a danger that as other pressing concerns about North Korea accumulate — nuclear weapons, missiles, cyberattacks — the world will lose interest in the human rights disaster.” Ideally, “North Korea’s leaders should be held accountable” and referred “to the International Criminal Court for investigation of crimes against humanity.” At present, however, a Security Council referral looks doomed to veto by China or Russia. For the time being, the UN must continue “to investigate human rights abuses in North Korea, with an eye toward identifying who in the regime’s leadership is responsible for the horrors so that they can eventually be held to account.”

 

The Economist (February 21)

2015/ 02/ 22 by jd in Global News

“Deflation can be a good thing. But today’s version is pernicious.” Prices have fallen in Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, indeed the euro zone as a whole, and “ultra-low inflation is also widespread. America, Britain and China each have inflation rates of less than 1%.” Should there be another crash, central banks would have little room to act. “The world is grievously underestimating the danger of deflation.”

 

Wall Street Journal (February 20)

2015/ 02/ 21 by jd in Global News

“Wal-Mart’s decision proves that the best way to raise wages is with faster economic growth that creates more demand for labor. Workers can move to better opportunities as more emerge, and their current employers may conclude they have to pay more to keep them.” Wal-Mart will significantly exceed the current U.S. minimum wage of $7.25 when it raises its hourly wage to $9 or more by April and to at least $10 in 2016.

 

Financial Times (February 19)

2015/ 02/ 20 by jd in Global News

“The best news on Japan’s economy is coming from the jobs market, where there are signs of labour shortages, and organic pressure for higher wages.” The real test of “whether Abenomics is working” will come from the annual “shunto” labour talks. “If wage growth is not higher than last year it will be a worrying sign.”

 

Bloomberg (February 19)

2015/ 02/ 19 by jd in Global News

“While companies in other places occasionally throw perks at stockholders, the practice has reached its ultimate expression in Japan, where a cottage industry has sprung up around yutai.”

 

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