Bloomberg (July 20)
“Last month wasn’t just the hottest June on record—it continued the longest-ever streak of record-breaking months: 14. It’s no longer a question of whether 2016 will be the hottest on record, but by how much.”
Tags: 2016, Hottest, June, Record breaking, Streak
Wall Street Journal (July 19)
“What did Winston Churchill say about how politicians should behave—be defiant in defeat but magnanimous in victory? The Donald Trump campaign must have missed that lesson in political manners because it started off the Cleveland convention on Monday by picking unnecessary fights with vanquished foes.”
Tags: Campaign, Cleveland, Convention Fights, Defeat, Defiant, Donald Trump, Magnanimous, Politicians, Victory, Winston Churchill
Institutional Investor (July 18)
Following a tumultuous weekend with a failed coup, another police officer shooting in the U.S., and continuing Brexit worries, investors may want to consider “whether security and geopolitical threats to stability will undermine the impact of aggressive easing actions of the world’s central banks. A recovery in the Turkish lira and global equity indices and a retreat in gold prices, seemingly fueled by the coup’s failure, suggests that at least some parts of the market believe central bank policymakers still trump security threats when it comes to financial asset valuation.”
Tags: Asset valuation, Brexit, Central banks, Easing, Equities, Failed coup, Geopolitical threats, Gold, Investors, Lira, Police, Recovery, Security, Shooting, Stability, Threats, Tumultuous, Turkey, U.S., Worries
The Economist (July 16)
“Donald Trump’s nomination in Cleveland will put a thriving country at risk of a great, self-inflicted wound.”
Time (July 15)
First there was the Charlie Hebdo attack that killed 17 people. “Then came the Paris attacks—a devastating blow, from which the country had only just begun to shake off the anxiety and grief.” And now the deadly tragedy in Nice. All within a year and a half. “For France, the attack on Thursday night is likely to be deeply distressing—and to raise the question about how the country can possible avoid further attacks, given the extraordinary security measures already in place.”
Tags: Anxiety, Attacks, Charlie Hebdo, Devastating, Distressing, France, Grief, Nice, Paris, Security, Tragedy
Financial Times (July 14)
“Before Nintendo shareholders get too excited, they should examine the reality.” As the Pokémon Go craze grows, “Nintendo’s shares have risen by 50 per cent in a week on hopes Pokémon Go can rescue the company from dependence on lacklustre consoles such as the Wii U, and propel it into a world of growth in casual games on smart devices.” The investors need to “calm down” as there are still challenges ahead for Nintendo.
Tags: Console, Craze, Dependence, Excited, Growth, Investors, Lackluster, Nintendo, Pokémon Go, Reality, Rescue, Shareholders, Shares, Wii U
USA Today (July 13)
Comparisons are being made between Margaret Thatcher, the UK’s first female Prime Minister, and Theresa May, its second. Both entered office at inopportune times, but there are differences as well. “Unlike Thatcher, May lacks charisma. Indeed, she is rather dull but at least she is competent. In the age of Donald Trump, charisma appears to have lost its luster. In these turbulent times, May is ideally placed to take over from David Cameron.”
Tags: Cameron, Charisma, Comparisons, Competent, Donald Trump, Dull, Female, Prime minister, Thatcher, Theresa May, Turbulent, UK
Washington Post (July 12)
“China is increasingly asserting itself as a great power, and nowhere is its rise more likely to lead to war than in the South China Sea” where tensions have been rising with nations who dispute China’s claims. “These tensions are likely only to increase in the wake of the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling Tuesday undermining China’s claims and bolstering those of the Philippines, one of the closest U.S. allies in the region.” We have not escaped from “perilous waters.” In fact, “China is more prepared for a confrontation than Western experts may expect.”
Tags: Allies, China, Claims, Confrontation, Dispute, Perilous, Philippines, South China Sea, Tensions, U.S., War
Wall Street Journal (July 11)
Spurred by Japan’s corporate governance reforms, Nintendo finally relented and committed to broadening its reach to mobile devices. Pokémon Go, one result of this decision, has boosted “the struggling Japanese firm’s market value by $7.5 billion—a turn of corporate fortune with lessons for Japan Inc. …. The fitness-conscious should like a video game that requires players to be active, and Nintendo’s long-suffering shareholders are glad that one of their products is breaking the internet. Here’s hoping other notoriously risk-averse Japanese corporations take the hint.”
Tags: Corporate governance, Japan, Japan Inc., Market value, Mobile, Nintendo, Pokémon Go, Risk-averse, Shareholders, Video game
New York Times (July 10)
“The new American sanctions on North Korea are hardly surprising, since the regime brutally controls 25 million people, has an aggressive nuclear program and is improving its ability to launch missiles that could one day hit the United States.” Whether the sanctions can “make North Korea budge” remains to be seen.
Tags: Aggressive, Brutal, Launch, Missiles, North Korea, Nuclear program, Regime, Sanctions, U.S.
