Singapore firms making inroads into Myanmar

Singapore firms making inroads into Myanmar

Wednesday, Mar 26, 2014

Looi Jo-anne

The Business Times

When Singapore firm AKDA Architects first ventured into Myanmar more than two years ago, many were sceptical. Back then, Myanmar’s first civilian government had barely taken office in a historical move towards democracy and the opening up of its market to the outside world was slow and fraught with uncertainties. Read more of this post

LG, GS, LS owners enjoy dividend bonanza

LG, GS, LS owners enjoy dividend bonanza

Wednesday, Mar 26, 2014

The Korea Herald/Asia News Network

About half of Asia’s listed companies are family-run businesses, according to an analysis performed by Credit Suisse last year.

And these companies were found to have been quite lucrative, as the family-owned corporations from 10 major Asian countries accounted for 32 per cent of the total market value of the region. Read more of this post

China official urges calm as depositors again queue outside rural banks

China official urges calm as depositors again queue outside rural banks

10:26pm EDT

By John Ruwitch

YANCHENG, China (Reuters) – A Chinese county official appealed for calm among bank depositors in the eastern city of Yancheng on Wednesday as queues formed for a third straight day outside the branches of two small banks rumored to be in financial trouble. Read more of this post

Sovereign funds wary of hidden emerging market exposure: Templeton

Sovereign funds wary of hidden emerging market exposure: Templeton

12:35pm EDT

By Natsuko Waki

LONDON (Reuters) – Sovereign wealth funds see emerging market turbulence as a long term buying opportunity, but are wary of excessive exposure via some of their Western holdings such as luxury goods makers, a top investment official at Franklin Templeton said. Read more of this post

Managing Berkshire Hathaway by Committee?

Managing Berkshire Hathaway by Committee? by David Merkel, CFA of Aleph Blog

While reading about portfolio companies today, I ended up reading this piece about Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A) (BRK.B)  Not that great of an article, and it got worse when I read this:

Then there is the big question, “Who will replace Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio)?” He is now 83 years old. There is no official word on who will take over, but in his letters to shareholders he takes time to praise many of the investment managers working for him. The current consensus seems to be that Berkshire will be run by committee. The company has plenty of assets and superior management, so it should continue to operate efficiently. [emphasis mine] Read more of this post

As liquid-alt mutual funds proliferate, some question their value

As liquid-alt mutual funds proliferate, some question their value

By Jeff Benjamin   |  March 25, 2014 – 10:40 am EST

When the news broke this month that $24 billion hedge fund firm Grosvenor Capital Management was breaking out of its otherwise secretive shell with plans to launch a registered alternative strategy mutual fund, it was generally interpreted as just the latest evidence of a continuing trend. Read more of this post

A growing number of companies are embracing sustainable business practices by becoming Certified B Corporations

March 25, 2014

CFO.com | US

B Prepared

A growing number of companies are embracing sustainable business practices by becoming Certified B Corporations.

Marielle Segarra

This is one of three articles in a special report on how companies are getting graded on sustainability. Here are the others: Read more of this post

5 Reasons Why Chinese “Stimulus” Hopes Are Overdone

5 Reasons Why Chinese “Stimulus” Hopes Are Overdone

Tyler Durden on 03/25/2014 10:36 -0400

A surprise (to some) drop in China’s PMI was just enough bad news to prompt the good-news-seeking BTFD’ers into expectations of additional stimulus from China. Despite ‘PBOC advisors’ (implictly the mouthpiece of official policy strawmen) stating openly not to expect stimulus and confirming that China will see a “crisis” in local-government financing “but not as expolosive as the 2008 crisis”, and that “China must face the moral hazrd issue“, investors are buying CNY, copper, Chinese stocks, and practically everything else on the back of hopes for moar money. However, as Bloomberg’s Tom Orlik explains, with the government facing conflicting pressures an abrupt about-face in policy is unlikely. Read more of this post

Hundreds rush to rural Chinese banks after solvency rumors

Hundreds rush to rural Chinese banks after solvency rumors

7:36am EDT

By Gabriel Wildau and Kazunori Takada

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Hundreds of people rushed on Tuesday to withdraw money from branches of two small Chinese banks after rumors spread about solvency at one of them, reflecting growing anxiety among investors as regulators signal greater tolerance for credit defaults. Read more of this post

Grad Students Driving the Growing Debt Burden

Grad Students Driving the Growing Debt Burden

Report’s Findings Could Reframe Debate on Americans’ Growing Burden

JOSH MITCHELL

Read more of this post

Albert Edwards Destroys The “Solid Earnings Growth” Myth

Albert Edwards Destroys The “Solid Earnings Growth” Myth

Tyler Durden on 03/25/2014 08:27 -0400

Not a day passes without some pundit opining on financial comedy TV how it is not the Fed but impressive corporate profit growth that is keeping the markets afloat. We can’t help but laugh every single time. Why? Because with every reiteration, these pundits confirm they are clueless about just how it is that “profits” are created in the US – one way is from actual operations, another –  from accounting gimmicks, especially when one includes the epic black boxes of bottom-line fudgery that are financials (and their tens of billions in quarterly loan loss reserve release “profits”). It is the latter (i.e., unbridled accountant imagination) that is the reason for profits “growing” at an impressive rate. As for actual earnings, when stripped away of all tangential one-time, non-recurring boosts, things are far, far worse. In fact, true earning growth matches the already abysmal growth pace of both revenues and cash flows. Read more of this post

Carl Icahn’s Next No-Brainer? “A Major Sell-Down Of Artificial Market Is Coming”

Carl Icahn’s Next No-Brainer? “A Major Sell-Down Of Artificial Market Is Coming”

Tyler Durden on 03/24/2014 12:53 -0400

Sprinkled in between Herbalife promotion and eBay board decimation, CNBC’s favorite crowd-pleaser Carl Icahn offered a few pearls of wisdom that the TV anchors were un-prepared for: Read more of this post

Purifying Air for China’s Car Makers

Purifying Air for China’s Car Makers

ABHEEK BHATTACHARYA

March 25, 2014 5:28 a.m. ET

In this Dec. 9, 2013, file photo, the skyline of Shanghai’s Lujiazui Financial District is covered with heavy smog. China’s Premier has declared that smog is as big a problem as poverty. Associated Press

Read more of this post

Chinese Regulators Look at Allowing Debt Defaults

Chinese Regulators Look at Allowing Debt Defaults

Move Would be Deterrent for Reckless Lending Amid a Slowing Economy

LINGLING WEI

March 25, 2014 7:59 a.m. ET

BEIJING—Chinese regulators are experimenting with allowing some debt defaults as a way to fend off reckless lending activities, according to government officials familiar with the matter, the latest sign China’s leaders are pressing ahead on revamping the country’s creaky financial system. Read more of this post