China’s struggle for a new economy; When a superb horse meets a high obstacle, the odds are on the horse. But even the best may fail

March 25, 2014 4:07 pm

China’s struggle for a new economy

By Martin Wolf

When a superb horse meets a high obstacle, the odds are on the horse. But even the best may fail

Read more of this post

Indian election: Generational shift; Young people are switching from Congress to the BJP, which has promised to create 10m jobs

March 25, 2014 6:25 pm

Indian election: Generational shift

By Amy Kazmin

Young people are switching from Congress to the BJP, which has promised to create 10m jobs

The son of an uneducated subsistence farmer in India’s Hindi heartland, Anil Kumar Bahe, 25, watched as his parents faithfully voted for the Congress party, which casts itself as the champion of poor families such as his. But in India’s upcoming parliamentary election, Mr Bahe, who is completing a postgraduate degree in chemistry, plans to break from his family’s political tradition. Read more of this post

Spooked by defaults, China banks begin retreat from risk

Spooked by defaults, China banks begin retreat from risk

Tue, Mar 25 2014

* Companies with elevated debt report lower credit caps, higher rates

* High debt firms talk of more scrutiny, documentation required

* Little change in funding conditions for profitable, less indebted firms Read more of this post

SGX site is now counter-intuitive; The latest design changes are a step back, and the exchange should take a serious look at further improving its site

PUBLISHED MARCH 26, 2014

SGX site is now counter-intuitive

CAI HAOXIANG

The latest design changes are a step back, and the exchange should take a serious look at further improving its site.

USUALLY, an upgrade or revamp is good news because it makes everybody’s lives easier. We get upgraded smartphones with bigger screens and faster processing power, for example, so we waste less time accessing applications, squint less at words and images, and are better distracted by smoothly streaming Korean dramas on the train ride to the office. Read more of this post

S’pore startups find new partnerships to survive competition in China; “We didn’t know that in China there were so many similar products, which have already been launched and commercialised in the market.”

S’pore startups find new partnerships to survive competition in China

By Valarie Tan 
POSTED: 26 Mar 2014 14:39
Singapore startups hoping to expand in China are often faced with stiff competition from local rivals, but some are finding new partnerships to survive in the market. Read more of this post

IASB Tackles Corporate Disclosures rules aimed at preventing companies from overwhelming investors with useless information

March 25, 2014, 1:55 PM ET

IASB Tackles Corporate Disclosures

EMILY CHASAN

Senior Editor

International accounting rule makers on Tuesday proposed changes to corporate disclosure rules aimed at preventing companies from overwhelming investors with useless information. Read more of this post

How America Loses a Job Every 43 Seconds; For every immigrant hired at technology companies, an average of five additional employees are added as well

How America Loses a Job Every 43 Seconds

For every immigrant hired at technology companies, an average of five additional employees are added as well.

MATTHEW J. SLAUGHTER

March 25, 2014 6:53 p.m. ET

The first of next month is a big day for the U.S., and not because it’s April Fools’ Day. April 1 is when the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services begins accepting new H-1B visa petitions for 2015. Read more of this post

BlackRock’s Fink has privately warned big companies that dividends and buybacks that activists favor may create quick returns at the expense of long-term investment

BlackRock’s Fink Sounds the Alert

DAVID BENOIT and LIZ HOFFMAN

Updated March 25, 2014 6:45 p.m. ET

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Australia Backs Away From Proposed Director-Tenure Cap

Australia Backs Away From Proposed Director-Tenure Cap

Guideline Would Have Encouraged Companies to Limit Independent Directors’ Terms to Nine Years

ROSS KELLY

Updated March 25, 2014 7:28 a.m. ET

SYDNEY—Australia backed down from plans to encourage companies to limit the tenure of independent directors, a move that risks making the country appear softer than others on corporate-governance standards.

Read more of this post

“Too Big to Fail’ Is Precise Enough

‘Too Big to Fail’ Is Precise Enough

DAVID REILLY

March 25, 2014 5:10 p.m. ET

Warren Buffett sometimes uses a story to highlight the folly of trying to be overly precise. Speaking of a person who weighs between 300 pounds and 325 pounds, the legendary investor says the exact weight isn’t what matters; the point is simply that the person is fat. Read more of this post

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