Morning Bamboo Insight: 31 Jul 2014

Morning Bamboo Insight: 31 Jul 2014

Asia Pacific

1. (China) – China Probe of Ex-Security Chief Cracks Immunity for Elite Families; Takedown of Zhou Yongkang Sets Potential Precedent as It Goes After His Relatives

http://online.wsj.com/articles/china-probe-of-ex-security-chief-cracks-immunity-for-elite-families-1406719244

2. (India/Japan) – Could India Be Japan Inc.’s Next Big Investment Target?

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2014/07/29/could-india-be-japan-inc-s-next-big-investment-target/

3. (Japan) – Saving Abenomics; Abe has rolled out a tranche of corporate-governance reforms that give institutional investors greater sway over management. This marks a new transmission mechanism for spreading corporate earnings through the economy

http://online.wsj.com/articles/joseph-sternberg-saving-abenomics-1406736728

4. (China) – China’s Campaign Against Leftovers; To Beijing, declining marriages is not just a demographic concern -it’s a national crisis.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/anjie-zheng-chinas-campaign-against-leftovers-1406736849

5. (Korea) – S. Korean ‘Choco Pie’ balloons launched into North

http://news.asiaone.com/print/news/asia/s-korean-choco-pie-balloons-launched-north

6. (Msia) – Norwegian fund Norges allots RM800mil to invest in Malaysian small, mid-cap stocks

http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Business-News/2014/07/31/Norges-allots-RM800mil-for-small-midcap-stocks/

7. (Philippines) – Who Believes Philippines Are Worth Fighting For?

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/believes-philippines-worth-fighting-william-pesek/

8. (Spore) – No-commission life insurance up ahead in Singapore

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/premium/top-stories/no-commission-life-insurance-ahead-20140731

9. (China) – Microsoft Aspirations in China Meets Perilous Climate prone to protectionism, unpredictable laws and unreliable suppliers.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-07-29/microsoft-latest-company-finding-china-climate-arduous

10. (Spore) – S’pore’s savvy tax strategy keeps economy vibrant; This sets it apart from other jurisdictions regularly identified as tax havens

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/premium/editorial-opinion/opinion/spores-savvy-tax-strategy-keeps-economy-vibrant-20140731

Life

1. Tony Fernandes on driving ASEAN entrepreneurship

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/public_sector/Tony_Fernandes_on_driving_ASEAN_entrepreneurship?cid=other-eml-alt-mip-mck-oth-1407

2. The best performers do orders of magnitude better than the average, but how do you get them to work for your company?

http://ww2.cfo.com/hiring/2014/07/hire-simply-best

3. Entrepreneurs are misunderstood; Unless we appreciate the value they create we can’t appreciate their contribution to society

http://www.theage.com.au/small-business/entrepreneur/entrepreneurs-are-misunderstood-20140723-3cecw.html

4. The secret to Warren Buffett’s success: Charlie Munger; Munger is known for running a tight ship and training his executives on the “why” principle. This why-led strategy is responsible for the famous resurgence of Apple

http://www.theage.com.au/small-business/startup/the-secret-to-warren-buffetts-success-20140716-3c1ll.html

5. Dilmah’s founder Merrill Fernando’s idea to produce and sell single-origin pure Ceylon tea helped to stop the trend towards the commoditisation of tea

http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/SME/2014/07/31/Tea-leads-to-philanthropy-Planters-success-allows-him-to-venture-on-to-bigger-things/

TMT

1. Amazon Ups the Ante in India With $2 Billion Investment; Amazon Ups the Ante in India With $2 Billion Investment

http://online.wsj.com/articles/amazon-to-invest-2-billion-in-india-1406700828

2. (China/Tech) – Alibaba in Talks to Invest in Snapchat; New Round of Financing Could Value the Messaging App at $10 Billion

http://online.wsj.com/articles/alibaba-in-talks-to-invest-in-messaging-app-snapchat-1406746438

3. (China/Tech) – Alibaba Entertains Chinese Willingness to Pay; Chinese Consumers Aren’t Accustomed to Paying for Home Entertainment

http://online.wsj.com/articles/heard-on-the-street-alibaba-entertains-chinese-willingness-to-pay-1406709568

4. (China/Korea/Tech) – Is Huawei Eating Samsung’s Lunch?

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/07/30/is-huawei-eating-samsungs-lunch/

5. Tech Companies’ Secret Weapon: Animal Logos

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/07/30/tech-companies-secret-weapon-animal-logos/

Consumer

1. In New Zealand, All Eyes on Milk Prices; Dairy forms the backbone of the New Zealand economy, representing around 25% of exports

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2014/07/30/in-new-zealand-all-eyes-on-milk-prices/

2. As Sales Flag Abroad, Coke Refocuses on Home Turf; Old Playbook May Not Work When Americans Are Rethinking Soda Consumption

http://online.wsj.com/articles/as-sales-flag-abroad-coke-refocuses-on-home-turf-1406765563

Healthcare

1. World Ebola fears grow, with Europe and Asia on alert

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/health/world-ebola-fears-grow/1289770.html

2. Drug-resistant malaria spreading fast in Southeast Asia

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/health/drug-resistant-malaria/1289992.html

Investing Process

1. East Coast Asset Management Q2 Letter – Horse in Motion

http://cdn1.valuewalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/East-Coast-Q2-2014-Letter_-Horse-in-Motion.pdf

2. Research – Opting Out of Good Governance

http://www.nber.org/papers/w19953