Evening Bamboo Insight: 30 Aug 2014

Evening Bamboo Insight: 30 Aug 2014

Macro

1. Shekeled and bound: The strong shekel is hurting Israel’s economy more than the conflict in Gaza

http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21614169-strong-shekel-hurting-israels-economy-more-conflict

2. Global property markets: Frothy again; Easy money is inflating house prices across much of the globe

http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21614167-easy-money-inflating-house-prices-across-much-globe-frothy-again

3. Fluid dynamics: America’s famously flexible labour market is becoming less so

http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21614159-americas-famously-flexible-labour-market-becoming-less-so-fluid-dynamics

4. Popping property bubbles: Choosing the right pin; House prices in Europe are losing touch with reality again. Deflating the bubbles will not be easy

http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21614165-house-prices-europe-are-losing-touch-reality-again-deflating-bubbles

5. Changes in Digital Television Are Model for Economy Itself

http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2014/08/29/changes-in-digital-television-are-model-for-economy-itself/

Asia Pacific

1. (Japan) – Japan’s bond market: Quantitative freezing; Japanese bond traders say the central bank is stifling their market

http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21614221-japanese-bond-traders-say-central-bank-stifling-their-market-quantitative

2. (China) – Fixing China Inc: Reform of state companies is back on the agenda

http://www.economist.com/news/china/21614240-reform-state-companies-back-agenda-fixing-china-inc

3. (Spore) – Bank loans may have lower interest rates than Housing Board loans at the moment, but the fear that rates may rise has prompted more Singapore flat buyers to opt for the board’s fixed concessionary loans.

http://news.asiaone.com/print/news/singapore/more-choosing-hdb-loans-fear-bank-rates-may-rise

4. (China) – China’s Toilet Paper Makers Flush With Cash

http://www.forbes.com/sites/shuchingjeanchen/2014/08/28/chinas-toilet-paper-makers-flush-with-cash/print/

5. (Korea) – S. Korea gripped by ‘special syndrome’; mistrust and discontent with the system cause demand for special measures

http://news.mk.co.kr/english/newsRead.php?sc=30800001&cm=Top%20Story&year=2014&no=1148820&selFlag=&relatedcode=&wonNo=&sID=308

6. (China) – Pester power drives lucrative market for children in China

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?cid=1202&MainCatID=12&id=20140830000051

7. (China) – Executives of state enterprises in five of China’s major industries may take up to a 50% cut in their pay should a report alleging the government’s decision to place a salary cap at 600,000 yuan (US$97,500) a year turn out to true

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20140830000031&cid=1201

8. (China) – Li Xiaolin, daughter of former Chinese president Li Xiannian

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20140828000030&cid=1601

Life

1. Using Gambling to Entice Low-Income Families to Save; A growing number of credit unions and nonprofit groups are using lotteries to encourage low-income families to save.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/business/using-gambling-to-entice-low-income-families-to-save.html?ref=business

2. How the internet forces us to choose between science and religion

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/672802f2-2e3f-11e4-b760-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3BvcdRus7

3. Students reveal 50 most useful skills picked up at university in poll

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2502847/What-students-REALLY-learn-university.html

4. Paul Graham on Money vs. Wealth; Debunking the pie fallacy, or why there’s more to success than giving people what they want.

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/07/02/how-to-make-wealth-paul-graham-hackers-painters/

5. Cultural Realities Of Latin American Entrepreneurship

http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/30/cultural-realities-of-latin-american-entrepreneurship/

6. When to Trust Your Gut

http://www.capitalideasonline.com/articles/index.php?id=4733

7. Two Things I Learned From Reading Jim Manzi’s Uncontrolled

http://250words.com/2014/08/jim-manzi/?cp_type=250D&rmid=250_Words_Daily&rrid=6739702

8. Why Successful Entrepreneurs Are Effective Delegators

http://businessjournal.gallup.com/content/174800/why-successful-entrepreneurs-effective-delegators.aspx

9. Darwin’s Battle with Anxiety

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/08/28/darwin-anxiety/

1. The Psychology of Writing and the Cognitive Science of the Perfect Daily Routine

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/08/25/the-psychology-of-writing-daily-routine/

1. How Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, And Other Self-Made Billionaires Got Their Big Break

http://www.businessinsider.sg/steve-jobs-richard-branson-billionaires-big-break-2014-8/#.VAFdt_mSxqU

2. Martin Wolf’s ‘The Shifts and the Shocks’; The Nobel laureate applauds a new analysis of the financial crisis by the FT’s chief economics commentator

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/44772c4a-2e96-11e4-afe4-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3BqgihCHz

TMT

1. In E-Sports, Video Gamers Draw Real Crowds and Big Money; Professional video gaming is becoming a worldwide spectator sport offering big prizes to competitors and helping the game industry gain even greater cultural and economic clout

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/technology/esports-explosion-brings-opportunity-riches-for-video-gamers.html?ref=technology

2. Is Owning Overrated? The Rental Economy Rises

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/30/upshot/is-owning-overrated-the-rental-economy-rises.html?_r=0&abt=0002&abg=1

3. Five Factors In Building Giants Of The Big Data Era

http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/30/five-factors-in-building-giants-of-the-big-data-era/

4. How Siri’s Founders Could Have Built The Next Google

http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/30/how-siris-founders-could-have-built-the-next-google/

5. The Man Who Created Google Maps And Facebook’s ‘Like’ Button Is Building A Google Docs and Microsoft Word-Killer

http://www.businessinsider.sg/man-created-google-maps-facebooks-like-building-google-docs-microsoft-word-killer/#.VAFegvmSxqU

6. (China/Tech) – The Key Differences Between Alibaba And Amazon In One Chart

http://www.businessinsider.sg/alibaba-vs-amazon-2014-8/#.VAFduPmSxqU

7. (China/Tech) – ‘Brushing’ casts doubt on Alibaba figures; ‘Brushing’ essentially consists of creating fake orders – the merchant sends out an empty box or delivery envelope accordingly, but refunds the money paid by the ‘purchaser’.

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/d72ec42a-2f87-11e4-83e4-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3BqgihCHz

8. (China/Tech) – Alibaba to test home textile ‘try-before-you-buy’ sales

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20140830000005&cid=1206

Consumer

1. No Canvas, No Leather: A Reboot for the Sneaker; Unconventional footwear materials, like Tyvek, are offering a new take on the minimalist shoe trend

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/business/Shoes-made-with-Tyvek.html?ref=business

2. (China/Korea/Consumer) – Korean coffee shops moving into China challenge Starbucks

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20140830000102&cid=1202

3. Tim Hortons takes on the world: How going global could change the soul of Canada’s coffee chain; Burger King will turn Tim Hortons into ‘iconic global brand,’ Miles Nadal says

http://business.financialpost.com/2014/08/30/tim-hortons-takes-on-the-world-how-going-global-could-change-the-soul-of-canadas-coffee-chain/

http://business.financialpost.com/2014/08/30/burger-king-will-turn-tim-hortons-into-iconic-global-brand-miles-nadal-says/

Healthcare

1. End-of-Life Talks May Finally Overcome Politics; Medicare may cover advance care planning that was once decried as “death panels,” and some private insurers are not waiting for the political process

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/health/end-of-life-talks-may-finally-overcome-politics.html?ref=health

2. Thermo Fisher: Riding the Research Boom; nearly three-quarters of the company’s revenue comes from services and consumables, recurring sources that carry higher profit margins than lab equipment

http://online.barrons.com/news/articles/SB50001424127887323949604580122480638944038

Investing Process

1. Superstitious investors: Black-cat market; Irrational investment habits lead to lower returns

http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21614227-irrational-investment-habits-lead-lower-returns-black-cat-market

2. RV Capital On The Bullish Case For BETT AG

http://www.valuewalk.com/2014/08/rv-capital-business-owner-tgv-vs-dax/

http://cdn1.valuewalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Co-Investor_Letter_H1_2014_3.pdf

3. Buffett’s investment by moat strategy gets a book

http://www.omaha.com/money/buffett/warren-watch-buffett-s-investment-by-moat-strategy-gets-a/article_f5415d12-1734-5d82-9e85-92d7ca5aacf5.html?mode=print