No Signboard Seafood founder didn’t even know how to cook

No Signboard Seafood founder didn’t even know how to cook

SINGAPORE – She was an uneducated housewife living in a kampung at Tai Seng in Upper Paya Lebar.

When she got married, she did not know how to cook.

But she decided to teach herself so she could become a hawker in the kampung with her husband selling dishes like bak kut teh. Read more of this post

India: Narendra Modi’s market model; Critics of Gujarat’s chief minister question whether he could replicate state-level success across the country

February 5, 2014 8:16 pm

India: Narendra Modi’s market model

By Victor Mallet

Critics of Gujarat’s chief minister question whether he could replicate state-level success across the country

To see the vast industrial complexes on the Arabian Sea coast of Gujarat is to understand why big business thinks Narendra Modi could – and should – beIndia’s saviour. Read more of this post

Remaking the industrial economy; A regenerative economic model-the circular economy-is starting to help companies create more value while reducing their dependence on scarce resources

Remaking the industrial economy

A regenerative economic model—the circular economy—is starting to help companies create more value while reducing their dependence on scarce resources.

February 2014 | byHanh Nguyen, Martin Stuchtey, and Markus Zils

Visualize, for a moment, the industrial economy as a massive system of conveyor belts—one that directs materials and energy from resource-rich countries to manufacturing powerhouses, such as China, and then spirits the resulting products onward to the United States, Europe, and other destinations, where they are used, discarded, and replaced. While this image is an exaggeration, it does capture the essence of the linear, one-way production model that has dominated global manufacturing since the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Read more of this post

An “Austrian” Bill Gross Warns: “The Days Of Getting Rich Quickly Are Over… Getting Rich Slowly May Be As Well”

An “Austrian” Bill Gross Warns: “The Days Of Getting Rich Quickly Are Over… Getting Rich Slowly May Be As Well”

Tyler Durden on 02/05/2014 13:03 -0500

If readers ignore the rest from the latest monthly insight from Bill Gross of PIMCO, they should at least read the following insight which we agree with wholeheartedly: “our PIMCO word of the month is to be “careful.” Bull markets are either caused by or accompanied by credit expansion. With credit growth slowing due in part to lower government deficits, and QE now tapering which will slow velocity, the U.S. and other similarly credit-based economies may find that future growth is not as robust as the IMF and other model-driven forecasters might assume. Read more of this post

S’poreans remain second-biggest gamblers in the world

S’poreans remain second-biggest gamblers in the world

SINGAPORE — Singaporeans are still the second-biggest gamblers in the world, but the latest statistics from a British gambling consultancy indicate that losses incurred per adult resident here have fallen from three years ago.

BY NEO CHAI CHIN –

06 FEBRUARY

SINGAPORE — Singaporeans are still the second-biggest gamblers in the world, but the latest statistics from a British gambling consultancy indicate that losses incurred per adult resident here have fallen from three years ago. Read more of this post

3D Systems profit warning rekindles 3D printer bubble fears

3D Systems profit warning rekindles 3D printer bubble fears

3:08pm EST

(Reuters) – 3D Systems Corp slashed its profit estimate for 2013, reviving fears of a bubble in the 3D printing industry and sending its shares down as much as 28 percent.

Shares of other 3D printer makers also fell sharply after the profit warning from the largest listed 3D printer maker, which along with rival voxeljet AG has been the target of short-seller Citron Research. Read more of this post

From Adelaide to Champagne: behind the push to take R.M. Williams global

From Adelaide to Champagne: behind the push to take R.M. Williams global

Published 05 February 2014 10:40, Updated 05 February 2014 11:06

Simon Evans

A dusty R.M. Williams boot and a gleaming glass of Moet champagne might seem like opposites, yet the two will be unlikely bedfellows in a new private equity strategy to take the Australian icon global. Read more of this post

China’s liquor capital drowning in overproduction

China’s liquor capital drowning in overproduction

Staff Reporter 

2014-02-04

China’s “capital of liquor” is facing its coldest winter as a considerable number of small and medium producers of Chinese liquor or baijiu are being forced to close shop, reports the Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis Daily. Read more of this post

How Chinese entrepreneurs have flourished in Dubai

How Chinese entrepreneurs have flourished in Dubai

Staff Reporter 

2014-02-05

The last two decades have seen the rise of Dubai as a global metropolis and many Chinese businesspeople have scrambled to get a piece of the pie, the Beijing-based Economic Observer reports. Read more of this post

The Next Leap for the Indonesian Economy: Deeper Capital Markets

The Next Leap for the Indonesian Economy: Deeper Capital Markets

By Mukul Raheja on 9:13 am February 5, 2014.

The presence of robust, deep, regulated and liquid capital markets is essential for any economy to function efficiently. For an emerging and growing economy like Indonesia it is especially crucial. Not only do functioning capital markets offer an alternative to bank borrowing for private businesses seeking financing, they also help the government get access to cheaper sources of funding to finance the national budget and infrastructure projects. Read more of this post

Why Indonesians Distrust Their Leaders

Why Indonesians Distrust Their Leaders

By Jakarta Globe on 11:04 pm February 5, 2014.
In a working democracy, elected men or women with public jobs must be the best and most trusted people within that particular country. They were chosen by voters who have placed their trust in these men and women to serve and protect them. Read more of this post

Improving Corporate Governance Seen as Key for Further Foreign Investment in Indonesia

Improving Corporate Governance Seen as Key for Further Foreign Investment in Indonesia

By Vanesha Manuturi on 11:00 pm February 4, 2014.

Jakarta. Indonesian Finance Minister M. Chatib Basri has called on the country to improve corporate governance as part of its efforts to lure more foreign investors.

“During the era of easy money, foreign investors usually place their portfolio without a full assessment of the country,” Chatib said at an event organized by the Financial Services Authority (OJK) in Jakarta on Tuesday. Read more of this post

European Banks Have $3 Trillion of Exposure to Emerging Markets

European Banks Have $3 Trillion of Exposure to Emerging Markets

By Steve Slater on 9:44 pm February 4, 2014.
European banks have loaned in excess of $3 trillion to emerging markets, more than four times US lenders and putting them at greater risk if financial market turmoil in countries such as Turkey, Brazil, India and South Africa intensifies. Read more of this post

Kumho sibling feud reignited; conflict between Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Park Sam-koo and his younger brother and Kumho Petrochemical Chairman Park Chan-koo, who have been at odds since they fought over who should manage the group

2014-02-04 16:40

Kumho sibling feud reignited

By Kim Tae-jong

The feud between two brothers of the Kumho family has been reignited, following the elder brother’s accusation Monday that his younger brother’s personal driver stole his private information. Read more of this post

Celltrion stocks plunge on ‘CEO risk’

2014-02-05 16:34

Celltrion stocks plunge on ‘CEO risk’

By Kim Tae-jong

Stocks of Celltrion dropped by 6.14 percent Wednesday following news that its CEO has been banned from overseas travel and the prosecution will soon summon him for questioning over alleged stock price manipulation. Read more of this post

French fashion brand Carven aims to triple sales in 4 years

French fashion brand Carven aims to triple sales in 4 years

Wednesday, February 5, 2014 – 15:43

Reuters

PARIS – French fashion brand Carven aims to triple its sales within four years, helped by ambitious store-opening plans and solid demand for its chic schoolgirl style, its chief executive and controlling shareholder said on Tuesday. Read more of this post

Swiss grapple with identity, economy in immigration vote

Swiss grapple with identity, economy in immigration vote

Tue, Feb 4 2014

By Caroline Copley

WINTERTHUR, Switzerland (Reuters) – Low taxes and good infrastructure aside, what entrepreneur Thorsten Schwenke really needs to grow his small Swiss-based business is the right people, regardless of their nationality. Read more of this post

Scooter boom: Young women find gusto on India’s roads

Scooter boom: Young women find gusto on India’s roads

5:45am EST

By Aradhana Aravindan

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – ‘Plush pink’ and ‘burgundy bliss’ scooters are the new buzz on India’s roads, even as the rest of the autos market is sputtering amid an economic slowdown. Read more of this post

Emerging markets buffeted by bipolar world

Emerging markets buffeted by bipolar world

2:13am EST

By Mike Dolan

LONDON (Reuters) – Ailing emerging markets are caught between a rock and a hard place – Washington and Beijing to be more precise.

For much of 2013, the investor narrative was that currencies and stock markets from Mumbai to Moscow and Istanbul to Johannesburg were running aground as Federal Reserve largesse ebbed away. Read more of this post

Investors cling to frontiers as emerging markets sink

Investors cling to frontiers as emerging markets sink

7:17am EST

By Carolyn Cohn

LONDON (Reuters) – As emerging markets tumbled this year, the riskiest country groupings on the fringes have been a haven. Read more of this post

Hot desking’ emptying Australia’s office towers

Hot desking’ emptying Australia’s office towers

Wednesday, Feb 05, 2014

Jonathan Pearlman

The Straits Times

OFFICE towers in Australian cities are at their emptiest in years as firms have sought to cut costs by “hot desking” and moving to flexible or open plan offices. Read more of this post

Microsoft Prescription: More Bill Gates; Co-Founder Strengthens Role to Mentor New CEO Satya Nadella

Microsoft Prescription: More Bill Gates

Co-Founder Strengthens Role to Mentor New CEO Satya Nadella

SHIRA OVIDE, JOANN S. LUBLIN and MONICA LANGLEY

Updated Feb. 4, 2014 8:03 p.m. ET

Satya Nadella is Microsoft Corp.’s MSFT -0.36% new CEO. But he ascends as co-founder Bill Gates returns to a more central role at a company struggling to catch up inmobile and other fast-moving technologies. Read more of this post

Bank Of America Warns: “Too Few Bears Out There”, “Investors Not Prepared” For Selloff

Bank Of America Warns: “Too Few Bears Out There”, “Investors Not Prepared” For Selloff

Tyler Durden on 02/04/2014 08:24 -0500

There is one main reason why complacency is bad: selloffs. Because as Bank of America explains, in an environment in which there are “too few bears“, and where investors are “not prepared for a downside correction”, when you do finally get a sell off for whatever reason, with nobody hedged and otherwise prepared for such an outcome, the only logical continuation is piling on until one gets selling exhaustion. And in a world in which hedge fund leverage is about 500%, by the time exhaustion comes, there will be very few left standing. Read more of this post

The $3 Trillion Hole – Why EM Matters To European Banks

The $3 Trillion Hole – Why EM Matters To European Banks

Tyler Durden on 02/04/2014 12:23 -0500

How many times in the last few days have we been told that Turkey – or Ukraine or Venezuela or Argentina – are too small to matter? How many comparisons of Emerging Market GDP to world GDP to instill confidence that a little crisis there can’t possible mean problems here. Putting aside this entirely disingenuous perspective, historical examples such as LTCM, and ignoring the massive leverage in the system, there is a simple reason whyEmerging Markets matter. As Reuters reports, European banks have loaned in excess of $3 trillion to emerging markets, more than four times US lenders – especially when average NPLs for historical EM shocks is over 40%.

The risk is most acute for six European banks – BBVA, Erste Bank, HSBC, Santander, Standard Chartered, and UniCredit Read more of this post

Singaporeans not as wealthy as GDP figures suggest

Singaporeans not as wealthy as GDP figures suggest

Tuesday, 04 February, 2014, 5:57am

Jake van der Kamp

HK performs better than the Lion City on the basis of personal consumption expenditure

… the average growth of Singapore’s gross domestic product and GDP per capita has outperformed Hong Kong’s over the last 45 years. Its GDP was only half that of Hong Kong more than 20 years ago. Today the Lion City’s GDP is slightly ahead and GDP per capita is 25 per cent higher than in Hong Kong. Read more of this post

Koch brothers dominate oil & gas list with $83 billion fortune

Koch brothers dominate oil & gas list with $106 billion fortune

Singapore – Charles and David Koch of Koch Industries have been listed by research company Wealth-X as the richest individuals in America’s oil and gas industry.

The brothers, who are from the state of Kansas have a reported net worth of US$83 billion (S$106 billion), said Singapore-based company Wealth-X. They are the principal owners of the Wichita-based company which was founded by their father, Fred Koch, in 1940. Read more of this post

Andrew Rickards, the chief executive of Yoma Strategic, is fond of telling people that he wants to turn the real estate company into the Jardine Matheson of Myanmar

PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 04, 2014

Yoma faces new landscape on its path of diversification

KENNETH LIM KENLIM@SPH.COM.SG

Staying alert: As Yoma’s diversification becomes more substantial, the real estate company and its shareholders will have to watch out for the pitfalls of conglomerates.  Read more of this post

Strategy in a World of Constant Change

Strategy in a World of Constant Change

by Roger Martin  |   1:00 PM February 3, 2014

Am I the only person to be getting a bit weary of hearing it repeatedly asserted that we’re living in a world of constant, accelerating change?  That competitive advantages are becoming ever more transient and that the secret to survival will be to the ability to transform on a dime?  Otherwise, what happened to Tom Tom will happen to you. Please! Read more of this post

What’s the most important job of a chief investment officer? Creating and sustaining an organization that can make good investmentdecisions.

chief investment officers

Tom Brakke

January 29, 2014

There has been a lot happening at PIMCO.  Although Mohamed El-Erian is still listed on the website as co-chief investment officer, he resigned eight days ago.  Now there are six new deputy chief investment officers. Read more of this post

Giant pipeline brings unaffordable water to China’s north

Giant pipeline brings unaffordable water to China’s north

Staff Reporter

2014-02-04

The eastern route of China’s South-North Water Diversion project officially began drawing and diverting water last November and December from the Yangtze River to 71 counties, cities and areas in Jiangsu, Shandong and Anhui provinces. The much-needed water comes, however, at a price many local officials find difficult to swallow. Read more of this post