Cambridge-based digital printer Xaar was one of the best performing shares in the FTSE 350 in 2013, after its shares rose almost 300 per cent over the year

February 3, 2014 5:24 pm

Bullish printer enters the China shop

By Tanya Powley, Manufacturing Correspondent

©Zuma

It may have taken thousands of years for Chinese ceramic makers to embrace new technology – but one UK printing pioneer has needed only 12 months to capitalise on their break with tradition. Read more of this post

SK Group, Korea’s third largest chaebol, is backpedaling in its overseas energy projects because of the incarceration of its chief

2014-02-02 18:18

CEO risk weighs on SK future

By Choi Kyong-ae
SK Group is backpedaling in its overseas energy projects because of the incarceration of its chief.
In the latest example, SK Energy, an affiliate of SK Group, pulled out of the final bid to acquire a controlling stake worth up to 1 trillion won in United Petroleum, an Australian oil company. This was widely seen as the conglomerate’s failure to make concrete investment decisions amidst its current leadership vacuum. Read more of this post

More S. Korean companies in ‘1 trillion won club’ list

More S. Korean companies in ‘1 trillion won club’ list

Chun Chung-hong

2014.02.04 17:50:41

A series of South Korean companies are to made entry into the ‘one trillion won club’ of sales. Those are Hanssem, Moneual and Seoul Semiconductor. Their feat holds significance as they achieved surging growth in their respective furniture, electronics and LED areas even amid unfavorable business condition.  Read more of this post

Nutella should be worried about Hershey’s new hazelnut spread

Nutella should be worried about Hershey’s new hazelnut spread

By Roberto A. Ferdman @robferdman

February 3, 2014

Chocolate spreads are on their way to becoming a pantry staple for Americans, and The Hershey Company isn’t about to miss out. The US-based chocolate maker recently started its own line of Nutella-like chocolate spreads, called Hershey’s Spreads. The spreads come in three flavors: chocolate, chocolate with almond, and chocolate with hazelnut. Read more of this post

Spending money has never been easier in China’s mobile finance era

Spending money has never been easier in China’s mobile finance era

Staff Reporter 

2014-02-04

A Yu E Bao advertisement reading, “Use it anytime.” (Internet photo)

The era of internet financial services began in China in 2013, which has since provided the average member of the public easier access to financial tools and products, reports the Chinese-language Securities Times. Read more of this post

Europe is on the hunt for ‘zombie banks’

Europe is on the hunt for ‘zombie banks’

AP

FEB 4, 2014

FRANKFURT, GERMANY – In Europe, the zombie hunt is on — not for undead humans but for “zombie banks,” the walking dead among lenders, too financially troubled to loan money in an economy that desperately needs investment, growth and jobs. Read more of this post

Will unification galvanize Korea Inc.?

2014-02-03 18:59

Will unification galvanize Korea Inc.?

President Park Geun-hye, right, talks about the significance of Korean unification in a discussion with World Economic Forum (WEF) Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab after delivering a keynote speech at the WEF’s annual conference in Davos, Switzerland Read more of this post

Brompton Bicycle shows British manufacturing how to shift up a gear

Brompton Bicycle shows British manufacturing how to shift up a gear

Sun, Jan 26 2014

By Brenda Goh and Neil Maidment

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Loan refusal letters and retailers’ rejections frame the walls of the Brompton Bicycle factory, a reminder of the obstacles the firm has overcome to establish itself as the UK’s top bike-maker, selling 45,000 a year around the world. Read more of this post

In 2 Charts, Here’s Why An Emerging Markets Crisis Would Be Worse Than Ever Before

In 2 Charts, Here’s Why An Emerging Markets Crisis Would Be Worse Than Ever Before

MAMTA BADKAR 

FEB. 3, 2014, 7:32 PM 3,381

In recent weeks, we’ve seen a rout in emerging markets as investors have been pulling out of stocks, bonds, and currencies in these regions. Read more of this post

The National Entrepreneur Development Corp (PUNB) will appoint 50 trainee accountants to help turn around financially-ailing Bumiputera companies.

Trainee accountants to help turn around ailing Bumi companies

Published: 2014/02/04

KUANTAN: The National Entre-preneur Development Corp (PUNB) will appoint 50 trainee accountants to help turn around financially-ailing Bumiputera companies.
Chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said 30 per cent, or 2,040 of the 6,800 Bumiputera firms have failed to keep up their repayments to PUNB due to business losses.
“PUNB has decided to appoint 50 trainee accountants this month and we hope they will help alleviate the burden of these firms which cannot afford the services of an accountant.
“Money going out, coming in, profits, loss, marketing, etc, must be recorded daily. Sometimes we conduct our businesses well, but lack of proper accounting skills is one of the reasons why Bumiputera companies do not succeed,” he said after meeting Bumiputera entrepreneurs here. Read more of this post

Corruption in the EU costs business €120bn a year, study finds; Brussels says states have failed to address conflicts of interest

February 3, 2014 7:11 pm

Corruption in the EU costs business €120bn a year, study finds

By James Fontanella-Khan in Brussels

Corruption has increased since the sovereign debt crisis hit the eurozone and costs the EU economy about €120bn a year in lost tax revenues and foreign investment, according to a European Commission study. Read more of this post

Yudhoyono’s ‘big white book’ sparks debate about president’s legacy; Indonesian president’s reflections offer little insight

February 3, 2014 8:38 am

Yudhoyono’s ‘big white book’ sparks debate about president’s legacy

By Ben Bland in Jakarta

Indonesian president’s reflections offer little insight

Fifty years after Mao Zedong’s “little red book” was first distributed in China, Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has published his own rather less pithy “big white book” of reflections on politics and leadership. Read more of this post

Infrastructure Funds Are Intriguing, but… Managers’ approaches vary greatly and holdings can overlap with other funds

Infrastructure Funds Are Intriguing, but…

Managers’ approaches vary greatly and holdings can overlap with other funds

LISA WARD

Feb. 3, 2014 4:21 p.m. ET

When investors look at the global need for new electrical grids, bridges and roads, some see a path to big money. Read more of this post

SEC Looking at How Alternative Funds Value Investments; Regulators say some unscrupulous managers inflate the value of illiquid holdings

SEC Looking at How Alternative Funds Value Investments

Regulators say some unscrupulous managers inflate the value of illiquid holdings

DAISY MAXEY

Updated Feb. 3, 2014 4:22 p.m. ET

Regulators are taking a close look at how hedge funds and other alternative investment funds value their most illiquid assets. It’s time more investors did the same. Read more of this post

Understanding a Mutual Fund’s Average Annual Return; The calculation behind these performance figures may not be what you think; Rolling Returns Tell More About Fund Performance

Understanding a Mutual Fund’s Average Annual Return

The calculation behind these performance figures may not be what you think

SIMON CONSTABLE

Feb. 3, 2014 4:21 p.m. ET

What does it mean when a mutual fund reports its average annual return over a period of, say, three or five years? It isn’t exactly what you might think. What’s more, computing the figure yourself will require more than the general arithmetic you use in other areas of your life. Read more of this post

Currencies Reshape Business in Asia

Currencies Reshape Business in Asia

Won’s Surge Knocks Back South Korean Exporters; Weak Yen Lifts Japanese Firms

IN-SOO NAM And TAKASHI NAKAMICHI

Updated Feb. 3, 2014 11:56 p.m. ET

Asia‘s two global manufacturing rivals—Japan and South Korea—are experiencing a reversal in fortunes amid changing currency trends. Read more of this post

Judge’s Ruling On Accounting Firms In China Touches on Hong Kong Units

February 3, 2014, 6:03 p.m. ET

Judge’s Ruling On Accounting Firms In China Touches on Hong Kong Units

By Michael Rapoport and Kathy Chu

A judge’s ruling against the Chinese affiliates of the Big Four accounting firms over their refusal to cooperate with U.S. regulators has drawn attention to a practice of some auditors’ Hong Kong units. Read more of this post

Global automakers look for dream market in rural India

Global automakers look for dream market in rural India

Monday, February 3, 2014 – 22:54

Reuters

MUMBAI – For global automakers, the dusty backroads of rural India could be the new El Dorado.

As economic torpor suffocates demand for new cars in India’s megacities, incomes are growing faster in small towns and country areas. That’s pushing the likes of General Motors and Honda Motor Co to fan out in search of buyers in places where fewer than 20 people in every thousand own a car – for now. Read more of this post

New Zealand Milks China’s Taste for Dairy; New Zealand Has Benefited From a 48% Rise in Dairy Prices Over the Past 12 Months

New Zealand Milks China’s Taste for Dairy

New Zealand Has Benefited From a 48% Rise in Dairy Prices Over the Past 12 Months

REBECCA HOWARD

Updated Feb. 3, 2014 8:16 a.m. ET

WELLINGTON, New Zealand—U.S. investors betting that a loosening of China’s one-child policy will boost demand for milk have won access to directly trade dairy futures in New Zealand, the world’s biggest milk exporter. Read more of this post

South Koreans drink twice as much liquor as Russians and more than four times as much as Americans

South Koreans drink twice as much liquor as Russians and more than four times as much as Americans

By Roberto A. Ferdman and Ritchie King February 2, 2014

The biggest hard alcohol drinkers on the globe aren’t cuddled up somewhere in sub-zero Siberia; they’re sipping on Soju, in South Korea. Read more of this post

Yu’ebao, the investment service introduced by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, has raised 250 billion yuan (US$41.3 billion), with the number of its users exceeding 49 million since its launch on June 13

Yu’ebao generates considerable profits from bank deposits

Staff Reporter 

2014-01-28

Yu’ebao, the investment service introduced by payment service Alipay, a division of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, has raised 250 billion yuan (US$41.3 billion), with the number of its users exceeding 49 million since its launch on June 13, 2013, reports Shanghai’s China Business News. Read more of this post

Shareholder infighting major obstacle for A-share listed Chinese firms

Shareholder infighting major obstacle for A-share listed Chinese firms

Staff Reporter 

2014-02-01

Since 2011, there have been at least 26 A-shares or Hong Kong-listed Chinese firms that have seen shareholder infighting, which has become a major obstacle for corporate governance and the further development of the listed companies, the Chinese-language Shanghai Securities News reports. Read more of this post

Shadow banking sector playing cat and mouse with Chinese regulators

Shadow banking sector playing cat and mouse with Chinese regulators

Staff Reporter

2014-02-03

Beijing’s latest move to reign in the shadow banking sector is expected to have a considerable impact on financial trusts, but the problem will likely remain because of a loophole in the regulations, the Chinese-language CBN Weekly reports. Read more of this post

Electronics malls crumbling under online shopping boom in China

Electronics malls crumbling under online shopping boom in China

Tai Jui-fen and Staff Reporter

2014-02-02

Operators of giant shopping malls housing electronics shops in China are swiftly losing customers and vendors as tenants disappear in the shadow of stiff competition from the booming e-commerce sector, reports the Chinese-language China Business Journal. Read more of this post

The $15 trillion shadow over Chinese banks; China analyst Charlene Chu explains why the nation is on the verge of crisis

The $15 trillion shadow over Chinese banks

China analyst Charlene Chu explains why the nation is on the verge of crisis

By Harry Wilson

9:30PM GMT 01 Feb 2014

Drawing attention to the problems at an individual bank is never likely to make you popular, but calling time on an entire financial system is another thing entirely. Read more of this post

A growing number of larger companies in South Korea are pushing up their earnings through non-operating income rather than operating activities.

2014.02.03 15:27:52

A growing number of larger companies in South Korea are pushing up their earnings through non-operating income rather than operating activities.  Read more of this post

“Time is short” for Congress to raise debt limit, says US treasury chief who warned that the United States will exhaust its borrowing authority on Friday without action by Congress to lift the debt limit

“Time is short” for Congress to raise debt limit, says US treasury chief

POSTED: 03 Feb 2014 23:10
US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew warned on Monday that the United States will exhaust its borrowing authority on Friday without action by Congress to lift the debt limit.

WASHINGTON: US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew warned on Monday that the United States will exhaust its borrowing authority on Friday without action by Congress to lift the debt limit. Read more of this post

outh Korea’s Japanese Mirror; Danny Leipziger proposes a strategy for South Korea to avoid Japanese-style economic stagnation

DANNY LEIPZIGER

Danny Leipziger, Professor of International Business at George Washington University and Managing Director of the Growth Dialogue, was a vice president of the World Bank and served as Vice Chair of the Spence Commission on Growth and Development.

FEB 2, 2014

South Korea’s Japanese Mirror

SEOUL – Given the daunting challenges facing Japan, one can only admire Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s determination to end the country’s two-decade-long period of economic stagnation. His strategy – the “three arrows” of massive monetary expansion, increased government spending, and structural reform – is theoretically sound. But only one and a half arrows have been launched so far. Read more of this post