Bloomberg Japan’s most closely watched gauge of inflation edged up again in September with help of costlier energy to tally with Governor Haruhiko Kuroda’s latest view that consumer prices are rising at about half the pace targeted by the central bank. While Kuroda has taken a more bullish view on the current strength in inflation, economists said the latest data ...
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Indonesia corruption crackdown adds to strains on junk bonds
Bloomberg A bribery probe at major Indonesian developer PT Lippo Karawaci has prompted investors to ask if more companies might get caught in the government’s anti-corruption campaign. That’s adding to broader strains on the nation’s junk bonds, which have already been hit harder than Asian peers in the recent emerging-market sell-off as the rupiah tanks. The timing couldn’t be worse, ...
Read More »Samsung targets 10% revenue growth in Africa
Bloomberg Samsung Electronics Co. is targeting an annual 10 percent increase in revenue from Africa over the next decade, even as competition from cheaper consumer devices intensifies. The South Korean company will concentrate on key markets including South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal, according to Africa Chief Executive Officer Sung Yoon. The more mature of those markets are expanding ...
Read More »The $40bn wealth gap that divides India’s richest brothers
Bloomberg Over the past year, the fortunes of the two brothers at the helm of India’s wealthiest dynasty have grown apart — to about $40 billion apart. Elder sibling Mukesh Ambani, 61, toppled China’s Jack Ma as Asia’s richest man, after driving a telecommunications revolution in India that propelled his petrochemicals conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd. into the $100 billion club. ...
Read More »Porsche CFO sees $81bn value unleashed in potential IPO
Bloomberg Porsche AG’s chief financial officer said a share sale of most profitable unit could unlock value to echo Ferrari NV’s successful public offering and help the sports-car maker raise money if needed. The maker of the 911 model could easily be valued “between 60 billion and 70 billion†euros ($69.4-$81 billion), applying multiples for luxury-goods producers such as Ferrari, ...
Read More »Facebook pulls 810 US accounts, pages spreading fake news
Bloomberg Facebook Inc said it removed 559 pages and 251 accounts that were coordinating the spread of misinformation and spam in the US — and most originated from within the country. The social network, which has been under fire for facilitating foreign interference in US politics, has found that domestic actors have also been creating fake pages and accounts to ...
Read More »US consumer sentiment eased in October: Report
Bloomberg US consumer sentiment unexpectedly dipped in October to a still-elevated level amid slightly dimmer views of personal finances and the long-term economic outlook, a University of Michigan report showed. This week’s sharp drop in US stocks overlapped with survey interviews by only one evening, “having virtually no influence on the early October data,†according to the report. The poll ...
Read More »Sears liquidation would cost Seritage income
Bloomberg A Sears liquidation would cost its real estate spinoff 47 percent of its annual rent income, or about $84 million in cash flow, according to regulatory filings. Seritage Growth Properties, a real estate investment trust, was created in 2015 by Sears Chief Executive Officer Eddie Lampert to be the property owner and landlord for select locations of Sears and ...
Read More »Dirty money, fraud and tax evasion hit Denmark
Bloomberg A series of major scandals in Denmark is testing its status as one of the world’s least corrupt nations, with Transparency International warning that its image may now be at risk. The Scandinavian nation known for its love of bikes, equality and welfare has more recently been associated with money laundering, tax evasion and embezzlement. The development should force ...
Read More »Brexit risks cut Britain’s ad growth to slowest in 3 years
Bloomberg Growth in UK advertising budgets has slowed to its weakest in 2 1/2 years as Britain struggles to define its future relationship with the European Union. The proportion of companies increasing their ad spending exceeded those scaling it back by 2.5 percentage points in the third quarter of 2018, down from a 6.5 point margin in the second quarter, ...
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