Opinion

Barry Ritholtz It is never wise to ignore market, economic or voter sentiment. Discount it, yes. Put it into broader context, for sure. But ignore it at your peril. As too many retailers, fund managers and politicians have discovered, the public is often a good barometer of what is occurring in the broader economy. But not always: the public can ...

  Samridhi Pant SPECIAL TO EMIRATES BUSINESS Over the past six months, the Nepal Army (NA) has stepped up its engagement with the country’s economy. First, in December 2015, the NA declared that it will invest in a hydropower project for the first time. Then, on March 2016, the NA – in another first — got permission from the government ...

Last week, Donald Trump gave a long awaited speech on foreign policy at the Center for the National Interest (CFTNI) in Washington, D.C., laying out what he characterized as “a new foreign policy direction.” While the foreign policy views of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party’s front runner, are well known–she is a firm believer in the continuation and spread of ...

  The G7 energy ministers in Japan again reflected on the issue of power. They agreed on Monday to step up energy security and boost investment to counter price instability caused by the fall in crude oil prices. Ministers from Japan, Canada, Germany, Italy, the US, Britain and France and representatives from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and The International ...

  Sara Hsu SPECIAL TO EMIRATES BUSINESS Despite China’s downturn, its automobile industry is performing well, as may be surmised from the enthusiasm generated at the Beijing Auto Show and, of course, sales statistics. Auto sales have been on the rise, growing 4.7 percent in 2015 from 2014, with passenger cars making up the lion’s share of purchases. Auto sales ...

  Last year, a few influential voices urged the Federal Reserve not to raise interest rates out of concern that it would slow global growth and fuel financial disruptions. Fed officials listened politely, then hiked rates in December and subsequently paused. Given recent developments in the foreign-exchange markets, some of these voices may now be wondering if the Fed should ...

  Recently, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that France had secured a $50 billion contract to build Australia’s new submarine fleet, confirming weeks of speculation that Japan had lost out in the three-way competitive evaluation. While the outcome is definitely a missed strategic opportunity to enhance Australia-Japan defense ties, an overemphasis on it also risks missing the broader story ...

  The inauguration of Tsai Ing-wen as president of Taiwan offers a unique opportunity for Washington to address two fraught issues in U.S.-China relations. First, sending an appropriate high-level American official to Taipei would signal U.S. commitment to the democratic security of Taiwan in the face of Beijing’s intensifying pressure. Second, it would elevate Taiwan’s status as a regional security ...

Countries usually don’t knowingly commit economic suicide, but in Britain millions seem ready to give it a try. On June 23, the United Kingdom will vote to decide whether to quit the European Union, the 28-nation economic bloc with a population of 508 million and a gross domestic product of almost $17 trillion. Let’s not be coy: Leaving the EU ...

  The economic recession triggered by the drop of oil prices and the El Nino weather phenomenon, which has caused the country’s hydroelectric dams to run low, have combined to bring the once-booming Venezuela to its knee. Venezuela’s revenue, highly dependent on oil exports, has dropped from $80 billion in 2013 to between $20 billion and $25 billion in 2015, ...