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HK should cut stock-trading tax

Hong Kong’s stock market is in need of support. While the Hang Seng Index rose the most in more than 10 months after Chief Executive Carrie Lam formally withdrew an extradition bill that sparked months of protests, the benchmark remains 5% lower than in mid-June before the turmoil started. The government should consider cutting the trading tax, or stamp duty, ...

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Shareholder primacy means shareholders are paid last

The Business Roundtable touched off a storm of commentary with its abandonment of the “shareholder primacy” view that the goal of a for-profit business corporation should be to maximize shareholder value. Most people celebrating this move seem to think it means stakeholders such as employees, customers, suppliers and communities will do better if corporate boards and managers treat their interests ...

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A strong US consumer is a lagging indicator

Investors who are optimistic about the outlook for the US economy and financial markets due to reports of healthy consumer spending, retail sales and an unemployment rate that held near a 50-year low in August need a history lesson. Even though consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of the economy, it was a poor predictor of the last two recessions, ...

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