September, 2021

• 28 September

  Who can lead Europe after Merkel? Is it Super Mario?

  

  The results of the German election are in, and in one respect they’re clear. We won’t know for weeks or months who the next German leader is, as the parties haggle over a coalition. During that time, outgoing chancellor Angela Merkel will keep minding day-to-day business as a caretaker. But her time in power is over. That also means the ...

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• 28 September

  Age of uncertainty stalking Facebook

  

  For years Facebook Inc stock has been a must own. The company enjoyed constant growth, regular user engagement and ad revenues that grew even with scandals tied to user data and fake news. But investors should be starting to worry a little. Regulators have been given the tantalising prospect of accessing internal documents that could bolster planned investigations into the ...

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• 28 September

  Evergrande was one of China’s blind spots

  Even the savviest of investors were caught off-guard by the speed of China Evergrande Group’s unraveling. They shouldn’t have been: Trouble has long been brewing at China Inc, where balance sheets are weakening in the face of a rocky economic recovery. This could be Beijing’s worst blind spot yet. At over 1,100 listed companies in China’s industrial and manufacturing sectors, ...

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• 28 September

  Decision time for Credit Suisse. It can’t dawdle

  As the board of Credit Suisse Group AG meets this week to discuss a strategic review, the names of external forces can be attached to the bank’s troubles: Greensill and Archegos, two broken finance businesses that hurt its bottom line and its clients. But the ongoing crisis at the Zurich-based institution springs from within: Credit Suisse was desperate to hit ...

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• 28 September

  Didi’s China rival eyes new fundraising, potential IPO

  

  Bloomberg The ride-hailing unit of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co, which raised almost $600 million earlier this month, is already in talks with investors for another funding round as it seeks to make ground on dominant market leader Didi Chuxing Inc. The next round of fundraising may be completed in the first half of 2022, Cao Cao Mobility Chief Executive ...

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• 28 September

  India to roll out its digital health IDs for 1.3b people

  

  Bloomberg Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a program that will create a unique digital health identity for over 1.3 billion people and allow them to access their records online, part of an effort to enhance efficiency in a healthcare system constrained by the pandemic. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, unveiled on Monday, aims to create digital health infrastructure to ...

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• 28 September

  Southeast Asian startup deals hit record number in first half

  Bloomberg Venture backers made a record number of investments in Southeast Asian startups in the first half of this year, though the value of those deals declined as investors focus on early stage deals in the region’s burgeoning internet scene. There were 393 investments across the region in the first half, topping the previous record of 375 in the first ...

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• 28 September

  Alibaba nearing investment in Singapore unicorn Ninja Van

  

  Bloomberg Ninja Van, a Singaporean logistics startup, raised $578 million from investors including Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd in a series E round. Existing investors B Capital Group, the venture capital firm set up by Facebook Inc co-founder Eduardo Saverin and Raj Ganguly, a former executive at Bain Capital, and European parcel delivery company Geopost/DPDgroup, also participated in ...

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• 28 September

  Singapore says Covid strategy unchanged

  Bloomberg Singapore’s finance minister said the country is committed to reopening, and that recently reimposed curbs are to ensure the health system can handle an increased number of daily cases. “Our overall strategy has not changed,” Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said. “We are committed to reopening our economy and our society progressively, but our aim has always been to do ...

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• 28 September

  China power crunch is next economic shock after Evergrande

  

  Bloomberg China may be diving head first into a power supply shock that could hit Asia’s largest economy hard just as the Evergrande crisis sends shockwaves through its financial system. The crackdown on power consumption is being driven by rising demand for electricity and surging coal and gas prices as well as strict targets from Beijing to cut emissions. It’s ...

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