February, 2020

• 23 February

  War with Netflix and Disney looms for top India streamer

  

  Bloomberg As global streaming giants Netflix Inc and Walt Disney Co spend millions of dollars to grab viewers in India, a country that could become their biggest overseas market, a homegrown rival is preparing to defend its turf. Zee5, top domestic streaming platform set up by India’s biggest television broadcaster, is betting on local content to fend off big-spending rivals, ...

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• 23 February

  HK pension industry takes step to do-good investing

  

  Bloomberg For a global financial hub, Hong Kong has been a notable laggard in pushing its investment industry to adopt environmental, social and governance criteria. Now, a key operator in the city’s $125 billion pension system is helping change that. BCT Group will screen new fund managers based on socially responsible criteria for the money it allocates in its Mandatory ...

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• 23 February

  Japanese government sees economy recovering

  Bloomberg Japan’s government stuck to its view the economy is recovering despite the sharpest contraction in more than five years last quarter and forecasts from private sector analysts that the coronavirus epidemic will trigger a recession. In it’s monthly report for February, the Cabinet Office maintained its stance the economy is “recovering at a moderate pace” amid continued weakness in ...

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• 23 February

  Artificial intelligence could fight a future coronavirus

  

  Bloomberg Disease outbreaks like the coronavirus often unfold too quickly for scientists to find a cure. But in the future, artificial intelligence (AI) could help researchers do a better job. While it’s probably too late for the fledgling technology to play a major role in the current epidemic, there’s hope for the next outbreaks. AI is good at combing through ...

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• 23 February

  Protests hit Canadian pipeline project

  

  Bloomberg British Columbia is delaying a decision on a controversial stretch of the Coastal GasLink pipeline and asking TC Energy Corp to take more time to engage with indigenous groups after weeks of debilitating protest blockades along Canada’s rail network. In an emailed letter to TC Energy, the province’s Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) said it needs additional information to make ...

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• 23 February

  China solar sector may grow 50%

  

  Bloomberg China’s main solar industry group sees the nation’s new installations this year between 35 and 45 gigawatts and said almost a quarter of domestic solar companies are shut by the virus outbreak. Even the low end of the installation forecast, posted on the official WeChat account of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA), would be a slight rebound from ...

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• 23 February

  Chevron’s future growth prospects dwindle

  

  Bloomberg Chevron Corp’s future growth prospects may be dimming after the oil explorer pumped more crude than it discovered or bought last year, eroding its portfolio of untapped fields. New finds, acquisitions and expansions of existing oil and natural gas holdings were equivalent to just 44% of the company’s 2019 production, according to a regulatory filing. That was Chevron’s poorest ...

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• 23 February

  A new foreign policy consensus is emerging

  

  Something unusual happened last weekend when a prominent group of Senate and House members travelled together to a big foreign-policy gathering here: They were able to stop talking about President Trump for a few days and focus on the country’s business — and even agree on some big issues. It felt like an escape from “Crazytown,” as Trump-era Washington was ...

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• 23 February

  ECB’s Lagarde has a troubling ambition

  

  Christine Lagarde is eager to make her mark at the European Central Bank (ECB). At the moment, we know precious little about her views on the future course of monetary policy. But one thing is clear, the new president wants the ECB to take on a bigger role in the fight against climate change. Lagarde thinks it’s possible to reconcile ...

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• 23 February

  Virgin Galactic’s share price has left the stratosphere

  A year ago Richard Branson was on his private island, Necker, when the former Twitter executive Adam Bain came to see him with a proposal for how to take Branson’s suborbital space travel company public. The bearded British billionaire is doubtless glad he took the meeting: After an unsteady start, Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc.’s valuation has rocketed. The stock has ...

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