March, 2019

• 17 March

  China’s property taxman cometh, someday

  The swell of talk about China implementing a property tax has resurfaced – again. But unlike past years, there’s growing certainty that it’s actually coming. Just not anytime soon. Late last week, shares of Chinese real-estate developers tanked after Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People’s Congress standing committee, said delegates will “focus energy” on drafting a property-tax law, among ...

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• 17 March

  Thai growth will ride out any poll unrest

  Thailand’s long-delayed elections to be held on March 24 have stirred concern among some analysts that we will see a fresh round of protests and social unrest. Investors should look past any temporary disruption. Whatever the result, Thai leaders will move forward with a landmark project that will support growth in what has been one of the most economically stable ...

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• 17 March

  Breaking up big tech is too scary for Europe

  

  US politicians, who, like Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, want to break up the big technology companies are treading onto a path that has long drawn their European colleagues. Europe has better opportunities and more compelling reasons to dismember Amazon, Facebook and Google. Yet it hasn’t done so, despite years of discussion. There are at least three reasons the EU is ...

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• 17 March

  Finance is still excluding women from top jobs

  

  The second annual report on the Women in Finance Charter, an initiative sponsored by UK Treasury to redress gender imbalance in the management ranks of financial firms, just landed. The good news is that there has been an improvement in the past year. The bad news is there’s still a long, long way to go before the industry meets even ...

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• 17 March

  Fighting climate change won’t be painless

  

  In 2015, the United Nations set 17 sustainable development goals, laudable aims to help humanity to pursue a better future that included reducing inequality, eliminating extreme poverty and addressing climate change. The UN hoped to achieve all of them by 2030. In some areas, we’ve made impressive progress: Now only 1 in 25 children globally dies by the age of ...

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• 17 March

  Investors shouldn’t turn defensive over lower volatility: JPMorgan

  

  Bloomberg Volatility is probably lower than it should be, but that doesn’t mean investors should turn defensive, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. Expectations of the price movement across assets appear to be underestimated by about as much as they were in 2013 before the taper tantrum and in 2014 before the Federal Reserve began tightening, JPMorgan strategists led by ...

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• 17 March

  Powell peace starts to look a little like euphoria in equities

  Bloomberg That relief investors felt in January when the Federal Reserve took its dovish pivot is showing signs of turning into something bigger. A feeling approaching bliss was on display this week when ahead of Wednesday’s rate decision the S&P 500 staged its biggest rally of the year and more money flowed into equity funds than any time in 12 ...

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• 17 March

  ING’s money laundering woes worsen after Bank of Italy review

  

  Bloomberg The Bank of Italy asked ING Groep NV to avoid any business with new clients in the country after it fell short in recent anti-money laundering checks, adding to the Dutch lender’s compliance woes. The central bank identified shortcomings in the Amsterdam-based bank’s processes during a four-month on-site inspection in Italy that ended in January, according to a statement. ...

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• 17 March

  ECB calls for govt help to boost economy

  

  Bloomberg The European Central Bank’s latest round of stimulus is being accompanied by renewed calls on governments to step up their game in nurturing the economy. It’s an acknowledgment by President Mario Draghi and fellow policy makers that they’ll do what they can — but their options are sorely depleted if the current economic weakness worsens. That puts the focus ...

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• 17 March

  Deutsche Bank confirms merger talks with Commerzbank

  

  Bloomberg Deutsche Bank AG said it’s in talks with Commerzbank AG as part of a review of its strategic options, moving closer to creating a national champion lender as both banks struggle to grow. The lender confirmed it is “engaging” in talks with Commerzbank as it seeks to boost growth and profitability. Bloomberg first reported that the banks’ boards were ...

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