December, 2018

• 9 December

  Malaysia, S’pore comment on territorial dispute

  Bloomberg Malaysia and Singapore have issued more comments on a territorial dispute between the two nations. Singapore claims Malaysian government vessels are intruding into its waters. The statements signal a potential escalation in the war of words between the two Southeast Asian countries, a level of bickering not seen in years. The duo, which were once part of the same ...

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• 9 December

  More data exposing the income stagnation myth

  

  We in the media have a problem. Actually, it’s a big problem for all of us. We have become addicted to the notion that, except for the top 1 percent or the top 10 percent, the incomes of most Americans have stagnated for decades. The problem is that, at best, this is an exaggeration and, at worst, an untruth. A ...

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• 9 December

  Uber need not be a new Pan Am

  

  Pan Am was the world’s first commercial airline, reducing journeys that once took weeks to days or even hours. Though initially priced to serve only the rich and famous, the airline drove technological advancements that brought costs down to the point that almost anyone could afford a flight. It forever changed the way we move. At its height, Pan Am’s ...

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• 9 December

  Noble Group’s ignoble end leaves a stain on Singapore

  Talk about shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. The looming insolvency of once-mighty commodities trader Noble Group Ltd. is an overdue reckoning for a company that has long sailed close to the wind. More than that, though, it’s a black mark against the city-state where it’s been listed since 1997: Singapore. Noble has spent the past year ...

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• 9 December

  European Union should throw the UK a lifeline

  Britain’s Prime Minister, Theresa May, is no longer in control of events. The Brexit withdrawal agreement she’s currently defending in Parliament has, with reason, been savaged by all sides and seems likely to be rejected in the vote planned for next week. Already, thoughts are turning to Plan B. The best course is evident: a second referendum, one that would ...

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• 9 December

  Trump shifts to reverse by going after electric cars

  

  Larry Kudlow, one of President Donald Trump’s top economic advisers, recently said that the administration would end subsidies for electric cars and other renewable-energy technologies. Under the existing program, buyers of electric vehicles get a federal tax credit of $2,500 to $7,500. It’s unlikely that Trump can eliminate the program without an act of Congress, which seems unlikely given that ...

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• 9 December

  Apple has been reduced to ‘gasp!’ salesmanship

  

  Clutch your pearls. Prepare the fainting couches. Are you ready for this bombshell? Apple Inc. actually has to try to sell its phones. How embarrassing. Bloomberg News had a look inside the Apple empire, which has shifted some staff members to work on marketing the latest iPhone models released this fall, and the company or its partners are deploying incentives ...

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• 9 December

  How Singapore property could turn on an election

  

  Singapore is getting ready for polls. Because a single party has ruled uninterrupted since 1959, the real importance of the next election lies in the rare leadership transition that will take place afterwards. Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat’s well-choreographed elevation as the city-state’s fourth prime minister is expected to signal policy continuity, though immigration is one area where the status ...

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• 9 December

  Treasuries rally must clear $78bn hurdle, inflation report

  

  Bloomberg After the longest advance in Treasuries since April, bond traders banking on even lower yields have some hurdles to clear as the market prepares to absorb $78 billion in new coupon-bearing debt and some key readings on the economy. A five-week rally has brought benchmark 10-year yields to the brink of the lowest levels in the past six months, ...

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• 9 December

  Cryptocurrencies crash sends Bitcoin to another 2018 low

  

  Bloomberg Cryptocurrencies continued their epic slide with a fresh bout of losses after the SEC dashed hopes that a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund would appear before the end of this year. Bitcoin, the largest digital token, slumped as much as 10 percent, taking it down past $3,250 to the lowest level since September 2017, according to consolidated pricing compiled by Bloomberg. ...

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