November, 2018

• 11 November

  Argentine economic rebound to begin in Q2

  

  Bloomberg Argentina’s deepening recession will continue through the first quarter before the economy sees a sustained and gradual recovery, the International Monetary Fund said, while outlining a long list of threats to that rebound. “The bottom — the floor — is going to be in the first quarter,” mission chief Roberto Cardarelli told journalists in Buenos Aires. “We believe the ...

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• 11 November

  All-male boards at top UK firms near end

  

  Bloomberg All-male boards at the UK’s biggest companies are nearing extinction, a sign that government efforts to increase gender parity are paying off. Just five companies in the FTSE 350 Index have no women at the top table, down from eight in 2017, according to data from the annual Hampton-Alexander Review that will be released in full on Tuesday. The ...

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• 11 November

  US consumer debt posts smallest rise in three months

  Bloomberg US consumer debt posted the smallest increase in three months as credit-card loans fell, suggesting Americans had limited appetite to spend beyond their means, Federal Reserve figures showed. Total credit rose $10.9 billion in September from the prior month, compared with the median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg survey for a $15 billion increase. That followed an upwardly ...

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• 11 November

  It’s not the economy, stupid!

  

  One lesson of the midterm elections is that economic growth is losing its power to unite the country and to reduce explosive conflicts over race, religion, ethnicity, immigrant status and sexuality. This is unfamiliar. Economic progress has been a routine part of our election narratives. The presumption is that a strong economy favours the incumbent party and a weak economy ...

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• 11 November

  Killer Delhi air is a water crisis in disguise

  

  It’s that time of the year when pollution in India’s capital becomes unbearable, courts upset people by restricting Diwali firecrackers, and the environmental authorities threaten draconian steps like banning cars. This is also the season for hand-wringing over the practice of burning crop residue in New Delhi’s neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana, when soot blows towards the city. Scientists ...

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• 11 November

  Lenovo’s profit beat came from accounting gains

  

  Lenovo Group Ltd.’s net income beat analysts’ expectations by $53 million, or 45 percent. While that upside surprise was helped by slightly stronger revenue and a slimmer operating-expense margin – from a reduction in sales and distribution costs – operating income benefited a lot from one-time accounting items. A fall in gross margin by 0.3 percentage points from a year ...

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• 11 November

  The dollar is a haven in sea of uncertainty

  The dollar has gained about 30 percent against a basket of other major currencies since the start of August 2011, which just happens to be the month that S&P stripped the US of its AAA credit rating. Putting aside the debate over whether credit ratings actually matter for the world’s primary reserve currency, the question at the moment is whether ...

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• 11 November

  Brexit has entered its most dangerous phase

  

  If the European Commission’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, utters the words ‘decisive progress’ sometime in the next few days, take notice. It would be the signal that the UK and the European Union (EU) have agreed the terms of their divorce. A summit can be held and the white smoke sent up. That would be a watershed after 16 months ...

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• 11 November

  For China’s bad banks, the future looks worse

  

  Remember we told you China’s stock-market rescuers needed rescuing? Now it looks as if the nation’s bad banks could use a bad bank. The four state-owned managers of troubled debt are in a bind, none more than China Huarong Asset Management Co., whose ex-chairman has just been accused of taking about $240 million in bribes, squandering state assets and maintaining ...

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• 11 November

  Air travel is about to get even less glamorous

  

  For all the disagreement in the industry about the future of aviation, there’s perfect accord on one point: There’s going to be a lot more of it. The world’s air passengers flew a combined 7.64 trillion kilometers (4.75 trillion miles) in 2017, according to Boeing Co.’s latest 20-year market outlook. By 2037, that will rise to 18.97 trillion kilometers, with ...

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