November, 2017

• 20 November

  Four years on campus might be one too many

  The basic cause of America’s student-loan crisis is no mystery: College tuition and fees continue to soar while the earnings of recent graduates remain flat. It shouldn’t be surprising that there’s also a straightforward way to lower the cost of a college degree: Reduce the amount of time it takes to earn one. The US’s four-year bachelor’s degree is based ...

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• 20 November

  Bitcoin has an unusual link with volatility

  Cryptoassets are showing the signs of a bubble. Market capitalization is $222 billion, 16 times as much as a year ago, with no significant change in tangible economic value. The virtual currencies elicit investment excitement and breathless news coverage; sober analysis treating both technical issues and economic fundamentals is rarer. There is incessant cheerleading by people who own cryptoassets, manufacture ...

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• 20 November

  Does India deserve latest bout of hype? Yes and no

  

  Moody’s recent decision to raise its rating of India’s sovereign bonds a notch, from Baa3 to Baa2, could elicit one of two reactions. On the one hand, a fair observer could feel that the decision was way overdue. And, on the other hand, an equally fair observer could raise an eyebrow at the timing. Actually, it’s possible to feel both ...

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• 20 November

  Toshiba may be able to have its chips and eat them, too

  

  Toshiba Corp. looks to be selling everything. Except its chip business. If ever there was a sign the embattled Japanese firm doesn’t expect — or dare we say it, want — to offload its prized unit to Bain Capital LP and friends, it’s the garage sale that was suddenly launched on Sunday. Toshiba announced plans to sell 600 billion yen ...

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• 20 November

  The ‘big five’ could destroy the tech ecosystem

  

  How big can the largest tech companies get? How completely can they come to dominate the economy? The “big five” — Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon — now have a combined valuation of over $3.3 trillion, and make up more than 40 percent of the value of the Nasdaq 100 index. As the digital economy continues to grow faster ...

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• 20 November

  Dollar gains, stocks rebound in short week for US exchanges

  

  Bloomberg The dollar gained and US stocks rose after two down weeks as Congress takes a holiday break from tax talks and the closely watched Alabama senate election nears. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index opened slightly higher at the start of a truncated Thanksgiving week as investors gauge whether there are sufficient drivers to continue the march to historic ...

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• 20 November

  Abu Dhabi firm on ADNOC IPO plan

  

  Reuters Most stock markets in the Middle East fell again on Monday, dampened by geopolitics, although Abu Dhabi was supported by plans for an initial public offer of shares by the distribution unit of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC). Some fund managers think there may be little downside left for Gulf markets now that valuations are no longer high, ...

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• 20 November

  Brexit brings EBA down from London high-rises

  

  Bloomberg The European Banking Authority gets a new home, as Brexit forces the regulator and its 180 employees to abandon their high-rise digs in London’s Canary Wharf financial district and relocate to the continent. Eight cities are competing to host the EBA. The prestige of housing the EU’s top banking regulator could lend some extra gloss to major euro-area financial ...

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• 20 November

  Carige investors agree to back share sale key to bank’s survival

  

  Bloomberg Banca Carige SpA reached agreement with a group of banks to underwrite a share sale of about 500 million euros ($590 million) after key investors pledged their support, allowing the lender to proceed with its restructuring plan. Malacalza Investimenti, Carige’s main investor, agreed to buy 17.6 percent of the stock, while the second-biggest shareholder Gabriele Volpi agreed to oversubscribe ...

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• 20 November

  Turkey central bank move fails to stem lira’s slide on politics

  

  Bloomberg Traders were unimpressed with the Turkish central bank’s latest attempt to support the lira, which is wobbling amid concern about the fallout from a US court case, tension with NATO, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s new calls for lower interest rates. While the lira jumped as much as 1.4 percent in thin Asia trading to touch a high of ...

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