September, 2016

• 1 September

  Brazil’s post-Dilma peril of judicial overreach

  

    Well before the Brazilian Senate threw Dilma Rousseff out of office on Wednesday, by a commanding 61 votes to 20, even her most fervent supporters sensed her days as head of state were numbered. Yet to judge by the commotion from her loyalist rearguard, you’d think a political comeback were underway. The suspended president took the stand at her ...

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• 1 September

  Finland’s basic income experiment is timid

    Finland’s flirtation with an unconditional, universal basic income has entered a decisive stage: Draft legislation for a pilot project has been presented for public discussion, which will run until Sept. 9. It’s clear that what the Nordic nation wants to try is neither overly ambitious nor particularly useful. Paying every citizen of a country the same amount of money ...

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• 1 September

  Speed bumps are the hot new thing for exchanges

    Everyone knows the story of IEX by now, but let’s tell it again anyway. Some investors were sad. They were sad because they wanted to buy some stock, and their computers told them that there were 5,000 shares of the stock available on different exchanges at a price of $20 each, but when they sent an order to buy ...

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• 1 September

  European stocks rebound on mixed manufacturing data

  

    London / AFP Europe’s main stock markets rebounded on Thursday following a weak finish to August, as traders digested worldwide manufacturing numbers. Around 1030 GMT, London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index was 0.1 percent higher. In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 rose 0.6 percent and the Paris CAC 40 jumped 1.1 percent compared with Wednesday’s close. “The FTSE is underperforming… ...

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• 1 September

  Qatar falls after FTSE list, Saudi petchems sag

    Dubai / Reuters Qatar’s main stock index fell in early trade on Thursday after FTSE published a list of stocks to be included in its secondary emerging market index, while Saudi Arabian petrochemical stocks sagged because of weak oil prices. The Qatari index initially rose but was down 0.8 percent after 90 minutes. Only two of the 22 stocks ...

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• 1 September

  It’s hard to overstate how quiet stock markets are right now

    Bloomberg Calm has been the defining characteristic of markets over the past month, but in one asset class the degree of tranquility stands head and shoulders above the rest. Compared to the 10-year U.S. Treasury futures note, the 30-day implied volatility of equities is incredibly subdued relative to its historical average. The same can’t really be said of oil, ...

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• 1 September

  India’s Reliance Jio to offer free voice calls

  

  Bloomberg Billionaire Mukesh Ambani said his Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. unit will offer mobile phone calls for free, pressuring existing carriers to follow suit in what’s already one of the world’s lowest-priced wireless markets. Jio’s service will debut Sept. 5 and will be free until December, after which the company will begin charging subscribers as little as 149 rupees ($2.22) ...

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• 1 September

  China’s top steel mills warn on outlook

  

    Bloomberg The good times in the world’s top steel producer may not last long. China’s biggest mills including Hesteel Co. Ltd. are warning that the improved conditions and rising prices in the first half that helped them to lift earnings may soon be about to give way. “Industry prospects are not optimistic,” Hesteel, the listed unit of China’s biggest ...

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• 1 September

  Japan’s company profits fall, capital expenditure remains weak

    Bloomberg Japan’s capital expenditure data for the second quarter was slightly weaker than expected while company profits slumped as businesses held tight on spending amid a strong yen and sluggish demand at home and abroad. Capital expenditure rose 3.1 percent from a year earlier ( forecast 5.5 percent). Spending excluding software increased 3.1 percent over the same period ( ...

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• 1 September

  China’s factory gauge rises to highest since 2014

    Bloomberg China’s official factory gauge unexpectedly rose last month to the highest level in almost two years, suggesting the economy’s stabilization remains intact and that a weakening in July was flood-related and temporary. Manufacturing purchasing managers index rose to 50.4 in August from July’s 49.9 and compared to the 49.8 median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Non-manufacturing PMI ...

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