Albert R. Hunt The contempt that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump express for each other will continue to play out in vitriolic sound bites. But their profound differences on what to do about the economy and the struggling middle class are far more important. “This election will be won by whichever candidate convinces middle-class voters they are better for ...
Read More »Why China both loves and fears the rule of law
This month, the rule of law and China’s legal profession at large have received a lot of attention. This is out of recognition that both will be necessary to advance the country’s economic development, and yet both present a challenge to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) domination of China’s political agenda. On June 8, the “Hundred Jurists and Hundred ...
Read More »Pound slumps, banks tumble on Brexit fallout; bonds extend gains
BLOOMBERG The aftershocks of the U.K.’s vote to leave the European Union reverberated across financial markets after a weekend of political turmoil, with the pound extending its record selloff and European equities dropping to levels last seen in February. Sterling fell below Friday’s lows with a 3.7 percent slide to the weakest since 1985 and the FTSE 100 Index ...
Read More »Gold rises for second day as investors seek havens after UK’s exit
Bloomberg Gold rose a second day as financial markets continued a selloff following the U.K.’s vote to exit the European Union, with inflows into bullion-backed funds surging the most by value since 2012. Bullion for immediate delivery advanced as much as 1.5 percent to $1,335.55 an ounce before trading at $1,326.50 at 2:27 p.m. in Singapore, according to Bloomberg ...
Read More »To buy or not to buy Europe stocks is value hunters’ dilemma
Bloomberg Europe’s largest money managers are divided on whether to venture near the region’s stocks after the biggest-ever slump made them a steal, going by history. Amid concern that U.K. secession threatens Europe’s political and economic stability, the Euro Stoxx 50 Index dropped 8.6 percent on Friday, led by a record selloff in bank shares, while volatility jumped. That ...
Read More »Singapore realty gets a prop with a whiff of Brexit
Bloomberg For all the damage it’s doing to a fragile global economy, Brexit might have some unintended positive consequences. Among them, perhaps, a soft landing for Singapore’s wobbly property market. With hindsight, the seemingly excessive S$3.4 billion ($2.5 billion) that Qatar Investment Authority paid BlackRock this month to buy an office tower amid a glut of commercial space could ...
Read More »Brexit unlikely to curtail Gulf appetite for UK property
DUBAI / AFP Harrods, the Savoy, the Shard — London property has long been a magnet for Gulf investors and Britain’s vote to leave the European Union is unlikely to dampen their interest, analysts say. In fact, the Brexit vote could even see a surge in activity as wealthy Gulf buyers look to take advantage of the dramatic fall in ...
Read More »EU exit to prolong London’s housing woes, says Foxtons
Bloomberg Foxtons Group Plc forecast lower 2016 revenue and profit as the U.K.’s decision to leave the European Union prolongs uncertainty in London’s residential property market. The shares fell to the lowest since the company’s stock-market debut. Earnings will fall significantly from a year earlier as “challenging conditions†hurt sales volumes, the London-based property broker said in a statement ...
Read More »Crystal Lagoons tech usage soars past $20bn in MENASA
EMIRATES BUSINESS Crystal Lagoons, the multinational innovation company and developer of patented technology that makes giant crystalline lagoons a reality, has tallied up its current activity in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) projects, revealing a presence in real estate developments worth a staggering US$20 billion. “We have developed our patented technology and proven business model ...
Read More »China eyes steel merger to create rival to ArcelorMittal
Beijing / Bloomberg China’s second- and sixth-largest steelmakers by output have entered restructuring talks, which analysts say could presage a merger that would create the nation’s biggest mill, and a company with the scale to rival the likes of ArcelorMittal SA. Trading was suspended in the listed units of state-run Shanghai Baosteel Group Corp. and Wuhan Iron & Steel ...
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