Markets

Boost to Azerbaijan’s Investment Options

by

Good news is potentially on the horizon for Azerbaijan.  According to experts the country looks set to move from a “stable” to a “positive” status suggesting the country will become “an investment-grade territory” in the very near future.  This is within the backdrop of the country showing general improvements vis-à-vis the government’s fiscal and external positions.  This has been most noted in the country’s acquisition of State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan’s assets.

<h3>Other Great Economic Stats</h3>

Simultaneous to this good financial news for the country is the fact that its government “registered a fiscal surplus of 14 percent of GDP in its consolidated budget,” a substantial change from its figure in 2010 of 30 percent.  Further, the government has been  making investments in other (non-oil based) sectors which are likewise starting to reap benefits with a 7.9 percent jump last year, more than double of the figure for the year before.

<h3>Need for Economic Freedom</h3>

While this of course is all great news for Azerbaijan, the country is still a long way from becoming a true global economic player.  Before that has even a hope of happening, the country  will be forced to engage in some major renovations and liberations of its economic structure.  Further the country’s securities need to be worked on which will take some efforts from its PashaBank vis-à-vis a portfolio diversification.  Because it plans on joining the overseas capital markets, there is an expected 5-y percent worth of profits from operations with securities this year.  Currently the bank’s investment portfolio stands at 31 percent of securities assets (bonds, etc.).  Experts have noted that the country needs to make it a priority to show its interest in “investing in sovereign bonds of foreign countries….particularly in Russia, Ukraine and Central Europe.”

Financial things are a-changing in Azerbaijan, that’s for sure.  But it’s going to take time.  There are a lot of economic factors that are beginning to work well in the country but its deeper political issues (i.e. the required infrastructure reform) is still a subject with which to contend.

Charity Begins at Home for Toshiba

by

 

Charity Begins at Home for Toshiba

Hello Tosh; Gotta Toshiba?

Perhaps it was before your time but Toshiba really nailed it with that 1984 advertising campaign.   It’s funny because way back then it was all about the stereo….how far things have come.  Today Toshiba is still in the news, forever the helpful.  Along with Hitachi, the company had sent “hundreds of staff to provide support at Japan’s stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and to carry out checks at the neighboring Daini plant.”  Clearly for Toshiba, charity begins at home.

<h3>Hitachi and Toshiba Make Waves After Quake</h3>

Following the earthquake and tsunami both Toshiba and Hitachi supplied the Daiichi plant with reactors.  Indeed, a 100-man team was sent to the two Fukushima plants from Toshiba and Hitachi sent 120 –man team to the Daiichi plant.  This is in addition to other mega-assistance both companies are sending.

<h3>Japanese Markets Continue to Soar</h3>

Despite everything that’s been going on, Tokyo Electric Power Co., rose 16 percent with Toshiba Corp. increasing 12 percent.  In addition, an additional 11 percent was gained by JX Holdings Inc. with Nippon Steel Corp., gaining a further 7.5 percent.

<h3>Improving Japanese Stock Market</h3>

The Japanese stock market is improving, with trade figures for today increasing, in the anticipation that the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant is being contained.  As well, the Bank of Japan is not showing any signs of pulling out of its emergency fund provision to “soothe the jittery markets” which also “boosted sentiment,” at around yen 2 trillion into the short-term money market.

The Japanese are clearly banding together.  There is major support from the country’s successful companies and the central bank.  No doubt all this backing will lead to a smooth recovery from Japan’s recent disaster.

 

Online Drug Companies Abusing Tsunami Disaster?

by


Obama Causing Panic?


There’s always someone who tries to make money from a disaster.  And this time it’s following Japan’s tsunami, with the threat that Americans might be in danger of the nuclear fallout.  This is likely due to the panic President Barack Obama and his top medical official raised which has led to Americans buying drugs for protection.  Although Obama himself was given the assurance that “any harmful radiation from Japan will have dissipated before it reaches Hawaii or the US mainland.”  


So why the panic?  Because everyone likes to be prepared and according to US Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, it is a good idea to buy radiation antidotes “as a precaution,” such as potassium iodine pills which is often able to protect the thyroid gland against cancer and radiation, reducing the amount of iodine the body can absorb.


Drug Suppliers Reap Benefits


So now drug companies are getting wise to how they can make some extra money. Although it seems a bit like black money.  Indeed one drug supplier in America sold 250,000 anti-radiation pills since last Friday, ordering more medicines to meet increasing demand.  Those who haven’t managed to buy them yet are spending extortionate amounts of money by purchasing them on line.  It seems everyone is suffering from Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, but drug companies are taking advantage of what happened.


Brits Try to Escape Too


Brits are now being warned to leave Tokyo and other areas in danger of radiation poisoning.  The country’s Foreign Office is even considering putting on extra planes to ensure all Brits trapped in the country are able to leave on free “rescue flights.”


Asia, America, the whole world, has been affected by Japan’s tsunami.  The question remains, what is one’s host country doing to help, first their own citizens, and second, those working on a recovery plan in Japan?  As the situation changes daily, only time will tell which governments and administrations will really pull their fingers out.  Let’s just hope that in the meantime, entrepreneurs work for the good of the people, rather than trying to exploit them.
 

Market Mess in Japan? Too Soon to Tell

by

 

 

Not surprisingly following Japan’s crazy earthquake and tsunami, the financial markets are in a sate of panic.  Finance leaders in the country are trying to calm the situation as the nuclear power crisis continued to worsen matters.  With an estimation according to Bank Credit Suisse of a loss of $171 billion, it’s no great shock that there is this panic. But the question being asked is how much do economists really need to panic?  According to Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said that it’s just too soon to make this kind of assessment vis-à-vis the economy.

Major Japanese Companies Close

When a country’s primary companies start to close down, there’s not likely to be a surge of confidence in the markets. Unfortunately since Friday’s travesties, Panasonic, Sony and Toyota Motor Co. have closed their production facilities.  As well, nuclear power plants have shut temporarily due to the possibility of reactors overheating.

Japan’s Biggest Crisis Since WWII

The earthquake and tsunami are being hailed as the country’s largest crisis since World War II.  Stock markets plummeted over 14 percent as the Fukushima nuclear power plant encountered two explosions. PM Naoto Kan didn’t have much to add, other than give out a warning that radioactivity levels had become ‘significantly’ higher.  This could lead to a cost of anywhere between 3 and 5 percent of output, which is extremely significant for a country that rates as the world’s third biggest economy.

Clearly Japan is going to take a long time to recover from last week’s events.  The question just remains, how much this will cost and what it will mean for the future of the country’s markets?  Only time will tell.

 

Japan’s Economy: Where to Now, with Failed Fukushima Power Plant?

by


Following Japan’s “monstrous earthquake” (the largest in the region for over 1,200 years; seventh largest ever in the world), the country’s Fukushima power plant failed which has led to “fears of serious accident.”  But experts have said that there isn’t a risk to human health from the low radiation.  The crisis in Japan is no doubt escalating following Friday’s earthquake and tsunami ; a situation which isn’t being helped by the failure of another emergency cooling system at a different reactor.


Energy Fuels Japan’s Economy


Energy has always been a major source of economic sustenance for all countries.  But for Japan it is even more the case.  This is for the following reasons:  less than  half a percent of Japan’s crude oil supply is accrued from domestic sources; the country has to import more than 80 percent of all its major energy needs;  and added to this fact is the issue that Japan is home to very few domestic sources of uranium, natural gas or coal.  In spite of this, the country has managed to develop its economy into the second largest in the world.  It has managed to decrease its dependability on crude oil since the oil crises’ in the 1970s by instead using a mixture of energy resources, one of these being nuclear power.


Which Way Forward Following Tsunami


So the question that will be asked when things start to calm down a little in Japan, is what is the way forward for Japan’s economy following the impact of the tsunami and the failed Fukushima Power Plant.  It would be doubly devastating if the incredible work that has been done on bringing Japan to the forefront of global economic success were to be undone because of this crisis. Only time will tell what direction the country – and especially the economy – will be taking.

China’s Tremors Further Quake Housing Prices

by

Yingjiang County encountered severe damage following an earthquake that shattered Yunnan Province in southwest China.  This resulted in the collapse of many houses, as well as seven fatalities (and perhaps more).  According to the China Earthquake Networks Center the epicenter was monitored at 24.7 degrees north latitude, 97.9 degrees east longitude.

This can’t be good news when the country is attempting (successfully right now) to reduce property prices “with sales volume already falling following purchase restrictions by local governments.”  The attempt is to make housing more affordable for the Chinese.  But with this earthquake home prices are more likely to rise again, undoing all the good work of the local governments.

Wen Jiabao’s Work for Nothing?

It makes one feel bad for the Chinese premier.  Poor Wen Jiabao has been so resilient in his efforts to “’resolutely’ press ahead with controls on the property market…reiterating a pledge to keep housing affordable.”  As well, the government has pledge to take drastic actions on any irregularities that occur in the property market vis-à-vis tax and credit policies, forcing officials to become accountable for home price maintenance.

What the country should really do is to gradually increase interest rates but this should just be one piece in the puzzle of trying to control inflation.  Inflation is also impacted by escalating worldwide prices of raw materials and this has to be accounted for as well.

Pridiyathorn To Peak Asia’s Economy?

by

Asia’s economy is a bit of a mess.  Actually it's a  big mess.  And it doesn’t look like this situation is about to improve any time soon either.  Inflation looks set to continue; capital flows are extremely volatile.  But the fact that China has been trying to liberalize its currency exchange rate could be good news for economies in the region, enabling them to move away from trade settlement within the current global economic climate.  It’s a shame Pridiyathorn Devakula is somewhat removed from the political scene these days though.  Thailand’s previous Deputy Prime Minister is quite well-to-do these days.  His wife has a staggering Bt258 million to enjoy while their daughter isn’t too badly off either at Bt7 million.  Perhaps if the family shares some of its wealth it can pull the region out of its financial hole.

Yuan Goes International

But even if the Devakula family decides to keep their wealth to themselves (giving them near-billionaire status), the yuan need not suffer.  It seems like the government of China is moving toward the possibility of internationalizing this currency alongside the Euro and the dollar.  As well, plans are set for Hong Kong to become the traing center for yuan-denominated assets enabling foreign companies to “issue yuan-denominated assets in Hong Kong” which will also mean the Bank of China NY branch will be able to open yuan deposits.  The hope is that investment abroad will increase too.  As well, if they adopt Devakula’s idea of “co-operation among regional economies” to establish a benchmark currency, then the region’s economy could potentially peak.

What Would King George VI Have Said About Singapore’s Rice Crisis?

by

Pest storms are devastating rice production in Singapore, which is no good for anyone since this grain is a staple throughout Asia.  This is becoming a threat to the country’s food security and could completely destroy rice farms throughout the region, according to Singapore scientists.  Indeed, there is talk that the pesticides used to counter this problem may be doing the opposite – making it worse.  The problem has partly been caused by trying to go cheap:  use of less expensive pesticides; poor farmer education and destruction of ecosystems around paddies, to name but a few.

Historically this wouldn’t have been the case.  Farmers took immense pride in their plots and ensured their produce was protected.  King George VI would have been ashamed at his Asian brethren and might not have so readily agreed to having his face emblazoned on a set of Singapore stamps issued in 1948.

 

 

Mid-East Flare Up Leaves Korea a Mess

by

 

While China’s economy and finance markets are looking bold and strong, its Korean neighbor isn’t faring quite so well.  The potential of the Middle Eastern mess is once again being blamed for the success and stagnation of the yuan and the won.  Indeed, statistics showed a hit of 345.35 billion yuan (probably supported by short- and medium-term bonds).  Meanwhile in North Korea the “dire economic situation” is so extreme that international food aid calls (which have likely lessened due to missile and nuclear programs) are becoming increasingly louder, apparently to no avail.  On the one hand the country was blaming international pressure for their failure while simultaneously asking the world for charitable handouts.  Despite its attractive-looking economy, China has not been dealing with the Middle Eastern mess so well, and instead psychologically ignoring its very existence, or running into a panic at the thought of what might entail.

China’s Success Mimics Korea’s Failure

So while the Chinese economy is going from strength to strength, the same can’t be said for Korea.  This hasn’t always been the case.  At one time, it was reported that South Korea was providing around 400,000 tons of rice each year to North Korea but once relations between the two started depleting around three years ago, this gift ended too.

Looking towards China though, things couldn’t be brighter.  It seems that Yujiapu is set to be home to “the world’s largest financial zone a decade from now.”  A set of twelve buildings are to be constructed marking just the “first phase” in this new financial world headquarter, really putting the rest of the region to shame.  While their brothers in North Korea are looking for bread and water, the Chinese are enjoying festive banqueting.


 

South Korea Smart Grid Investment

by


A nationwide smart grid is to be built by 2030, receiving a staggering $7.18 billion investment from South Korea’s state-run Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO), in an attempt to “curb the country's carbon emissions and improve efficiency in its electricity market.”  There have been various greening efforts in South Korea such as 131-acre rooftop gardens; electric scooters for local police etc.
Ultimately the smart grid will provide for more efficient power distribution and maintenance.  Consumers are able to participate in a more active role to determine power usage via home appliance monitoring and direct grid feedback.