tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39767602535163222942024-03-08T11:22:45.928-08:00Bones EconomicsA discussion of our current economic and financial environment. Plus the history of economics and its rigmarole will also be discussed.Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-21755873457526592302020-10-02T01:42:00.000-07:002020-10-02T01:42:14.012-07:00Aluminum Shortage In The United States Due To COVID 19?<p>Due to COVID 19 related nightlife restrictions and social
distancing since the beginning of March 2020, is the United States now
experiencing a shortage of aluminum because of this?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By: Ringo Bones </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Demand for cans, especially aluminum cans, had been booming
since the COVID 19 lockdown restrictions had been enforced, propelling can
makers to boost manufacturing capacity to prevent shortages. And the trend is
especially true in the United States as can manufacturers capitalize on a trend
that they’ll hope will stick. When bars and restaurants were ordered to close to
close by authorities across the United States and with nightlife restrictions
still in effect in most areas, consumers rushed to buy large packs of drinks -typically
sold in cans –in supermarkets and sales of canned food also jumped, not to
mention that most hand sanitizers sold in bulk are contained in aluminum cans.
But given that the United States sources its aluminum mostly through recycling form
seemingly virtually unlimited supply of decommissioned aircraft from boneyards
for about half a century, why the resulting aluminum shortage? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are various notable aircraft boneyards / aircraft
graveyards spread across the United States. The most notable of which is the
Boneyard in Arizona made famous during the first Top Gun movie when the band Berlin
shot a music video there, and the one in the Mojave Desert in California well
known as the graveyard for large decommissioned passenger jets were the number
one source of recycled aluminum in the United States to be used in the food and
beverage industry during the past 50 years. If you ever see these sites, even
from just documentary films, it is not too farfetched to assume that America
has a virtually unlimited source of recyclable aluminum that could perhaps last
for a few centuries with existing demand. And yet the food and beverage
industry of the United States’ demand for aluminum cans skyrocketed during the
COVID 19 lockdown that American aluminum can manufacturers were forced to
import billions of aluminum cans from oversees manufacturers since August 2020.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Given the rather strict existing COVID 19 travel
restrictions are still in effect, has this also affected America’s ability to
recycle used aluminum cans? I mean financially disadvantaged people who used to
collect these cans and sell them to aluminum recycling plants for a pittance probably
now can’t do this as freely as before in post COVID 19 America. Let’s just hope
that aluminum won’t become again a “noble metal” that’s twice as expensive as
gold – like that time of the first 20 years after aluminum’s discovery by Sir
Humphry Davy back in 1827.</p>Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-29975496287274671582020-07-24T03:49:00.000-07:002020-07-24T03:49:40.049-07:00Business Interruption Insurance: Small Business Savior During The COVID 19 Pandemic?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is carried in some small business insurance policies, but
can business interruption insurance save one’s fledging business in the time of
the COVID 19 pandemic?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you still don’t have this coverage, it is likely too late
to purchase it now as insurance companies usually won’t cover losses for a
crisis that’s already underway. However, after COVID 19 blows over, you should look
at this small business insurance policy in the future. Some small business
insurance policies carry business interruption insurance clauses, either as a
stand-alone policy or part of an overall package policy. Depending on the type
of policy your business holds, you may have coverage for some types of losses.
However, there’s a good chance the coverage might be limited or contain
exclusions. This is because there are other “potential pandemics” that occurred
in recent years. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak
in 2003, many insurance companies have updated their business interruption
policies to exclude infectious diseases. Every policy varies, so it depends on
the wording of your policy, its exclusions and limitations. Review your policy
and talk to your insurance agent to see what, if anything, your policy covers. But
policies that provide coverage to events as catastrophic as the still ongoing
COVID 19 pandemic will be more likely than not to carry a heavy premium.</div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-82951213263436930942020-02-25T03:15:00.000-08:002020-02-25T03:15:00.872-08:00Could the 2020 Cornonavirus Global Stock Market Sell-Off Trigger A Global Economic Recession?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It appears to be easing off but is it too early to write-off
coronavirus triggering a global recession by the middle of 2020?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Could the COVID-19/ novel coronavirus 2019 trigger a global
economic recession by the middle of 2020 due to the ongoing manufacturing
shutdown of China – the world’s sole manufacturing center? Sadly, the FTSE 100
index closed 3.3-percent lower, its sharpest decline since January 2016. While
in the United States, the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 experienced its
sharpest daily decline since 2018 and the Milan stock market experienced a
6-percent drop on Monday, February 24, 2020 – all of this due to the fears that
the ongoing novel coronavirus epidemic in Mainland China would still not be over
during the start of the second economic quarter of 2020. But despite of the
recent ease in the global stock market sell-off and a mad scramble for safe
haven investments, could the high probability of a global economic recession by
the middle of 2020 still be avoided? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Due to the still ongoing shutdown of factories in parts of
China still severely affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, toy manufacturers in
the United States and Europe already warns of a so-called “toy shortage” by the
time of the 2020 Yuletide Season if China’s toy factories still don’t return to
full steam production by the second quarter of 2020. The same situation applies
too with other low-cost mass-market goods that have since been manufactured in
China since the year 2000.</div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-51211845941254732262019-08-14T18:01:00.000-07:002019-08-14T18:01:56.006-07:00Was Adolf Hitler A Good Economist?<div class="MsoNormal">
Given that President Trump is currently creating an “aura of
economic instability” due to his economic policies does Trump truly believe
that Adolf Hitler was a good economist?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remember that famous speech coined by Milton Friedman that
was later attributed to the late US President Richard Nixon that goes: “…we are
all Keynesians now…”? Well the keyword here is Keynesian – as opposed to “Hitlerian”
like what US President Trump’s latest economic policy is starting to look like.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the past few years, the so-called “global populist
movement” have recently elected illiberal politicians that can only be
described as “Hitlerian” in the hopes of solving genuine problems and concerns –
i.e. the economy. Unfortunately, Adolf Hitler was not known for being as a “good
economist”, if he was, Keynesian Economics would have an operational
counterpart that could be labeled as “Hitlerian Economics”. Would it be only a
matter of time when President Trump will ask Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
for “economic advice”? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It may have been the inherent terror in the so-called
inverted yield curve that President Trump’s economic team have been ignoring
since they set up shop, never mind the recent red flags from the bond market signaling
that holding long term debt is increasingly risky, it seems like the inverted
yield curve will strike the US economy as soon as the start of the 2020 fiscal
year. Given the recent 800-point drop of the DOW and the recent US Federal
Reserve rate cut seems to be doing nothing to prevent this, it seems that the
Trump administration is already out of options – economically speaking.</div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-38254589783239004252019-05-19T23:50:00.000-07:002019-05-19T23:50:47.137-07:00Google Restricting Huawei’s Use Of Android: The E-Commerce Side of the Trade War?<div class="MsoNormal">
Even though security concerns on Huawei products has been
around since 2006, does Google’s latest move now makes Trump’s trade war with
China now has a e-commerce front?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back around 2006 to 2007, tech-savvy Gen-X’ers’ primary
reason for “boycotting” Huawei and ZTE gear was primarily due to the Tibetan
Freedom Movement and how Beijing kept incrementally ratcheting their crackdown on
Uyghurs since the 1990s. Sadly such concerns were largely forgotten or dipped
below the radar of activist social media since a relatively unknown senator
from Illinois got elected to The White House. Then and now, no major news
correspondent manage to ask Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei about what he thinks about
consumers who chose to boycott Huawei products because of Tibetan Freedom
Movement and Uyghur crackdown concerns. But recently in February 2019, the
Huawei issue surfaced yet again – and in a way bigger manner – after the
company faced growing backlash from Western countries, primarily lead by the Trump
Administration, over possible risks posed by using Huawei products in
next-generation 5G mobile networks. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back in Friday, May 17, 2019, the U.S. Commerce Department
said it was considering scaling back restrictions to Huawei to “prevent the
interruption of existing network operations and equipment.” It was not
immediately clear on Sunday whether Huawei’s access to mobile software would be
affected. On May 20, 2019, Google decided to start restricting new designs of
Huawei smartphones access to some Google apps. This move comes after the Trump
Administration added Huawei to a list of companies that American firms cannot
trade with unless they have a “special license”. In a statement, Google said it
was “complying with the order and reviewing the implications”. At the moment,
Huawei declined to comment. The extent to which Huawei will be hurt by the US government
blacklist is not yet known as its global supply chain assesses the impact. Chip
experts have questioned Huawei’s ability to continue to operate without U.S.
help. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the moment, existing Huawei smartphone users will still
be able to update apps and push through security fixes, as well as update
Google Play services, but when Google launches the next version of Android
later this year, it may not be available on Huawei devices. Future Huawei
devices may no longer have apps such as YouTube and Google Maps. Even though
Huawei has already a so-called Plan B to prepare them from such scenarios
brought about by the Trump Administration’s “Trade War”, the company probably
must now abandon its plan to overtake Samsung to become the world’s best-selling
smartphone brand by 2020.</div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-82449357606390131422019-05-04T16:55:00.000-07:002019-05-04T16:55:18.060-07:00Beyond Meat’s Recent IPO Surge: Are the Wolves of Wall Street Now Going Vegan?<div class="MsoNormal">
With both environmental and health concerns may be driving
its recent IPO surge, will Beyond Meat eventually make the Wolves of Wall
Street go vegan?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the company’s first day of trading at Wall Street back
in Thursday, May 2, 2019, the share price of Beyond Meat surged 163 percent, thus
signaling surprising interest in a new generation of companies that are
creating plant-based alternative to meat. Beyond Meat, which makes vegetarian
burgers and sausages, began trading at $25 a share on the Nasdaq stock exchange
and ended the day at $65.75. The stock’s first-day pop is one of the biggest in
recent IPO history. In the last decade, only two other companies – both of them
biotech start-ups – had bigger increases on their first days of trading on
major American stock markets, according to the data from the University of
Florida professor Jay Ritter. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beyond Meat is the first ever plant-based meat-alternative
company to go public, but it is part of a growing industry of start-ups looking
to replace animal agriculture. And in recent weeks have provided several
indications that the business is gaining traction largely because of growing
environmental and health concerns in both the raising and the consumption of
meat. A study conducted back in 2005 have shown that if all Americans reduced
their overall meat consumption by just 10-percent, the resulting reduction in overall
carbon footprint is akin to taking 20 million cars off the road. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beyond Meat’s biggest competitor, Impossible Foods, teamed
up with Burger King to roll out a meatless-version of the Whopper sandwich last
month. Burger King announced this week that it would offer the sandwich at all
of its restaurants in the United States, after a trial in the company’s St.
Louis restaurants exceeded expectations. A day after Burger King’s
announcement, McDonald’s chief executive, Steve Easterbrook, told analysts that
his company was “paying close attention” to the trend and considering whether
it will develop a meatless alternative to its hamburgers. In the lead-up to the
Beyond Meat IPO, the poultry company Tyson Foods said it sold its early stake
at Beyond Meat, in part because the food conglomerate is developing its own
plant-based protein. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like many high-tech companies that are debuting on Wall
Street this year, Beyond Meat is losing money - $30 million last year – but revenue
grew faster than last year’s losses, increasing 170 percent to $88 million. And
like its competitors, Beyond Meat pitched investors on the idea that its plant-based
burgers and sausages can appeal to traditional meat eaters and break out a
niche market that vegetarian alternatives have traditionally occupied. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The start-up, based in the Los Angeles area, has tried to
mimic the texture and taste of meat with ingredients like pea protein and beet
juice. But it has also argued for the environmental and health benefits of
moving away from meat. “I see it as a movement,” Beyond Meat’s chief executive,
Ethan Brown, said in an interview back in Thursday, May 2, 2019. “We’re tapping
into something within customers – within the human race – that is important.”
Beyond Meat’s products are available in 15,000 supermarkets and several
fast-food chains. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leading up to the IPO, Beyond Meat steadily increased the
number of shares it planned to sell and the price where it projected the shares
to begin trading. The company ended up raising around $240 million in the
public offering, which is more than it had raise from private markets. When it
last raised money from its investors last fall, the company was valued at $1.35
billion, according to Pitchbook. Beyond Meat manage to finish the Thursday May
2, 2019 trading day to be worth $3.8 billion. The holdings of Beyond Meat’s
founder Ethan Brown, are now worth more than $200 million. </div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-54482123416384720962019-03-25T13:55:00.000-07:002019-03-25T13:55:40.884-07:00Inverted Yield Curve: Surest Sign Of An Upcoming Economic Recession?<div class="MsoNormal">
It accurately predicted the September 2008 global credit
crunch when it manifested back around July 2007, is the inverted yield curve
the surest sign of a looming recession?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It managed to trigger an Asian market sell-off during the
start of the Monday, March 25, 2019 trading day after investors were spooked by
the United States’ inverted yield curve of its treasuries. Unfortunately, the
Asian traders’ worries aren’t unwarranted, after all when the so-called “pesky
inverted yield curve” manifested itself back in July 2007 it accurately
foretold the 2008 global credit crunch. Worse still, the Trump Administration
has not been preparing for the predicted looming recession since they set up
shop back in 2017, relying instead on the so-called tax-break driven “MAGA-nomics”
and this – according to the world’s leading economists – could plunge the U.S.
economy into recession by 2020 that could make the 2008 recession look like a
minor economic slowdown. But first, here’s a brief explanation to what is an
inverted yield curve. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An inverted yield curve is an interest rate environment in
which long-term debt instruments have a lower yield than short-term debt
instruments of the same credit quality. Usually triggered by a loss of investor
confidence when, for example, 30-year treasury bonds are ditched by investors in
favor of a shorter term 5 or 10-year treasury bonds. This type of yield curve
is the rarest of the three main curve types and is considered to be a predictor
of economic recession. An inverted yield curve is sometimes referred to as a
negative yield curve. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Historically, inversions of the yield curve have come before
many of the United States recessions. Due to this historical correlation, the
yield curve is often seen as an accurate forecast of the turning points of the
business cycle. A recent example is when the U.S. Treasury yield curve inverted
in late 2005, 2006 and again back around July 2007 before U.S. equity markets
collapsed back in September 2008. The curve also inverted in late 2018 under
the watch of the Trump Administration. An inverse yield curve predicts lower
interest rates in the future as longer-term bonds are demanded, sending the
yields down. Does the Trump Administration have the wherewithal to halt and
reverse the looming U.S. economic recession that could arrive around the last
quarter of 2020 and enact measures so that it won’t become much worse than the
one that happened back in 2008?</div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-17718828582815185582019-02-14T15:17:00.002-08:002019-02-14T15:17:57.528-08:00Germany Narrowly Avoids Recession In 2019: An Economic Cautionary Tale?<div class="MsoNormal">
Brexit worries, US retail sales slide, like a bad Valentine’s
Day date, the February 14, 2019 stock market rally has fizzled out after a
perky start and Germany narrowly avoids recession, is this 2019’s economic
cautionary tale?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The German economy narrowly avoiding recession in 2019
should serve as 2019’s biggest economic cautionary tale because the German
economic slowdown is largely caused by President Trump’s ill advised imposition
of steep tariffs on German cars exported to the US. Anti globalist
Euro-skeptics may cry out that Germany is the only main beneficiary of the
European single-currency since its implementation, but Germany catching the
economic equivalent of the common cold could have wider implications on the
global economy this year. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Germany’s economy just about avoided falling into recession
during the final three months of 2018. Europe’s largest economy registered zero
growth during the fourth-quarter of 2018, the country’s Federal Statistics
Office said. This means it avoided two consecutive quarters of contraction,
which is the usual definition of a recession. A weak trade performance dragged
on the economy and consumer spending remained subdued. The zero growth recorded
in October to December 2018 followed a 0.2-percent contraction in the previous
quarter. Reasons for slower growth last year include a slowdown in global
economy and a weaker car sector, with German consumers less willing to buy new
cars amid confusion over new emission standards. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite of a worrying situation, the jobs situation in
Germany is particularly pretty good. Unemployment is among the lowest in the
world at just above 3-percent. Sadly, a strong economic rebound for Germany for
the whole of 2019 is very unlikely citing this year’s early results.</div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-45305890380430457372018-02-04T06:27:00.000-08:002018-02-04T06:27:13.355-08:00Is The Global Game Of Golf On The Downswing? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->Used to be the preferred leisure activity of the economic
savvy, has the game of golf been on a global decline during the past 28 years?<br />
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By: Ringo Bones <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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During a recent survey taken during the first week of 2018,
it was found out that there are one-third less Americans playing golf compared
a decade ago – this was despite of the recent inclusion of golf by the
International Olympic Committee during the 2016 Rio Olympics. The recent
findings could scare the global golf industry which is currently worth
70-billion US dollars a year - and yet globally, golf has been in decline
during the past 28 years. Should golf equipment manufacturers start to worry? </div>
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The decline in the global game of golf was first noticed
back in 1990 and, ironically, it was first noted in Japan – a country well
known for its obsession of golf where even insurance companies there issues a
so-called “hole-in-one-insurance” for serious golfers. Even the rise of Tiger
Woods during the 1990s only raised a brief anomalous peak of new golfers – but only
in the United States. But why are many leaving the game of golf and why did it
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Since the late 1980s “Lincoln Savings And Loan Scandal”
broke, the game of golf – which unfortunately most of its enthusiasts work in
the top-tier world of finance – acquired a perception of a game only for rich
old folks, as in “elitists”. And most importantly, a typical golf course wastes
more water than a high-end gated community in the middle of the Nevada desert; which
probably makes golf an easy target during times of class warfare by
environmentalists. Add to that the climate change denial stance of Donald J.
Trump and his ilk, it seems like every left-leaning intellectual had been abhorring
golf not just for reasons Mark Twain quoting: “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” </div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-85422267989513778822018-01-22T02:06:00.000-08:002018-01-22T02:06:36.614-08:00Could Mainland China’s Ticking Debt Bomb Destabilize The Global Economy?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->Some economic pundits say that debt is just a manageable
byproduct of an ongoing economic boom, but could Mainland China’s looming “debt
bomb” destabilize the global economy this 2018?<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To anyone familiar with modern economic science will also be
familiar with some “Keynesian economic pundits” stating that debt is just a
merely manageable byproduct of a booming economy, but could the massive debt
pile – often called “Mainland China’s ticking debt bomb” – that is a byproduct
of the economic boom that created the world’s second biggest economy the
trigger that could destabilize the global economy this 2018? But first, here’s
a brief history on how Mainland China’s public and private debt grew to such
monstrous proportions as to scare a significant number of economic pundits who
just recently acquired a semblance of confidence on the direction of the global
economy. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Back in 2007, around the time when Mainland China overtook
Japan as the world’s second biggest economy, both public and private debt stood
at around 6-trillion US dollars. Ten years later, the Mainland Chinese public
and private debt reached 23-trillion US dollars. What worries some economic
pundits the most is not mainly the monstrous debt size but the slowdown in economic
growth since the end of the first decade of the 21<sup>st</sup> Century as Mainland
China moves from a developing to a developed economy. Because Mainland China is
now a main driver of global economic growth, the solution to the country’s
ticking debt bomb is now everybody’s concern. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Weaning the nation off that debt without intensifying its
ongoing economic slowdown can be tricky. Despite Mainland China’s growing by
6.9-percent in 2017 beating the government target of 6.5-percent growth
forecast, it is a mere shadow of the 10-percent or more annual economic growth
the country experienced during the middle of the first decade of the 21<sup>st</sup>
Century. Cleaning up the nation’s banks is one approach. Propping up borrowers
to prevent defaults is another, but propping up borrowers could leave the
country mired in bad debt and make it susceptible to years of economic stagnation
like what happened to Japan that started back in 1991 which it has just more or
less recently recovered. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-30329185522532513842017-12-04T10:22:00.000-08:002017-12-04T10:22:31.333-08:00Donald J. Trump’s Six Corporate Bankruptcies: Sign of Good Business Acumen?<div class="MsoNormal">
Given that his six corporate bankruptcies has since become a
matter of public record, how could U.S. President Donald J. Trump “Make America
Great Again”?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His supporters call it MAGA-nomics as in “Make America Great
Again Economics, but given his six corporate bankruptcies is now a matter of
public record, despite he has yet to make his tax returns public, can U.S.
President Donald J. Trump really has the business acumen to make America
greater than this predecessor – i.e. U.S. President Barack Obama? And another
thing, given that some skilled entrepreneurs have managed to profit from their “skillful”
declaration of Chapter 11s, is this an economically viable way to sustainably
create wealth? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Trump has filed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy for his companies six
times. Three of the casino bankruptcies came during the recession of the early
1990s around the time of the post-Operation Desert Storm euphoria, both of
which contributed to hard times in Atlantic City, New Jersey’s gambling
facilities. Trump also entered a Manhattan hotel and two casino holding
companies into bankruptcy. Technically, Chapter 11 Bankruptcy allow companies
to restructure their debt or wipe away much of their debt to other companies, creditors
and shareholders while renaming in business but under the supervision of a
bankruptcy court. Chapter 11 is often called “reorganization” because it allows
the business to emerge from the process more efficient and on good terms with
its creditors. One point of clarification though is that Trump has never filed
personal bankruptcy, only corporate bankruptcy related to his casinos in
Atlantic City. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is a list of Trump’s six corporate bankruptcies; The
details of which are a matter of public record and have been widely published
by the news media and even discussed by the president himself. The 1991 bankruptcy
of the Trump Taj Mahal, the Trump Castle Hotel & Casino, Trump Plaza Casino
and Trump Plaza Hotel in 1992, Trump Hotels &Casino Resorts in 2004 and
Trump Entertainment Resorts in 2009. But can Donald J. Trump flip a profit by
declaring Chapter 11 on America and share most of the proceeds to the American
Taxpayer?</div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-69615310816094226532016-06-20T07:50:00.001-07:002016-06-20T07:50:35.237-07:00Vintage Watch Collecting: An Economically Viable Alternative Investment Scheme?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Given the Brexit scare and an increasing number of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eurozone banks resorting to negative interest
rates, are rare vintage watch collecting fast becoming an economically viable
alternative investment scheme? </div>
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By: Ringo Bones </div>
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With the Brexit scare and an increasing number of Eurozone
banks resorting to negative investment rates – i.e. the client will have to pay
these banks a set fee in order to keep their money safe instead of the bank client’s
money earning a set interest rate, the investment savvy are increasingly
looking into alternative investment schemes like prime real estate or vintage
wine. But as of late, the once rarefied world of rare vintage watch collecting
had attracted the attention of investment pundits. </div>
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In major metropolitan centers of East Asia, like Hong Kong
and Singapore, the amount of money changing hands in the rare vintage watch
collecting scene had experienced a 68-percent rise over the last decade despite
of the global credit crunch of 2008. Dr. Bernard Cheong a noted rare vintage
watch collector who has been at it since the age of 15 has recently been on the
East Asian investment spotlight after giving a press interview showing the
ropes of how to make money in the relatively esoteric hobby of rare vintage
watch collecting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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But watch expert Su Jian Xian warns that potential investors
should be careful because rare vintage watch collecting requires specialist
knowledge, that more often than not, is only available to those seasoned rare
vintage watch collectors – if you want to get the most out of your initial
investment. The fickle sway of fashion often dictates item valuation. Rare
vintage watches that fetched 10,000 to 12,000 US dollars back in 1998 and 1999 could have
since doubled or probably have halved in value today, but who knows, that World
War I era Patek Philippe wristwatch that you’ve inherited from your grandfather
back in the early 1990s might probably cost a tidy sum by now which could make
rare vintage watch collecting one of the most lucrative alternative investment
schemes you ever delved into. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-27788237280780270712016-04-05T03:45:00.001-07:002016-04-05T03:45:49.109-07:00Are Offshore Structures and Tax Havens Illegal?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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With the recent Panama Papers Leaks of the offshore law firm
Mossack Fonseca raising the issue yet again, are offshore structures and tax havens illegal? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ever since the Occupy Wall Street movement of few years ago
went global, most of the world’s richest one percent had been viewed with
increasing suspicion and trepidation by the rest of us and with the recent Panama
Papers Leak of the offshore law firm Mossack Fonseca, it is as if a global
class warfare is on the verge of inability. But given that most of us average income
folks could serve lengthy prison terms if we fool around with paying our taxes,
are offshore structures and tax havens technically illegal? </div>
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<br /></div>
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At present, using offshore structures to lessen one’s tax
burdens is entirely legal. There are many legitimate reasons for doing so.
Business people in countries such as Russia and Ukraine typically put their
assets offshore to defend them from “raids” by criminals and to get around hard
currency restrictions, while others use offshore structures for reasons of
inheritance and estate planning. But why is it that some people who use
offshore structures are viewed as crooks? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a speech last year in Singapore, the UK Prime Minister
David Cameron said “the corrupt, criminals and money launderers” take advantage
of anonymous company structures. The government is trying to do something about
this. It wants to set up a central register that will reveal the beneficial
owners of offshore companies. From June, UK companies will have to reveal their
“significant” owners for the first time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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The records were first obtained from an anonymous source by
the German newspaper S<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ϋ</span>ddeutsche Zeitung, which shared them with the
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The ICIJ then
shared them with a large network of international partners – including the
Guardian and the BBC. The documents show the myriad ways in which the rich can
exploit secretive offshore tax regimes. Twelve national leaders are among the
143 politicians, their families and close associates from around the world
known to have been using offshore tax havens and a significant number of them
are incumbent members and immediate families of the Beijing Communist Party.
Ever since the news about the Panama Papers Leak went global, Baidu – The People’s
Republic of China’s equivalent of Google and the only search engine authorized
by the monolithic communist party to operate in Mainland China – had been
blocking the story for frat that it may be just a “Western Plot” against the Beijing
Communist Party.</div>
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<br /></div>
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A 2-billion US dollar trail leads all the way to Russian
strongman Vladimir Putin via the Russian president’s best friend – a cellist
named Sergei Roldugin – is at the center of a scheme in which money from the Russian
state banks is hidden offshore. Some of it ends up in a ski resort where in
2013 Putin’s daughter Katerina got married. And despite the legality of the
leaked documents, Russia’s official news agency had dismissed the revelations
as a “Western plot” against Vladimir Putin. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Among the other national leaders revealed by the Panama
Papers Leak to have offshore wealth are Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,
ex-interim prime minister and former vice-president of Iraq Ayad Alawi,
president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, Alaa Mubarak – son of Egypt’s former
president and the Prime Minister of Iceland, Sigmundur Dav<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">íỗ
Gunnlsughsson. And what irked the international community most is on how
Mossack Fonseca helped governments that are under imposed economic sanctions by
the UN Security Council to still do business with impunity – like North Korea
and Russia since the unlawful Donetsk Region annexation by the Putin regime. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mossack Fonseca is a Panama-based law firm whose services include
incorporating companies in offshore jurisdictions such as the British Virgin
Islands. It administers offshore firms for a yearly fee. Other services include
wealth management. The firm is Panamanian but runs a worldwide operation. Its
website boasts of a global network with 600 people working in 42 countries. It
has franchises around the world, where separately owned affiliates sign up new
customers and have exclusive rights to use its brand. Mossack Fonseca operates
in tax havens including Switzerland, Cyprus and British Virgin Islands and in
the British crown dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-88110634303613409712016-03-28T06:34:00.000-07:002016-03-28T06:34:11.354-07:00Is Inflation Good For The Economy? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Even though it is the ruin of every country’s mismanaged
economy, but did you know that the right amount of inflation is vital for a
thriving economic system? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is one of those things that either too much or too little
is a bad thing and even though there had been news in the past that it was already
cited as the ruin of some country’s mismanaged economy, the right amount of
inflation is vital for the sustainable management of a thriving economy. But if
it is important, how much inflation is necessary to make an economic system
truly sustainable? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At present due to weak energy prices since the latter half
of 2014, global inflation levels are currently at unsustainably low levels. An
annual inflation rate within 3-percent, give or take a few percentage points,
is necessary for economically viable conditions. While too much inflation – the
rapid increase of price of goods in too short a time - is usually a sign of an
mismanaged economy or a result of some economic sanctions that will eventually
lead to economic collapse, too little of it will foster inflation’s “evil twin”
called deflation – where prices of goods decline over time. Deflation can be
disastrous for a thriving economy because consumers will keep on postponing
their purchase until prices fall further which could stifle economic activity
to a virtual standstill. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Keeping inflation rates at just the right levels was the raison
d’être for the decision of the U.S. Federal Reserve to increase the overall
interest rates before the end of 2015 but the Fed indefinitely postponed
further interest rate increases for fear that it may stifle the ongoing
economic recovery of the United States. But most economic experts say that if
the Fed keeps on postponing their other scheduled interest rate hikes, the U.S.
economy could experience deflation problems by 2017. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-8150663928642303462016-03-27T15:53:00.000-07:002016-03-27T15:53:20.731-07:00Moody’s Downgrading Hong Kong’s Credit Rating: Unprecedented? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->Despite being a traditionally viewed as a relatively safe
investment for institutional investors, is the recent credit rating downgrade
of Hong Kong by Moody’s unprecedented?<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
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<br /></div>
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Back in Marsh 12, 2016, the credit rating agency Moody’s
downgraded Hong Kong’s credit crating to Aa1 and changed the outlook to
negative from stable. Even after the July 1, 1997 handover back to China, Hong
Kong has always been seen as a traditionally stable investment haven for
institutional investors but the recent rationale for assigning a negative
outlook by Moody’s is largely due to the increasing political risks of the
hard-to-maintain policy of one country two systems as in “political linkages with
China risk weighing on Hong Kong’s institutional strength. </div>
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<br /></div>
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With the universal suffrage protests back in 2014 that
virtually brought Hong Kong to a standstill to the recent “detainment” of
bookstore proprietors who stock books who are critical with the Chinese
communist party, it seems that China’s curbing of the political freedoms
previously enjoyed by Hong Kong even after the 1997 handover from Britain are
seen by many institutional investors around the world as a clear and present
political risk that could affect the long-term economic outlook of Hong Kong
despite enjoying a special administrative status. </div>
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<br /></div>
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And given the recent economic slowdown of Mainland China
many institutional investors see the economic and financial linkages of Hong
Kong with the Mainland turn from positive to negative spillovers. Overall,
Moody’s assessment is that banking-sector risk for Hong Kong’s government has
increased. Although to most institutional investors who are worried about the
declining freedoms in Hong Kong, Mainland China’s inability to maintain the one
country two system policy of its special administrative cash cow of a region
sends a big impression that it is the reason for the recent investment ratings
downgrade. </div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-77313299694773298392016-03-06T21:00:00.000-08:002016-03-06T21:00:39.367-08:00UK Exit From The EU: Economically Catastrophic? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->While Euro-skeptic MPs and economists of both sides of the
issue weigh it out, is UK’s exit from the EU or “Brexit” as economically
catastrophic as it is predicted to be?<br />
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By: Ringo Bones </div>
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Euro-skeptic MPs often pointed out the several billion UK<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">£ worth of
British taxpayers’ money being handed over o Brussels every year only had a
marginal benefit to the UK economy and has suggesting that the UK is better off
– economically – leaving the European Union. But while there are several politicians
in the Obama Administration suggesting that a Britain leaving the EU or “Brexit”
as it is now popularly called will be catastrophic to the UK economy, is a Brexit
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The European Union is the UK’s biggest trading partner consisting
of 670 billion US dollars worth which consists 50-percent of the UK’s annual
GDP. The current trade deals that the UK has with the 27 other EU member
countries also applies to the other 68 nations the UK currently has trade with.
Exiting the EU would make the UK reestablish a new trade deal – 35 separate new
trade deals need to be ratified with other trading nations in fact - just to
keep its current trading status quo earnings. But would the UK’s imports to the
United States be suddenly subjected to excessive tariffs if it chooses to leave
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">UK’s imports to the US will not going to be suddenly subjected to
excessive tariffs because incumbent conservative politicians in Capitol Hill
will keep this as low as it did when it is still in the EU. The United States
is the UK’s second biggest export market which it currently has 54 billion US
dollars worth of trade. Unfortunately, the talk of “Brexit” has recently
affected the value of the UK£. The UK£ has lost 12-percent of its value since
August 2015 due to the talk of a “Brexit”. </span></div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-1441718239075676232016-02-14T15:21:00.000-08:002016-02-14T15:21:51.946-08:00Blockchain: A New Economic Paradigm?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Hailed as the most important invention since the internet
itself, does blockchain represent a new economic paradigm that could
revolutionize e-commerce and make musicians rich again? </div>
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By: Ringo Bones </div>
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As the working principle behind bitcoin and related
crypto-currencies, the blockchain’s distributed consensus model has been hailed
during the last few years as the most important invention since the internet
itself. A blockchain is essentially just a record, or ledger, of digital events
– one that is “distributed”, or shared between many different parties. It can
only be updated by consensus of a majority of participants in the system. And,
once entered, information can never be erased. The bitcoin blockchain contains
a certain and verifiable record of every single bitcoin transaction ever made. </div>
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To use conventional banking as an analogy, the blockchain is
like a full history of banking transactions. Bitcoin transactions are entered
chronologically in a blockchain just the way bank transactions are. Blocks,
meanwhile, are like individual bank statements. Based on the bitcoin protocol,
the blockchain database is shared by all nodes participating in a system. The
full copy of the blockchain has records of every bitcoin transaction ever
executed. It can this provide insight about facts like how much value belonged
a particular address at any point in the past. </div>
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In the brave new world of illegal peer-to-peer music file-sharing
via the internet, musicians are yet again be able to make a comfortable living
yet again like they did via a rights management based on the blockchain model.
The music industry lacks complete information about the rights holders of recorded
musical works. These include performers, composers and songwriters. Blockchain
technology can be used to provide the secure issuance and distribution of
digital assets including listing and registration of musical works for its
clients and helping collecting societies provide more transparency and
efficiency to all market participants. </div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-9908451234410767372016-01-07T03:22:00.001-08:002016-01-07T03:22:51.376-08:00Crude Oil’s lack Of Geopolitical Leverage: Bad For The Global Economy?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Even though the Saudi-Iran tensions only managed to generate
a “slight” trading price rise in crude oil a few days ago, does crude oil’s
current lack of geopolitical leverage bad for the global economy? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since the Saudi Arabia-Iran tensions due to the execution of
a prominent Saudi Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr only managed a “slight”
increase in the trading floor price of crude oil despite of the subsequent
riots that had resulted in a fire that gutted parts of the Saudi embassy in
Tehran, crude oil prices still continued its inevitable terminal decline during
the second week of January 2016. If the current Saudi-Iran tensions happened
back in the 1980s or the 1990s, crude oil prices would have tripled by now. But
given the lack of crude oil’s geopolitical leveraging that has global economic
repercussions that it used to have back in the 1980s, 1990s or even during the
George “Dubya” Bush administration part of the first decade of the 21<sup>st</sup>
Century, does the current downward trend in crude oil prices spell bad news for
the global economy? </div>
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<br /></div>
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The current bargain basement prices of crude oil can be
squarely blamed on the current “oil glut” that the world had been experiencing
since the latter half of 2014. Given the high-level new oil strikes in the
state of California back in 2013 and the American and Canadian tar-sands crude
oil extractions that has since become economically viable during the past few
years which made the United States now the world’s number one producer of crude
oil and Capitol Hill even recently voting to end the Federal ban on U.S. oil
exports is just one of the pieces that resulted in our current global crude oil
supply glut. During the last OPEC meeting of 2015 where Saudi Arabia and the rest stuck to keeping its current output levels in the hopes of driving America's tar-sands crude oil extraction industry out of economic viability only made the situation work in America's favor. As Iran is now slated to reenter the global crude oil export
market as a “reward” for the recent Nuclear Deal – the global crude oil supply
glut will likely to worsen – rather than get better – further into 2016. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few hours ago, crude oil hits 33 US dollars per barrel –
quite a far cry from 18 months ago when it used to trade within the 100 US
dollars per barrel mark not to mention that “extreme peak” back in July 2008
when crude oil hit the 147 US dollar per barrel mark. Overall, crude oil lost
70-percent of its value since 2014 thanks to the global supply glut and the
waning demand due to improvements in renewable energy power generating systems
like wind and solar during the past 10 years. Not to mention that the ongoing downward trend in global crude prices caused most of the trading losses incurred in 2015. </div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-33328295367860779282015-11-29T14:54:00.000-08:002015-11-29T14:54:28.713-08:00Will Turkey’s Shooting Down Of A Russian Plane Destabilize The Global Economy? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->Though the economic backlash may not be felt for months,
will Turkey’s shooting down of a Russian plane eventually destabilize the
global economy?<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones</div>
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<br /></div>
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Unlike what happened back in August 2, 1990 when the then Iraqi
strongman Saddam Hussein forcibly annexed Kuwait and made it an Iraqi province,
it seems that that the global economy had become immune from the knock-on
effects of recent geopolitical shenanigans and military adventurisms. Even
though the global market price for crude oil peaked for a few hours following
the shooting down of a Russian jet after accidentally straying into Turkish airspace
after running bombing sorties in Syria in support for the Assad regime, it
seems that recent military adventurisms – i.e. Russia’s “invasion” of a
separatist region in Georgia back in 2008 and the recent “military intervention”
of Donetsk region of the Ukraine and Crimea last year - only resulted in a “localized”
economic destabilization, and largely due to EU sanctions for Russia’s failure
to adhere to accepted international laws and conventions. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Even though Russian President Vladimir Putin’s action via
bombing sorties over Syria aimed on Daesh / Islamic State is largely in
response to the downing of the Metrojet Flight 9268 back in October 31, 2015
which Daesh claims responsibility, Putin’s loyalty to the despotic Assad regime
only complicates matters on the international efforts to destroy Daesh’s
ability to launch more terror attacks. But when a Turkish F-16 plane shot down
what looks like a MiG 23 Flogger back in November 27, 2015 as it strays into
Turkish airspace initiated this ongoing tension between Turkish PM Recep Tayyip
Erdo<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ğ</span>an
and the Kremlin complicates matters further still. But will the current Russo-Turkish
conflict result in a widespread economic destabilization unseen since the 1990’s
Operation Desert Shield? </div>
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<br /></div>
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4.5 million Russian tourists visited Turkey in 2014 and form
the bulk of Turkey’s tourism revenue and Turkey is currently the biggest
consumer of Russian natural gas thanks to ongoing EU sanctions. A senior
advisor of Russian President Vladimir Putin even said a few days ago that every
Turkish tomato bought by Russians means money for rockets to shoot down our
pilots. In total, 33 billion US dollars worth of trade from Russia and most of
their energy will be affected. But will the Russian crackdown on the Turkish
economy eventually hurt its own economy? </div>
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<br /></div>
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During the last few days, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry
Medvedev already drafted economic sanctions against Turkey that will take
effect in January 1, 2016. A leading Russian travel agency already cancelled
tours to Turkey a few days ago. Visa free travel by Turkish citizens to Russia
will be suspended starting next year and the Turkish-Russian 20 billion nuclear
power plant project and the Turkmenistan gas pipeline project will likely be
cancelled. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-27062486173389295682015-11-19T03:29:00.001-08:002015-11-19T03:29:09.733-08:00The November 13, 2015 Paris Terror Attacks: An Attack On The French Economy?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Even though the terrible terror attacks at Paris by Daesh /
Islamic State had a “relatively limited” casualty rate, will its lasting impact
be on the French tourism economy? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
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<br /></div>
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Thanks to the swift action of French law enforcement which
limited casualties to 129, and the hospitalization of 352, the November 13,
2015 terror attacks on Paris and the northern suburb of Saint-Denis timed by
Daesh / Islamic State on the evening of Friday the 13<sup>th</sup> for maximum
impact, it still managed to impart a state of dread to everyone who view the Parisian
nightlife as the best in the world. But was the primary purpose of the terrible
terror attack by Daesh / Islamic State primarily aimed at the French tourism
industry? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the Monday opening of the Eurozone markets, Air
France KLM stocks fell by 6-percent. And given that the Yuletide Season and springtime
is usually the peak of the city of light’s tourist season, many economists view
that the long-term impact of the Friday the 13<sup>th</sup> terror attacks
might severely impact the French tourism industry in the coming months. Though
Paris’ nightlife had more or less returned to normal given every visiting
tourists sense of solidarity to the resilience of the French people since the
Charlie Hebdo attacks of January 2015, the forecasts for the French tourism
industry in 2016 is still somewhat filled with uncertainty. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is anyone heavily invested in the French tourism industry
still hoping that the economic impact of the Friday the 13<sup>th </sup>terror
attacks in Paris will be not as severe as the economic pundits say it should?
Well, given that Paris is the must go to destination in the springtime and
especially during Valentine’s Day and those fortunate enough to afford to have
their honeymoon in the city of lights, it still makes good economic sense to
hope for the best. </div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-71635854359831348252015-11-04T03:35:00.000-08:002015-11-04T03:35:30.675-08:00Japan Post IPO: Economically Viable? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->Given that every working class Japanese view it as more than
a mail / parcel service, does the recent Japan Post IPO prove to be very
economically viable?<br />
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By: Ringo Bones </div>
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Even though it’s proposed stock listing dates back to when
Junichir<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">ō</span> Koizumi was still
Japan’s Prime Minister, the recent Japan Post IPO managed to create enough
Asian stock market buzz that today, November 4, 2015, that Asian stock markets
managed to close higher despite of the lingering concerns over the Mainland
Chinese economic slowdown. But is the recent Japan Post IPO really economically
viable? </div>
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In actuality, every working Japanese see Japan Post as more
than just a “mere” mail / parcel service provider. Most of them actually had
significant amounts of money deposited and invested in Japan Post that every
tenured economist view Japan Post as the “world’s largest commercial bank”.
Japan Post’s recent stock listing allowed its shares to surge 1.3 percent higher
on the Nikkei Stock Exchange a few hours ago, though eventually, Japan Post
hopes to raise 11.6 billion US dollars on the stock market. Not bad given that
the Japanese government only sold 10-percent of its stake at Japan Post and
most of the stock purchasers are seasoned institutional investors – although it
is actually the biggest asset sell-off by the Japanese government of the last
30 years. Could the world’s largest bank eventually grow bigger? </div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-5689476504774045892015-10-25T08:43:00.000-07:002015-10-25T08:43:16.332-07:00Ferrari’s Recent IPO: Mere Luxury Problem? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->Even though they are one of the most aspired automakers on
the planet, does the recent Ferrari IPO debut on the NYSE a mere “luxury
problem” for the world’s 99-percent?<br />
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BY: Ringo Bones </div>
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Even relatively well-off households whose average income is
around 250,000 US dollars are still too cautious to actually own one even
though they still covet one in their dreams, most of us 99-percenters are
viewing the luxury sports car maker Ferrari as a mere “luxury problem”
economists around the world had been closely watching its initial public
offering debut at the New York Stock Exchange back in Wednesday October 21,
2015. Cautious hedge fund managers say Ferrari’s strong debut doesn’t
necessarily bode well for IPOs but everyone has a reason to be optimistic given
that the Italian luxury sports car maker’s stock managed to trade above its IPO
price. </div>
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Ferrari NV sparkled on its first day of trading back in
Wednesday October 21, 2015 as the luxury sports car maker celebrated the first
step toward becoming an independent company. The stock traded as high as 60.97
US dollars or 17-percent above the 52 US dollar-a-share price of its initial
public offering that managed to raise 893-million US dollars for parent company
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV. Shares managed to close at 55 US dollars – up 5.8
percent. </div>
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Currently, about 9-percent of Ferrari is publicly traded,
creating a scarcity premium that is sustaining the share price, according to
investors and analysts and thus fueling the caution of some of the overall
health of IPOs currently traded on the NYSE. But nevertheless, they cheered on
the success of Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of Fiat Chrysler and chairman
of Ferrari, in convincing investors that when it comes to valuations, Ferrari
has more in common with luxury goods makers like Herm<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">è</span>s International SCA than high-end car makers like BMW AG. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Back in Wednesday October 21, 2015 – red Ferraris lined the
street in front of the New York Stock Exchange where Mr. Marchionne rang the
opening bell without deviating from his trademark black sweater over a collar
shirt. His one concession to adjusting his preferred wardrobe for the occasion
was a small Ferrari pin with a yellow backdrop and the black prancing horse
that has become the symbol of one of the world’s most-recognizable brands. </div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-92190913895538708212015-10-11T03:28:00.000-07:002015-10-11T03:28:33.723-07:00Will There Be A Credit Bubble?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->As this year’s IMF meeting went underway in Lima, Peru –
will there be an impending “credit bubble” because central banks around the
world had been keeping the cost of borrowing money too low for far too long?<br />
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By: Ringo Bones</div>
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As this year’s annual IMF meeting was hosted by Peru and was
held in the capital city Lima, IMF’s managing director, Christine Lagarde
recently calls for the world’s central banks to be more courageous after
warning of the financial risk of the low borrowing costs that lasted since the
2008 as a part of the economic stimulus used to counter the global credit
crunch. In a way, various central banks around the world had been busy printing
money for a little over 7 years now and a 3-trillion US dollar corporate credit
crunch now looms as debtors face that “day of reckoning” – the day when the US Federal
Reserve finally decides to increase the cost of borrowing money. </div>
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<br /></div>
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During the IMF annual meeting, which for this year was held
in Lima, Peru, the IMF flashes its warning lights on the emerging market credit
bubble which is around 18 trillion US dollars. With plunging commodity prices
and the recent Chinese economic slowdown, will a “credit bubble” seems
inevitable? </div>
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<br /></div>
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Ina recent interview, US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen
said that during the minutes of their September meeting, many of the top brass
at the Fed had reached a conclusion that the US jobs market is robust enough to
withstand an interest rate increase yet reached a consensus of choosing not to
increase for fear that the decision could have a deleterious effect on the global
economy – especially on emerging markets. Are low interest rates here to stay
given that the Fed might not increase it until the middle of 2016? </div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-34035533046531478492015-09-27T14:08:00.000-07:002015-09-27T14:08:40.689-07:00U.S. Federal Reserve Keeping Interest Rates Steady: Good for The Global Economy? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Even though it raised uncertainty in the stock markets, does
the Fed decision to hold interest rates steady be eventually good for the
global economy? </div>
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<br /></div>
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By: Ringo Bones </div>
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<br /></div>
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Even though economists has describe the Fed’s decision to
keep interest rates steady as “dovish”, many also said that the Fed chair Janet
Yellen deciding to hold interest rates steady after their September meeting could
eventually be good for the global economy in the long run for a number of
reasons. Even though the rise of “emerging economies” during the past few years
is largely fueled by the infusion of “cheap money” by the world’s various
central banks adopting the policy of quantitative easing as an exit strategy
from the global credit crunch of 2008. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Many said that global economic worries – especially the
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2015 it might raise the cost of borrowing money. Other said that if the Fed
decided to raise interest rates after their September meeting, the recent
employment rate recovery of the United States could be affected negatively, but
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time low could be emerging economies and other small economies elsewhere in the
world. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (B.S.P.) – the Philippine’s central
bank – Governor Armando M. Tetangko, Jr. recently said in an interview that
inaction from the U.S. Federal Reserve will ease some pressure off the Philippine
government paying off its billions of dollars worth of debts from the United
States, thus allowing the Philippine economy an easier time and use those funds
intended for debt servicing to be invested into something more economically
viable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3976760253516322294.post-66864597886878521042015-09-26T06:57:00.002-07:002015-09-26T06:57:32.864-07:00Volkswagen: Still Economically Viable? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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With the recent Volkswagen emissions measurement scandal, is
it time to be pessimistic about the future economic viability of the famed
German car manufacturer? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Ringo Bones </div>
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<br /></div>
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Ever since German engineer Rudolf Diesel patented his diesel
engine, the industrial world was quick to embrace it with open arms given that
your typical diesel engine burn about 25-percent less fuel in comparison to a
gasoline engine of similar horsepower rating, not to mention that diesel fuel,
as a byproduct of crude oil refinement, is around 4 to 5 times cheaper than
gasoline when a barrel of crude oil produces 19 gallons of gasoline and 12
gallons of diesel fuel when it is refined. And given this “ energy utilization efficiency”,
diesel engines by their very nature only produce a quarter of the carbon
dioxide produced in a typical gasoline engine – which is now of paramount
importance in our increasingly climate change conscious world. But sadly,
diesel engines are inherently way dirtier than gasoline engines when it comes
to oxides of nitrogen and particulate emissions. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From an economic standpoint, Volkswagen could be fined up to
37,000 US dollars per car and 482,000 of Volkswagen’s diesel cars have already
been recalled in the United States and its share value plummets by 30-percent
since the emissions measurement scandal became headline news a few days ago.
With 12 separate brands and 600,000 employees, cleaning up Volkswagen could be
a monumental task. Three days ago, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigns and
has since been replaced by Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller. But is it good time to
buy Volkswagen stocks given that their value is at an all time low? Sadly,
hedge fund managers who invested pension funds beholden to them in Volkswagen
are not quite terribly pleased of the resulting reduced economic viability. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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The row over whether diesel engines – as in diesel fueled
cars and trucks – are really more environmentally friendly than their gasoline engine
counterparts recently came to light in the form of the recent Volkswagen
emissions measurement scandal where the famed German automaker was caught by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency back in September 21, 2015 when
Emissions Analytics, an internal combustion engine / automotive emissions
testing lab recently uncovered that the latest models of diesel fueled
Volkswagen cars sold in the United States employ a “cheating software” on its
electronic engine management system that automatically reduces the engine’s
power output and thus the resulting emissions output when it detect that the
car is mounted on a tachometer – a device used to statically test the power
output and combustion byproducts of cars under test. The Volkswagen “cheating
software” allowed their late-model diesel cars to produce up to 40 times less
oxides of nitrogen and particulates in a lab testing setting when compared to
being actually driven on the road. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Whether the “cheating” is deliberate or not, from a
scientific viewpoint, diesel engines still produce less carbon dioxide – a potent
greenhouse gas and the primary cause of the ongoing climate change – than their
gasoline counterparts, but the oxides of nitrogen and particulates produced by
diesel engines also have a deleterious effect on our environment and of human
health. The oxides of nitrogen produced by diesel engines can promote the
formation of smog and increases the acidity of rain and can also do nasty
things to our lungs due to its corrosive nature. And also oxides of nitrogen,
the same one that gives a nuclear blast mushroom cloud its orange-brown color,
are usually produced by extreme high-temperature processes that occur in the
earth’s atmosphere both man-made and natural like lightning and the since
retired supersonic airliner Concorde’s Olympus jet engines which can also
deplete ozone in the Earth’s ozone layer giving everyone a higher risk of
getting skin cancer. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Particulates that are the byproduct of diesel combustion can
increase anyone with a compromised immune system to catch pneumonia. Diesel
engines may be more fuel efficient and produce less carbon dioxide than
gasoline engines, but clean they are not. Another “environmental fallout” of
the recent Volkswagen Emissions Measurement Scandal is that it could empower climate
change skeptics like the U.S. Republican Party which will eventually point out
that the supposedly earth friendly commercial institutions – like the German automaker
Volkswagen – cheated in order to bolster its green credentials. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.com0