Yen has edge over gold in battle for supremacy
There are not many financial assets that are priced higher today than before the Lehman shock in September 2008. Two that have done investors proud are the yen and gold bullion.
How Not To Invest In Emerging Markets
Imagine you are starring in the financial equivalent of the “Life On Mars” TV show. You wake up one morning to find you have time-travelled back to the early nineteen nineties. The Berlin Wall has just fallen. The triumph of capitalism is unleashing a tsunami of globalization as billions of people join the market economy as workers and consumers.
A Hedge Fund Manager Hits Back
John Veals is the villainous hedge fund manager in Sebastian Faulks’ best-selling credit-crunch novel “A Day In December.” He is a man with no friends, no culture, no interest in anything other than making money. His nefarious machinations lead to the failure of a major British bank, enabling him to make huge profits from his short positions. Other characters in the novel include Gabriel Northwood, a virtuous lawyer, and Roger Malpasse, a retired banker of the old school.
The Perils of “Kansianism”
A leadership change in Japan passes almost unnoticed these days, but the ascension of Naoto Kan to the role of prime minister could have a long-lasting impact on the strategic landscape.
Why Di-Worsify Into Commodities?
Di-worsification is what you do when you invest in mediocre assets for a mediocre reason – for example, because a statistical model has told you they reduce risk. Thanks to the boom in commodities over the past decade, they have become a favoured choice for di-worsifying institutions everywhere. The profusion of ETFs, funds, indices, and brokerage coverage has made them unprecedentedly easy to access for individuals too. However the long-term performance of commodities is pathetic, and there is little reason to believe that “this time is different.”
I Am A Digital Cat – A Story Of The Future
I am a digital cat. I was designed in Mumbai and manufactured in Shenzhen. Where I live digital cats outnumber children. That’s because they are much cheaper. If you cannot afford the latest version, you can buy a second hand product at a shop called CATOFF.
Japan’s Mythical Debt Crisis
How did the people who sighted the first black swan respond to the shock? After the collapse of the assumption that all swans were white, did they then conclude that swans could be any colour – red, green, or blue?
Sayonara Toyota?
cons of competitive excellence are supposed to be immune from the failings of ordinary mortals. That was why the fall from grace of Tiger Woods was so disorienting. The evaporation of Toyota’s reputation for superhuman quality is even more shocking. After the eight million vehicle recall, it feels as if something comforting and hopeful has disappeared from the world for ever.
How Japan Can Get Its Mojo Back
You are a little-known politician who has enthused the public with promises of change. You win a thumping electoral victory. You succeed a tired and discredited administration whose policies helped create the worst economic crisis in decades. And then your problems start.
Hatoyama’s To-Do List
You are a little-known politician who has stirred the public with promises of change. You win a thumping elec-toral victory. You succeed a tired and discredited administration whose policies helped create the worst economic crisis in decades. And then your problems start: The vested interests won’t give an inch. People seem unsure of what kind of change they want, or if they want any at all. The economy is still in bad shape, and now you are getting the blame.