Bz Nwz

Today’s Issue Cluster: Internet

NK – Tantalising signs of change are emerging
Ship – Commodities crisis adds to loan woes for Greek banks
Coal – Australian industry takes another step closer to the abyss



MAJOR DATA POINTS

Japan – Jan: Inflation Continues to Power Down; +0.2% from +0.5% / WSJ / AP / FT / B / AFP *

US – Q4: Growth in 2014 Looking Less Robust; +2.2% was +2.6% / WSJ / FT / NYT / R / AP / B *

US – Jan: Pending Home Sales Rose; +1.7%, +8.4% yr / WSJ / R / B *

US – Feb: UMich consumer sentiment slides from 11-year peak; 95.4 from 98.1 / R / WSJ *



MARKETS

Bonds – Major Firms Are Saying the Stage Is Set for Another Crisis B

Bonds – There are positives to negative yields FT * * *

Bonds – Issuers increasingly turn to hybrids FT * *



ECONOMICS

World – Inflation race to the bottom e *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

NK – Tantalising signs of change are emerging E *



MONETARY POLICY

FINANCE

REAL ESTATE

World – Commercial property has been delivering excellent returns E *



SERVICES

TECH

Internet – FCC Approval Sets Stage For Legal Battle WSJ / FT / NYT / R / B

Internet – Broadband Investors Should Wake Up WSJ *

Internet – Tougher rules to hit cable, telecoms companies R / WSJ

Internet – ‘The Push for Net Neutrality Arose From Lack of Choice’ NYT

Internet – FCC Overrules Two States’ Laws on Municipal Broadband WSJ

Internet – US broadband: slow-speed FT *

Internet – Europe Wants the World to Embrace Its Rules WSJ

Internet – EU and US groups sound alarm on China cyber security rules FT / WSJ / WSJ

Internet – Service is getting a lot more expensive q *

Internet – Who Has the Fastest Internet Speeds? giz *

Internet – Who Has the Fastest Internet Speeds? wsj * *



MANUFACTURING

Ships – Maersk Looking to Order 11 New Megaships WSJ

Ships – Low oil price forces SK builders to cut costs FT *



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

Ship – Oil Sails From Russia to Asia Faster on Smaller Ships B

Ship – West Coast Port Gridlock Hits Inventory at Macy’s and Home Depot NYT / FT

Ship – Commodities crisis adds to loan woes for Greek banks R *



COMMODITIES

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Coal – Falling Chinese Consumption and Output Undermine Global Market WSJ / WSJ *

Coal – Plans for major new Wyoming mine buck pessimism AP / FT

Coal – Australian industry takes another step closer to the abyss SMH / Aus



LABOR & EDUCATION

HEALTH

ENDNOTE

World with every country’s size scaled to its population bi *



Today’s Issue Cluster: Nuclear Power

US – New-Home Sizes Set Record Last Year
Crops – Race to satisfy lucrative quinoa appetite
Medical Tourism – Asia leads an industry worth billions



MAJOR DATA POINTS

EZ – Jan: Lending shows sign of turnaround as morale improves; -0.1% from -0.5% / R / WSJ / B / AFP *

Spain – 2014: Grows after 5 years of recession; +1.4% / AFP / b *

US – Jan: Gasoline prices dampen inflation; -0.7%, -0.1% yr / R / WSJ / FT / AP *

US – Jan: Durable-Goods Orders Rose; +2.8% from -3.7% / AP / WSJ / B *

US – Week: Jobless Claims Jump; +31k to 313k / WSJ / cr *



MARKETS

ECONOMICS

SK – On a Debt Binge WSJ

SK – Experiences economic pain N *

SK – Tokyo, Seoul end 14-year currency swap program N * *

SK – Chinese Tourists Take Jeju Island by Storm WSJ * * *

SK – Aims to turn lifestyle goods into the new K-Pop N / WSJ *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

Ukraine – Sick economy presents stern test FT

Ukraine – Central Bank Limits Access to Foreign Currency WSJ *

Ukraine – Conflict clouds debt distress FT *

Russia – Faeroe Islands Boom Selling Salmon WSJ * * *



MONETARY POLICY

BOK – Threat of Falling Prices Gives Room for Rate Cut wsj *



FINANCE

REAL ESTATE

US – America’s Fixer-Upper Housing Market WSJ *

US – New-Home Sizes Set Record Last Year wsj * * *



SERVICES

Gaming – Macau: Casinos hit lunar new year cold streak WSJ / FT / WSJ *

Gaming – Macau: Corruption Crackdown Hits Hard WSJ / AP *

Gaming – Sri Lanka: Casino projects founder after poll FT

Gaming – Manila: Moves Toward Becoming Gambling Hub WSJ

Gaming – EU: New Rules Roil Global Online Industry WSJ *

Gaming – New England: Casino Boom Raises the Stakes WSJ

Gaming – Vegas: On Pace for Record Visitor Traffic in 2014 cr *



MANUFACTURING

TECH

TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

COMMODITIES

Crops – US port gridlock adds to almond pressures FT

Crops – Brazil Truckers Jar Soybean Markets WSJ *

Crops – Race to satisfy lucrative quinoa appetite R *

Crops – US farmers forecast to plant less FT

Crops – Rent walkouts point to strains in US farm economy R *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Nuclear – Europe: Tensions Rise Over Use of Russian Technology WSJ / FT

Nuclear – France: Warning of Industry Shake-Up After Areva Loss NYT / WSJ / FT / B

Nuclear – Germany: Public may share costs of afterlife R *

Nuclear – Japan: Aims to restart reactor in June R / WSJ / N

Nuclear – China: To Merge Power Firms as Ambition Grows WSJ

Nuclear – China: Delayed plants watched closely by US firms AP

Nuclear – China: CGN to double its capacity N *



LABOR & EDUCATION

SK – ‘A living hell’ for slaves on remote islands AP

SK – Battle lines drawn as Seoul plans to cut working hours FT *



HEALTH

Medical Tourism – Asia leads an industry worth billions N * * *



ENDNOTE

A fight in Ukrainian Parliament as well-composed as renaissance art tumblr *



Today’s Issue Cluster: Pipeline

Australia – Surge in Chinese housebuying spurs global backlash
Mobiles – Japan’s old flip-phones soldier on while smartphones shrink
Oil – Norway faces North Sea slowdown, bulks up on real estate



MAJOR DATA POINTS

China – Feb: HSBC PMI at 4-month high but export orders contract; 50.1 from 49.7 / R / WSJ / AP *

US – Jan: New home sales dip, but remain high; -0.2%, +5.3% yr / R / WSJ / AP / B *



MARKETS

ECONOMICS

Australia – Economy ‘sliding down the precipice’, says JP Morgan SMH * *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

MONETARY POLICY

Fed – Lays the ground for end of zero rates FT / WSJ / AP / NYT / B / R / WSJ * *



FINANCE

Mobile Payments – Google Tries to Wrangle Unruly Partners WSJ / FT / nyt / R / AP / B

Mobile Payments – Samsung Makes Move WSJ / FT / nyt / R / B



REAL ESTATE

Australia – To clamp down on foreign property buyers FT * *

Australia – Surge in Chinese housebuying spurs global backlash FT * *



SERVICES

MANUFACTURING

TECH

Mobiles – Xiaomi Mi Note Review: Apple and Samsung better pay attention WSJ *

Mobiles – Alibaba invests $590m in smartphone maker Meizu FT / WSJ / WSJ / B * *

Mobiles – Xiaomi Takes the Lead in China / statista *

Mobiles – Japan’s old flip-phones soldier on while smartphones shrink R *

Mobiles – Apple eyes trillion-dollar market cap FT * *

Mobiles – Tablet shipments decline for the first time statista *



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline – Obama vetoes Keystone AP / R / NYT / B / G&M

Pipeline – Enbridge Considering New Project to Eastern Gulf Coast WSJ

Pipeline – TransCanada Plans to Seek US Approval for New Upland Project AP / WSJ / FP

Pipeline – Is Northern Gateway quietly being shelved? CBC *

Pipeline – Gazprom Threatens NatGas Deliveries to Ukraine WSJ / RT *

Pipeline – Gazprom faces up to reality FT / NYT

Pipeline – EU courts Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan gas FT * *



COMMODITIES

Cotton – Prices Waver on Road to Recovery WSJ

Cotton – Egypt in decline as farmers at mercy of world market FT * *

Cotton – India’s production r *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Oil – Winter’s Fuel Prices Are Heating Up WSJ * *

Oil – Rivals Hit Exporter That Opened US Spigot WSJ *

Oil – US Refiners Enjoy a Snow Day WSJ *

Oil – Plunge Can’t Crack European Refiners’ Woes WSJ *

Oil – Plunge Could Help Send Its Price Back Up WSJ *

Oil – Norway faces up to prospect of North Sea slowdown FT * * *

Oil – Norway Fund Bulks Up on Real Estate WSJ



LABOR & EDUCATION

Australia – Weighs Whether Its Minimum Wage Is Too High WSJ *



HEALTH

ENDNOTE

The most Democratic and Republican industries in America wapo *



Today’s Issue Cluster: Brazil

China – Slide in land under new development
Platinum – Recycling, war on diesel threaten producers’ price hopes
Power – UK now imports half its energy, most in history



MAJOR DATA POINTS

EU – Jan: Deflation Threat Grows; -0.5% / WSJ *

Germany – Q4: Pickup in domestic demand shows rebalancing; +0.7% / WSJ / B *

US – Dec: Case-Shiller home prices rise; +4.5% from +4.3% / R / WSJ / B *

US – Feb: ConfBd consumer confidence pulls back; 96.4 from 103.8 / R *

US – Feb: Markit services sector activity jumps; 57.0 from 54.2 / R *



MARKETS

ECONOMICS

Brazil – Experts Fear a Two-Year Downturn WSJ

Brazil – As states tighten belts, edging closer to recession R * *

Brazil – Inflation rate gathers pace FT *

Brazil – BNDES: Lender of first resort for tycoons FT * * *

Brazil – Rich, Wary of Government, Look Abroad WSJ *

Brazil – Drought raises fears of energy crisis FT * *

Argentina – The strange death of Alberto Nisman FT / NYT / B / R * * *

Venezuela – The revolution at bay E / B / FT / WSJ / R / AP * *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

MONETARY POLICY

FINANCE

China – Sliced and diced loans take off FT * *

China – Bank-free shopping spree FT * *

China – Loan growth hits new low in January b *



REAL ESTATE

China – New Home Prices Fall in January WSJ *

China – Slide in land under new development FT

China – Kaisa woes a reality check for investors FT / WSJ / B *



SERVICES

Lux – Cars Imprint Their Brands on Goods From Cologne to Clothing NYT

Lux – China’s changing tastes mean mixed fortunes for brands FT * * * *



MANUFACTURING

TECH

Cybersecurity – Risk requires $1b of insurance cover, companies warned FT / R

Cybersecurity – Using Attacks To Study An Intelligent Adversary IBD

Cybersecurity – White House Aims to Harden Defense FT / WSJ / NYT *



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

COMMODITIES

Platinum – Recycling, war on diesel threaten producers’ price hopes R *

Copper – Tells Two Stories on Global Economy WSJ / WSJ *

Gold – Tarnished value FT *

Aluminum – ‘Restarts not just a matter of price’ r *

Metals – Big Banks Face Scrutiny Over Pricing WSJ

Metals – Hard up miners turn to Asian contractors to help fund projects R *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Power – Solar eclipse puts Europe’s power supplies at risk FT

Power – UK now imports half its energy, most in history q * *

Power – US utilities turn down as summer rate rise expectations grow FT

Power – US Energy-Pinching Poses Threat to Power Grid WSJ *



LABOR & EDUCATION

Pensions – Longer Lives Hit Companies WSJ *

Pensions – Rising Life Spans Spell Pain WSJ *

Pensions – Funds driven to take higher risks FT * *



HEALTH

ENDNOTE

Spanish speakers in the Americas motw *



Today’s Issue Cluster: Pharma

India – Set for Consumption Spurt as Oil Drops
Net Neutrality – 11th-hour push against vague rule
Ship – Wage flap over, but US-Asia still snarled



MAJOR DATA POINTS

EZ – Feb: Markit composite PMI highest for seven months; 53.5 from 52.6 / WSJ / FT / AFP *

Germany – Feb: Ifo Business Confidence Rises; 106.8 from 106.7 / WSJ / AP / AFP / B *

US – Jan: NAR existing home sales hit nine-month low, supply weak; -4.9% / R / WSJ / cr *



MARKETS

Bonds – Japan: Govt Volatility Raises Anxiety WSJ *

Bonds – Japan: Foreign currency issues hit 23-year high last year N *

Bonds – Corporate EMs: Emerging bubble FT * *



ECONOMICS

India – Changes GDP Calculation Method WSJ / FT *

India – Growth Rate Set to Rival China WSJ / NYT *

India – Really Growing Faster Than China? WSJ *

India – Set for Consumption Spurt as Oil Drops B *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

India – Readier to admit to a tilt towards US Under Modi E *



MONETARY POLICY

FINANCE

REAL ESTATE

SERVICES

TV – Broadcasters fear on-demand FT * * *

TV – Sports rights: Show them the money FT *

TV – Internet is for ‘cord nevers’ not ‘cord-cutters’ FT *



MANUFACTURING

Defense – Islamic State Fight Spurs Demand for Precision Weapons WSJ

Defense – German Gunmaker Looks to South African Exports WSJ *

Defense – Goldman: A surge in spending on military robots bi *



TECH

Net Neutrality – 11th-hour push against vague rule R / FT

Net Neutrality – US internet providers fear EU-style rules FT / WSJ / WSJ

Net Neutrality – Internet Taxes, Another Window Into the Debate nyt

Net Neutrality – Netflix & FCC / r *



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

Ship – Labor deal avoids US ports shutdown FT / WSJ

Ship – Container Volumes, Long Beach & Oakland / b *

Ship – Freight prices sink on oversupply, China slowdown AFP

Ship – Freight Wagers Have Yet to Carry Their Weight WSJ *

Ship – Wage flap over, but US-Asia still snarled N *



COMMODITIES

Coffee – Prices slide as Brazilian rainfall worries recede FT / N *

Coffee – Consumption Expected to Jump WSJ / FT *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

LABOR & EDUCATION

HEALTH

Pharma – New Cancer Technology Gives Investors a Shot in the Arm WSJ

Pharma – Molecule Shows Ability to Block AIDS Virus WSJ / WSJ

Pharma – The race to cure rising drug costs FT * * *

Pharma – Toxic Ganges adds to spread of drug-resistant bacteria FT / FT *

Pharma – Counting the cost of cancer FT * * *

Pharma – Drug Stocks Viewed as ‘Deflation Immunization’ b *

Pharma – Ebola Drug Trial Is Halted for Lack of Patients NYT / WSJ / AP / NYT / WSJ / B

Pharma – Drug Distributors Build Strength In An Era Of Change IBD



ENDNOTE

Hollywood Gender Gini wapo *



Today’s Issue Cluster: MENA

Greece – German-Led Bloc Willing to Let Athens Leave Euro
Robots – In China, high demand but too many robot manufacturers
Dairy – The end of quotas frees efficient European farms to expand



MAJOR DATA POINTS

MARKETS

ECONOMICS

Morocco – Looks south as Europe stagnates FT *

Morocco – Economy on track for growth FT * *

Tunisia – Pointing ahead FT * * *

Libya – IS Gained Strength by Co-Opting Local Jihadists WSJ *

Libya – The four-year descent from Arab spring to factional chaos E *

Egypt – Struggling to revive its fortunes E *

Egypt – IMF sends ‘message of confidence’ for economic reforms FT * *

Egypt – Allows pound to reach record low against dollar FT * *

Egypt – On a mission to restore confidence in its economy FT * *

Saudi – Predicted to cut state spending after oil price fall FT *

Saudi – King Faces Economic Challenges as Reign Begins WSJ *

Gulf – Oil price fall leaves states with difficult reform choices FT * *

Iran – Importers struggle to access foreign currency FT *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

Greece – Germans rebuff ‘Trojan horse’ FT / WSJ / R / NYT / B / FT *

Greece – German-Led Bloc Willing to Let Athens Leave Euro B

Greece – ‘Can Pay Its Debts in Full, but It Won’t’ WSJ *

Greece – Troubles Barely Ripple Its Neighbors WSJ *

Spain – Podemos’ populist surge FT * * *



MONETARY POLICY

FINANCE

NY – New Rules Spur a Humbling Overhaul of Wall St. Banks NYT / WSJ / NYT *

London – Investment banks face competition probe FT * * *



REAL ESTATE

SERVICES

MANUFACTURING

Robots – Softbank Bets on One for the Home WSJ *

Robots – Map radiation at Fukushima FT / FT * *

Robots – Step Into Brewery, Bakery Roles WSJ

Robots – In China, high demand but too many robot manufacturers R

Robots – Japan’s ‘muscle men’ reshaping industry N *



TECH

TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

COMMODITIES

Dairy – Chinese Dump Milk as Prices Fall WSJ *

Dairy – The end of quotas frees efficient European farms to expand E *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Oil – BP report predicts Opec comeback FT * *

Oil – Stockpiles swell but some traders take it as a cue to buy WSJ *

Oil – Pain Spreads to Saudi Arabia’s Energy Behemoth WSJ / E *

Oil – China Considering Mergers Among Its Big State Companies WSJ / FT / WSJ * * * *



LABOR & EDUCATION

US – Wal-Mart Raising Wages as Market Gets Tighter WSJ / FT / NYT / R * * *



HEALTH

ENDNOTE

The global stock market: 1899 vs. 2014 bi *



Today’s Issue Cluster: U.S.

Bangalore – Tech muscle has the world’s attention
Air – Private Jets Are Available to More
Iron – Has China’s steel juggernaut run out of road?



MAJOR DATA POINTS

Japan – Jan: Weak Yen Leads to Jump in Exports; +17% / R / WSJ / AP

US – Jan: ConfBd Gauge of economy posts slight gain; +0.2% from +0.4% / AP

US – Week: Jobless Claims Fall; -21k to 283k / WSJ / B



MARKETS

ECONOMICS

US – Economy’s Supply Side Sputters WSJ *

US – Americans Borrowing More, but Fissures Appear WSJ *

US – Cheap Energy Provides a Mixed Blessing WSJ *

US – RV sales point to modest GDP growth / b *

US – Dozen Regional Powerhouses Driving the Economy atlantic * *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

MONETARY POLICY

Fed – Appears to Hesitate on Raising Interest Rate WSJ / FT / NYT / R / AP / B / WSJ *

Fed – Puts Focus on Alternate Price Measures wsj *

Fed – ‘Looming rate rise could spark dollar panic’ N *



FINANCE

US – Lenders Step Up Financing to Subprime Borrowers WSJ * *

US – US student and car loan delinquency rates rise FT

US – Goldman Sticks With Trading as Rivals Retreat WSJ * *



REAL ESTATE

US – After Boom, Bust Could Be Upon Apartment REITs WSJ *

US – Houses Keep Getting Bigger / bp *

US – AIA Architecture Billings Softens / cr *

US – Commercial transaction volume by quarter / cs *

US – Falling Oil Prices Threaten Houston Building Boom WSJ *

US – Texas Lenders Watch for Oil Fallout WSJ *



SERVICES

Ads – Cable TV Shows Are Sped Up to Squeeze in More WSJ *

Ads – Advertisers Pay Billions for Bogus Web Traffic WSJ / R / B / NYT

Ads – In China, a Rapid Jump to Mobile NYT

Ads – Targeted? TV Can Do That Now Too WSJ



MANUFACTURING

TECH

London – Tech investors look to mirror success of Silicon Valley FT / FT *

Bangalore – Tech muscle has the world’s attention N / N * *



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

Air – Private Jets Are Available to More NYT

Air – Cheap Oil: Profits Set To Surge IBD

Air – US lines disclose bookings lost to Gulf carriers R / N *



COMMODITIES

Iron – Firing Up Japan’s Scrappy Steelmaker WSJ * *

Iron – Has China’s steel juggernaut run out of road? r *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

LABOR & EDUCATION

HEALTH

Data – Doctors Find Barriers to Sharing Digital Medical Records NYT

Data – Cerner, Athenahealth And Veeva Chase Cloud-Based EHR IBD

Data – Diagnoses fraud FT / FT * *



ENDNOTE

This Fed Inflation Measure Is Skyrocketing B *



Today’s Issue Cluster: Europe

Autos – AVs?: Apple studies self-driving car, auto industry source says
Telecoms – Cellphone Start-Ups Use Wi-Fi First to Handle Calls
Telecoms – Cellphone Start-Ups Use Wi-Fi First to Handle Calls



MAJOR DATA POINTS

US – Jan: Industrial Production Up Slightly; +0.2% from -0.3% / WSJ / R / B / cr *

US – Jan: Housing Starts Slip; -2.0% from +7.1% / WSJ / R / B *



MARKETS

EU – Midsized issuers welcome funding scheme FT * *

EU – Weak oil and euro drive QE-fuelled rally FT * *



ECONOMICS

EU – Mixed deflation story R *

EU – Economists revised up growth forecast / b *

UK – The balance-sheet boom E *

UK – London’s Growth Further Outstrips Rest of Country WSJ *

UK – Cities survey finds north-south divide increasingly entrenched FT *

UK – Productivity Gap Vs. Other Major Economies Continues to Widen wsj *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

Greece – Athens outlines bailout extension plans FT / WSJ / R / B / NYT / NYT

Greece – Lack of trust hampers race to salvage deal FT / WSJ / NYT / R / B *

Greece – The agony / e * *

Spain – Podemos cements position in polls FT / FT *

France – Hollande overrides parliament to ram though reforms FT / WSJ

EU – Euro area divergence more about regions than countries ft *

Ukraine – Kiev Pulls Out of Strategic Town in East WSJ / FT / B / R

Ukraine – The situation on the ground: Minsk I vs Minsk II r / WSJ / FT *



MONETARY POLICY

World – Central bank easing ft *



FINANCE

EU – Chinese Tiptoe Back Into Battered Financial Sector WSJ *



REAL ESTATE

UK – House Prices Rise at Slowest Pace in 14 Months in January B

UK – Hedge funds short property companies as London housing wobbles FT



SERVICES

Prisons – Overcrowding Puts Strains on Europe’s Century-Old Facilities WSJ *

Prisons – Super UK project carries dangers, says watchdog FT



MANUFACTURING

Autos – EVs?: Apple Gears Up to Challenge Tesla FT / WSJ / B / WSJ *

Autos – AVs?: Apple studies self-driving car, auto industry source says R



TECH

Telecoms – Cellphone Start-Ups Use Wi-Fi First to Handle Calls NYT

Telecoms – US wireless: After the spectrum rush FT * * * *

Telecoms – Verizon Pulls Back From Wireline, Internet Businesses WSJ / R

Telecoms – Frontier Stakes Its Claim on Landlines WSJ *

Telecoms – India’s Cut-Price Smartphones Rev Up Profits WSJ *



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

Ship – West Coast ports reopen as labor secretary arrives for talks R / WSJ / IBD / cr * *

Rail – CP workers back to work after arbitration deal WSJ / NYT

Rail – Derailed CSX train in WV hauled newer-model tank cars R / WSJ / NYT *



COMMODITIES

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

NatGas – Volatility Has Traders Scrambling WSJ *

NatGas – Plentiful Supplies WSJ *



LABOR & EDUCATION

UK – Wages inch further ahead of inflation FT * * *



HEALTH

ENDNOTE

Fewer than 45% of Londoners consider themselves “White British” BBC * *



Today’s Issue Cluster: Japan

MAJOR DATA POINTS

Japan – Q4: GDP Grows More Slowly Than Expected; +2.2% not +3.7% / R / WSJ / NYT / FT / AP / B / WSJ *

Singapore – Q4: GDP Grew More Than Initially Estimated; +2.9% was +2.8% / B

Thailand – 2014: Economy barely grew after protests, coup; +0.7% from +2.9% / AP / AFP / B

Germany – Feb: ZEW investor confidence highest in a year; 53.0 from 48.4 / AP / B / AFP *

US – Feb: NAHB Home-Builder Confidence Dips; 55 from 57 / WSJ / R *



MARKETS

Yen – Scoring on Bets Currency Will Fall Gets Harder WSJ / B *



ECONOMICS

Japan – Exit from recession lacks momentum FT / FT * *

Japan – Affirms pledge to raise consumption tax in 2017 FT / N / wsj *

Japan – Growth Data Show Signal of Inflation wsj *

Japan – ‘Abenomics’ Seen As ‘Abemarkets’ As Economy Sputters IBD *

Japan – Piketty’s formula may lead to another answer for Abe N *

Japan – May Be Exception to Piketty’s Thesis WSJ / wsj *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

MONETARY POLICY

BOJ – Another round of QE might not be politically popular FT

BOJ – Abenomics architects tighten grip FT

BOJ – A top shareholder of Japanese electronic parts makers N *



FINANCE

REAL ESTATE

Japan – Shrinking living rooms put squeeze on Abenomics FT * *

Japan – Property shares struggle with deflation jitters R / N *

Japan – REITs may have a leg up on property stocks N * *

Japan – Corporate property deals soar to 7-year high N *

Japan – Hotel room rates near pre-2008 level N *

Japan – Tourism Boom Draws Hotel Investors WSJ *



SERVICES

Retail – Natural Food Grocers Thrive In A Choppy Stock Market IBD

Retail – Self-Checkout Begins to Take Hold in Japan WSJ *



MANUFACTURING

TECH

TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

Ship – Port Delays Starting to Damage Businesses WSJ / R / B / NYT / WSJ / WSJ *



COMMODITIES

Miners – Dollar’s Rise Papers Over Woes WSJ *

Miners – Margins r *

Miners – Concerns raised as China steel enters ‘peak zone’ FT * *

Miners – Commodity prices go back to basics FT * *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Oil – Black Swans on the Horizon WSJ *

Oil – Rigs Are Being Idled, but Boom Is Not Ending B / B *

Oil – Traders celebrate market rout FT * *

Oil – Cushing running out of storage / b *

Oil – Discoveries drop to 20-year low FT *

Oil – Europe’s Companies Get a Boost From Their Refineries WSJ *

Oil – ‘Avoid Exxon, Chevron, Conoco and Royal Dutch’ Bn * *

Oil – BP’s battles leave it vulnerable to major move FT *

Oil – How a $50 drop in prices affects countries / bi *



LABOR & EDUCATION

Japan – Wage growth key for getting consumers to do the heavy lifting N *



HEALTH

ENDNOTE

Countries with a smaller population than Tokyo motw *



Today’s Issue Cluster: Ukraine

Cards – AmEx Is Losing Its Millionaires
Cigs – Toll on Health Worse Than Previously Thought
Pot – Colorado’s legal market: $700m last year, $1b by 2016



MAJOR DATA POINTS

Germany – Q4: Economy picks up speed; +0.7% from +0.1% / AP / B

France – Q4: Economy in slowdown; +0.1% from +0.3% / DT

Greece – Q4: Economy shrinks; -0.2% from +0.7% / R

EZ – Q4: Growth Exceeds Expectations; +0.3% from +0.2% / FT / R / NYT / WSJ / AP * *

US – Jan: Import prices show biggest drop since 2008; -2.8%, -8.0% yr / WSJ / R *

US – Feb: UMich consumer sentiment falls; 93.6 from 98.1 / R *



MARKETS

Bonds – US Treasurys Carry Weight of the World WSJ / FT / FT *

Bonds – EZ junk-rated debt holds its appeal FT * *

Bonds – EM allure fades as US rate rise looms FT * * *

Bonds – China Directive Cuts Into Debt Issuance WSJ *



ECONOMICS

EU – Greece bailout talks break down FT / R / WSJ / FT / FT *

EU – Greece Seeks to Make War Reparations Part of Debt Debate WSJ *

EU – ‘Athens Inches Closer to Renewal of Debt Crisis’ S / S * * *

EU – What happens to nation’s companies in the case of a Grexit? FT *

EU – Germany is investing too little—hurting Europe, the world and itself E *

EU – Map of European GDP / wapo *

EU – Purchasing power per capita in Europe, 2014 / motw *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

Ukraine – Leaders cautious over ‘Minsk 2’ FT / WSJ / NYT / WSJ *

Ukraine – IMF unveils $17.5b rescue plan FT / B / FT *

Ukraine – Percentage of Ukrainian language schools / motw *

Ukraine – ‘Russia’s aggression part of a broader confrontation’ E / E * *

Ukraine – Russian Asset Sales Muddy Sanction Compliance WSJ

Ukraine – Finland’s capital outflow is Russia-driven R *

Ukraine – Will China Bail Out Russia? cfr *



MONETARY POLICY

FINANCE

Cards – AmEx-Costco Divorce Shakes Up Industry WSJ *

Cards – AmEx Is Losing Its Millionaires B *

Cards – Why New Credit Cards May Fall Short on Fraud Control WSJ *



REAL ESTATE

Ag – Farmland Values in Parts of Midwest Fall for First Time in Decades WSJ

Ag – Barbarians at the farm gate E *



SERVICES

Cigs – Toll on Health Worse Than Previously Thought NYT / AP

E-Cigs – Declared Health Threat by CA Officials WSJ / AP

E-Cigs – States Dash to Regulate WSJ

E-Cigs – Makers target luxury market FT

E-Cigs – Traditional quitting aids suffer R

Pot – Colorado’s legal market: $700m last year, $1b by 2016 wapo *

Pot – Marijuana Industry in Colorado Eager for Its Own Bank NYT



MANUFACTURING

TECH

TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

COMMODITIES

Gold – Global Demand Down in 2014 WSJ / FT

Aluminum – Chinese Shake Up Metal WSJ *

Tin – Falling Indonesian supply fails to support price r *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

LABOR & EDUCATION

HEALTH

ENDNOTE

Google bigger than Russia’s entire market mw *