Archive for March, 2016

1 April 2016

Thursday, March 31st, 2016



Today’s Issue Cluster: Autos

US – The Manufacturing Recession Might Be Over
US – Millennials and Low-Income Consumers Are Propping Up the Economy
US – BP: Will be energy independent in 5 years


MAJOR DATA POINTS

Japan – Q1: BOJ tankan big manufacturers’ mood down; +6 from +12 / R / FT

China – Mar: Official factory PMI rebounds; 50.2 from 49.0 / FT / WSJ

EZ – Mar: Markit PMI rises; 51.6 from 51.2 / R

US – Mar: Adds jobs; +215k from +245k / FT / WSJ / NYT / B

US – Mar: ISM Manufacturing Index Expands; 51.8 from 49.5 / WSJ

US – Mar: UMich Consumer Sentiment Edges Down; 91.0 from 91.7 / B

US – Feb: Construction spending retreats; -0.5% from +2.1% / AP


MARKETS

Bonds – Investors are bracing for a turbulent second quarter WSJ *

Bonds – Rally in munis drives yield gap to eight-year low B *

Bonds – China’s muni market launches with a bang FT *


ECONOMICS

US – The Manufacturing Recession Might Be Over B / FT *

US – Millennials and Low-Income Consumers Are Propping Up the Economy wsj * *

US – BP: Will be energy independent in 5 years bi *


POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY



MONETARY POLICY



FINANCE

US – MetLife ruling vindicates lonely decision to fight FT / WSJ *

US – GE Capital looks to shed ‘too big to fail’ status FT / B *


REAL ESTATE



LABOR & EDUCATION



SERVICES



MANUFACTURING

Autos – US: Sales Rise, but Big Three Show Weakness WSJ

Autos – US: Used-Car Price Fall Pressures Auto Makers WSJ

Autos – US: Record Vehicle Leasing Could Pinch Margins WSJ *

Autos – US: Sharing Cars Could Actually Boost Sales B *

Autos – US: Parts are a surprising retail success story FT *

Autos – China: Makers May Soon Face Weakening Demand NYT * *

Autos – Japan: Drivers Say ‘No, Thanks’ to Cheaper Gas B *

Autos – SK: Luxury carmakers eye market FT *

Autos – Russia: AvtoVAZ Removes Western CEO WSJ / FT / FT * *

Autos – Tesla: Targets mass market with new Model 3 FT / WSJ / B / NYT / AP / R / FT *

Autos – Tesla: How Uncle Sam May Cause Sticker Shock WSJ / WSJ *

Autos – BYD: China’s Tesla Remains at the Mercy of the State WSJ *

Autos – BMW: Bavarian rhapsody E *

Autos – VW: Will escape its scandal largely unscathed E * *

Autos – VW: Faces $15b hit over US green ad campaign FT / WSJ *

Autos – Diesel: Some Japanese Emissions Higher On the Road Than in Lab WSJ

Autos – Hybrids: China Car Makers Pioneer ‘Mild’ Models WSJ *

Autos – EVs: Here’s One Answer to Lack of Range: Electric Road B * *


TECH



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

Auto – Vehicle Miles Driven Increase 2.0% / cr *

Truck – ATA Trucking Index increased 7.2% / cr *

Truck – E-Commerce Boom Roils Industry WSJ *


COMMODITIES



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT



HEALTH



ENDNOTE

Photos taken by locals and tourists in San Francisco motw *


31 March 2016

Wednesday, March 30th, 2016



Today’s Issue Cluster: Metals

Australia – China’s Economic Revolution Is Showing Up All Over
India – Even as economy soars, Modi reforms face big headwinds
Zika – Which US cities face the highest risk from virus


MAJOR DATA POINTS

EZ – Mar: Inflation rate remains below zero; -0.1% from -0.2% / AP / eu *

US – Week: Applications for jobless aid rise; +11k to 276k / AP / R / B / WSJ


MARKETS



ECONOMICS

Australia – China’s Economic Revolution Is Showing Up All Over B * *

Australia – Most China-Dependent Economy Isn’t So Keen on Chinese Money B *

Australia – Tighter investment laws risk choking food producers B *

Australia – To require foreign investors in water to declare interests WSJ *


POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

India – Even as economy soars, Modi reforms face big headwinds B *

India – Modi Rebuts Analysts Who Doubt World-Beating Growth B *

India – Water Could Make or Break Your Bet on China-Beating Growth B * *


MONETARY POLICY



FINANCE

India – Ugly Bad-Loans Situation Is About to Get Even Worse B *


REAL ESTATE

India – Thirst for Infrastructure Paves Way for Building Spree B *


LABOR & EDUCATION



SERVICES

India – E-commerce is reshaping distribution networks N *


MANUFACTURING



TECH

India – Facebook furor highlights worry over US tech dominance FT *

India – Rival billionaires ready 4G battle FT *


TRADE & TRANSPORTATION



COMMODITIES

Metals – US Mining Losses Last Year Wipe Out Profits From Past Eight Years WSJ *

Metals – Scrap Sector Is Latest Victim of Commodities Bust WSJ *

Metals – Asia’s infrastructure growth set to boost demand B *

Metals – China industry set for consolidation B *

Gold – Demand from central banks marches higher FT *

Gold – Chinese Investors See Opportunity WSJ *

Gold – Surging Miner Stocks May Still Be Bargains B *

Iron – Climbs as Signs of China Property Revival Boost Outlook B

Iron – China steelmaker Dongbei Special defaults on $131m debt FT

Nickel – Output cuts halt price fall, more mine closures needed R

Copper – China demand forecast to slow FT / FT / B *

Copper – Biggest mine in the US opening in AZ B *


ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT



HEALTH

Zika – CDC expands range of mosquito into parts of Northeast AP / WSJ *

Zika – Which US cities face the highest risk from virus sa *

Ebola – WHO says international health emergency is over AFP


ENDNOTE

Comedians ranked by the political slant of their fans t *


30 March 2016

Tuesday, March 29th, 2016



Today’s Issue Cluster: UK Real Estate

EMs – Currencies Extend Best Month in 18 Years on Fed
Pot – US industry poised for major expansion
Pharma – Hot Drugs Show Sharp Price Hikes in Shadow Market


MAJOR DATA POINTS

Japan – Feb: Factory output falls at worst pace since 2011; -6.2% / AFP

US – Mar: ADP above economists’ expectations; +200k from +205k / R / WSJ


MARKETS

EMs – Currencies Extend Best Month in 18 Years on Fed B *

EMs – Portfolio flows hit 21-month high FT *


ECONOMICS

World – Has the recession ended? GDP per capita change from 2008 to 2015 / reddit *


POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY



MONETARY POLICY

World – Raining money to spur the economy? Not as crazy as it sounds AP / t *


FINANCE



REAL ESTATE

UK – Regions Lead House Prices Higher B *

UK – Housing ladder loses two rungs FT *

UK – Construction shrinks more than expected FT *

UK – Economic uncertainty hits construction industry FT *

UK – London Developers Finding Costliest Apartments Harder to Sell B / FT *

UK – Investor appetite for London luxury flats ebbs FT *

UK – Housebuilders under fire for slow pace of construction FT

UK – Average home costs £.5m in half of London postcodes FT / FT *

UK – Flight of the non-doms? FT *

UK – House price/earnings ratio / r *

UK – London’s Commercial Property Market Is Offering Rare Bargains WSJ *

UK – Property trusts suffer steepest fall in five years FT * *


LABOR & EDUCATION



SERVICES

Pot – US industry poised for major expansion AFP

Pot – Starting Off Even Better in OR & WA Than It Did In CO B *


MANUFACTURING



TECH

PCs – Apple Is Missing a Golden Opportunity WSJ

PCs – HP targets Apple’s share of premium laptops market FT

PCs – Sales Drop to Historic Lows WSJ / st *

PCs – Microsoft Is Pulling the Plug on Windows 8 st *


TRADE & TRANSPORTATION



COMMODITIES



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT



HEALTH

Pharma – Chinese Market Offers New Life to Many Drugs WSJ *

Pharma – India’s Drugmakers Step Up US Investment WSJ *

Pharma – Hot Drugs Show Sharp Price Hikes in Shadow Market B *

Pharma – Price of branded prescription drugs in the US doubles FT *

Pharma – Bristol-Myers Bucks Trend Toward Precision Medicine WSJ *


ENDNOTE

Most attractive and ugliest accents in the UK + Ireland reddit *


29 March 2016

Monday, March 28th, 2016



Today’s Issue Cluster: HigherEd

Japan – Bond Market Is Close to Breaking Point
Streaming – Music Business Has Lost Billions
Online – Big numbers behind Chinese internet leave some unconvinced


MAJOR DATA POINTS

Japan – Feb: Consumer spending bounces back; +1.2% from -3.1% / B

Japan – Feb: Retail sales slumped; -2.3% from -0.4% / B

US – Jan: Case Shiller home prices shy of expectations; +5.7% yr from +5.7% yr / R / WSJ

US – Mar: ConfBd Consumer Confidence Rose; 96.2 from 94.0 / WSJ


MARKETS

Japan – Yen’s losing streak ranks among worst FT *

Japan – Bond Market Is Close to Breaking Point B *

Japan – Foreign investors aggravate tendency to rise and fall together WSJ *


ECONOMICS

Japan – Elderly turn to life of crime to ease cost of living FT *

Japan – Funeral sector adapts as ‘peak death’ looms FT


POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

Japan – Negative rate bounty sparks calls for fresh spending FT

Japan – Abe’s talks with Nobel laureates signal delay to sales tax rise FT *

Japan – Abe stays firm on consumption tax rise FT / AP


MONETARY POLICY

BOJ – Negative rates a looming headache R


FINANCE



REAL ESTATE

Japan – Land Prices Rise for First Time Since Financial Crisis WSJ *


LABOR & EDUCATION

HigherEd – New Student Loan Goes Straight to Mom and Dad WSJ *

HigherEd – US student debt: Lessons to last a lifetime FT *

HigherEd – Rising defaults on $1.2t of US student debt FT *

HigherEd – Colleges with big endowments face calls to scrap tuition E *

HigherEd – Degrees Are on the Rise, But Not Among Older Americans WSJ * *

HigherEd – Recruitment of Chinese Students Sows Discord on US Campuses WSJ *

HigherEd – US Colleges Brace for Overtime Overhaul WSJ *

HigherEd – The falling value of a UK university degree FT *


SERVICES

Streaming – Pandora Replaces Chief, Aiming to Reinvent Midstream NYT / nyt

Streaming – Spotify at 30m paying subscribers FT *

Streaming – SoundCloud launches paid subscriptions FT *

Streaming – A surprisingly small pool FT

Streaming – Music Business Has Lost Billions NYT *


MANUFACTURING



TECH

Online – Big numbers behind Chinese internet leave some unconvinced FT

Online – Alibaba Acknowledges Looming Challenges WSJ *

Online – Auctioning Made Easier With Asia-Based Apps WSJ *


TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

Ship – Supersize Vessels Prompt More Automation at Ports WSJ

Ship – Massive Robots Keep Docks Moving WSJ *


COMMODITIES

Chickens – Cage-Free Eggs May Be Golden Goose for Retail Profits B *

Chickens – Bring a Tough New Problem: ‘Woody Breast’ WSJ *


ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT



HEALTH



ENDNOTE

The most-streamed artists on Spotify Ind *


28 March 2016

Sunday, March 27th, 2016



Today’s Issue Cluster: NatGas

US – Behind GDP Data Is Reason for Recession Worry: Weak Profits
US – Population Is Swelling in Almost Every State
Cigs – Philip Morris makes a device to heat—rather than burn—tobacco


MAJOR DATA POINTS

Japan – Feb: Weak inflation turns up heat on BoJ; flat from flat / FT / AP

SK – Q4: Growth Rate Retreats From a Five-Year High; +0.7% from +1.2% / B

China – Feb: Industrial profits grow fastest since 2014; +4.8% from -4.7% / FT

US – Q4: GDP growth revised up; +1.4% was +1.0% / R / WSJ / AP / B

US – Feb: NAR Pending-Home Sales Jump; +3.5% / WSJ

US – Feb: Consumer spending posts scant increase; +0.1% from +0.1% (was +0.5%) / AP

US – Feb: Income growth slowed; +0.2% from +0.5% / R

US – Feb: Personal consumption expenditures price fell; -0.1%, +1.0% yr / WSJ


MARKETS



ECONOMICS

US – Too much of a good thing: Profits are too high E * * *

US – Behind GDP Data Is Reason for Recession Worry: Weak Profits B *

US – JPMorgan sees 50% chance of downturn in two years B * *

US – May be heading for stagflation-lite WSJ *

US – Consumer-Spending Machine Needs More Fuel to Keep Pace WSJ *


POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY



MONETARY POLICY

Fed – Wants Markets to Stop Taking the Dot Plot So Seriously B *


FINANCE

US – Banks face $5b hit from Fed’s more dovish stance FT *


REAL ESTATE

US – Banks Ramp Up Push for Home-Equity Lines WSJ *

US – More Moving to Suburbs Than Cities WSJ *


LABOR & EDUCATION

US – Population Is Swelling in Almost Every State B
*
1-yr data through July 1, 2015
*
Net international migration
*
Net domestic migration


SERVICES

Cigs – Philip Morris makes a device to heat—rather than burn—tobacco BW * *

Cigs – Bill would make CA 2nd state with smoking age of 21 AP / WSJ

Cigs – European court paves the way for plain packaging FT

Cigs – Gas Prices, Vaping Boost Tobacco Firms IBD

Cigs – Study Shows Spread in China NYT


MANUFACTURING



TECH

Chips – China Moves to Contend WSJ *

Chips – After Moore’s law E *


TRADE & TRANSPORTATION



COMMODITIES

Chocolate – High Cost of Keeping Cool Tempers Online Sales WSJ

Chocolate – Processors Struggle With Factory Glut WSJ

Chocolate – Easter bunny prices jump higher FT *


ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

NatGas – Woodside shelves $40b Browse LNG project FT / WSJ / B / FT *

NatGas – Giant Indonesia Offshore Project Sunk WSJ *

NatGas – Big Oil’s Next Big Energy Problem WSJ *

NatGas – Producers Face Painful Spring WSJ *

NatGas – New Market for US Shale Opens in Europe WSJ

NatGas – North American LNG Exports May Reach 75 MMtpa by 2024 / b *

NatGas – Iraq exports first shipment in its history AP

NatGas – The benchmark price wallows at lows not seen this millennium FT *


HEALTH



ENDNOTE

The states that have produced the most US presidents bi * *


24 March 2016

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2016



Today’s Issue Cluster: eTaxis

Fed – Bullard Sees Case for April Hike as Inflation Set to Pick Up
Crops – Ethanol Bust Adds to Losses Across Corn Belt
Solar – Once a Darling, Spanish Company Abengoa Faces Reckoning


MAJOR DATA POINTS

US – Feb: Durable Orders Fell; -2.8% from +4.2% (was +4.7%) / WSJ

US – Week: Jobless Claims Rose; +6k to 265k / WSJ / R


MARKETS

US – Investors snap up inflation-proofed Treasury bonds FT *

US – Buying Dollars Gets Pricey WSJ *


ECONOMICS

US – How Perceptions Have Changed in Just Three Months WSJ * *


POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY



MONETARY POLICY

Fed – Bullard Sees Case for April Hike as Inflation Set to Pick Up B

Fed – Dovish tone suggests may overshoot 2% target FT *

Fed – Goldman: Stop Worrying So Much About the Stronger Dollar B *


FINANCE



REAL ESTATE

US – Turning Point? Commercial-Property Sales Plunge in February WSJ *

US – Modest Expansion for Architecture Billings / cr *

US – Homeownership increasingly difficult: report R

US – Widening Home-Price Gap Makes Trading Up Harder WSJ *

US – Tighter inventory is helping drive home prices higher WSJ *

US – Lawler: “Shortfall” Almost All in Moderately Sized Homes cr *

US – More and More People are Renting; Thank the Suburbs WSJ *


LABOR & EDUCATION



SERVICES



MANUFACTURING



TECH

eTaxi – Convoy Sees Itself as the Uber of Local Trucking NYT

eTaxi – Indonesia Seeks App Solution After Taxi Protest WSJ

eTaxi – Ola Rivalry With Uber Takes Nasty Turn in India WSJ / FT *

eTaxi – Didi Kuaidi to Raise $1b WSJ

eTaxi – Kakao Close to Monetizing Taxi-Hailing Service WSJ

eTaxi – Lyft to Launch Car-Rental Program WSJ / FT

eTaxi – Uber and Lyft won’t crimp car sales in near term R

eTaxi – Uber seeking to buy self-driving cars R

eTaxi – Uber: a route out of the French banlieues FT *

eTaxi – Uber Drivers Up Against the App NYT

eTaxi – Uber Spends Big on International Expansion WSJ

eTaxi – Uber losing $1b/yr to compete in China R / FT

eTaxi – Uber Rolls Out Motorcycle Service in Bangkok WSJ / FT

eTaxi – ‘The Uber Model Doesn’t Translate’ nyt


TRADE & TRANSPORTATION



COMMODITIES

Crops – Ethanol Bust Adds to Losses Across Corn Belt B * *

Crops – Global Sugar Shortage Outlook Raised by Green Pool on El Nino B *


ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Solar – Once a Darling, Spanish Company Abengoa Faces Reckoning NYT *

Solar – Ivanpah Plant May Be Forced to Shut Down WSJ *


HEALTH



ENDNOTE

Which US state has the weirdest accent? bi *


23 March 2016

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016



Today’s Issue Cluster: Oil

EU – Scared of China’s Slowdown? The Real Risk Is the US
Germany – Plans Most New Homes in 15 Years as Cities Fill Up
Rubber – Gluts and low prices have growers on the ropes


MAJOR DATA POINTS

US – Feb: New home sales rebound; +2.0% / R


MARKETS

EU – ECB policy spurs corporate bond sales FT *

EU – Europe Inc. Rushes to Sell Bonds as ECB Gets Set to Buy WSJ *

EU – Bond investors ready to back periphery for bigger return FT *


ECONOMICS

EU – Scared of China’s Slowdown? The Real Risk Is the US B *

EU – Economists cutting forecasts, except Spain / b *

Germany – In “downswing” mode but making progress in March / ifo *


POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

EU – Five Countries Will Breach the Deficit Rule This Year B *

EU – These Eight Countries Are in the Budget Danger Zone B *

EU – How Italy fell out of love with the EU FT * *

Russia – A strategy of spectacle E * * *


MONETARY POLICY

ECB – Doing Whatever It Takes Can’t Push Banks to Lend B * *


FINANCE

EU – Banks warn of risks of ultra-loose policy FT


REAL ESTATE

Germany – Plans Most New Homes in 15 Years as Cities Fill Up B *

Germany – Europe’s Best Housing Market WSJ *


LABOR & EDUCATION

EU – In France and Spain, older people earn more than younger WSJ *

Germany – Companies Raise Caution Amid Surge of Migrants WSJ *


SERVICES



MANUFACTURING



TECH

Cloud – Google’s Computing Service Lures High-Profile Clients WSJ / R

Cloud – Apple signs up to Google services FT / WSJ


TRADE & TRANSPORTATION



COMMODITIES

Palm Oil – Dearth lifts soybeans FT *

Rubber – Gluts and low prices have growers on the ropes N *

Cotton – China’s Soft Power Tested as Sale of Stockpile Looms WSJ *


ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Oil – Libya joins Iran in snubbing freeze R

Oil – Saudi Arabia will freeze output without Iran FT

Oil – US shipments ease despite demise of export ban FT *

Oil – Drillers Can’t Replace Lost Output as $100 Inheritance Spent B *

Oil – ‘Stealth’ supply becomes reality as US drillers turn on ‘ducks’ R *

Oil – Fracking production in the US / FT *

Oil – Why the Glut Might Not Fill Swimming Pools After All B *

Oil – Tally of unaccounted for crude hit highest level in 17 years WSJ *

Oil – Bondholders suffer $150b hit FT *

Oil – $3t debt mountain threatens further destabilization FT * *

Oil – US energy workers hit hard by company stock bets R *

Oil – Regulator Urges Canadian Banks to Review Reserves WSJ *

Oil – Price crash has far-reaching consequences FT * *


HEALTH



ENDNOTE

Most Common Surnames in Europe motw *


22 March 2016

Monday, March 21st, 2016



Today’s Issue Cluster: Geothermal

EMs – Turns Out a ‘Lie’ Lurked Beneath the Bookends of the BRICS
World – Low wages are both a cause and a consequence of low productivity
Food – World’s Import Bill Shrank $9b to Five-Year Low


MAJOR DATA POINTS

EZ – Mar: Markit composite PMI rose; 53.7 from 53.0 / WSJ

Germany – Mar: Markit Manufacturing PMI Slowest in 16 Months; 50.4 from 50.5 / B

Germany – Mar: Ifo Business Confidence Rebounds; 106.7 from 105.7 / B

Germany – Mar: ZEW Investor Optimism Rebounds; 4.3 from 1.0 / B

US – Mar: Markit Flash PMI Subdued; 51.4 from 51.3 / m


MARKETS

EMs – Debt high and getting higher FT *


ECONOMICS

EMs – Turns Out a ‘Lie’ Lurked Beneath the Bookends of the BRICS B *


POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY



MONETARY POLICY

World – Central Banks Creep Toward Role of Central Planners WSJ *


FINANCE

Insurance – Low Rates Are Tormenting Customers WSJ *

Insurance – Negative Rates: Be Afraid WSJ *


REAL ESTATE



LABOR & EDUCATION

World – Low wages are both a cause and a consequence of low productivity E *


SERVICES

Prisons – US: Guards Are Hard to Capture as Jobless Rates Fall WSJ *

Prisons – US: How Local Governments Got Burned BW *

Prisons – UK: To build 9 prisons and sell outdated ones for housing FT

Prisons – UK: Old crimes, older inmates FT *

Prisons – Japan: Silent screams E *


MANUFACTURING



TECH

Mobiles – Small iPhone Gets Upgrade WSJ *

Mobiles – Apple Chips Away at iPhone Weakness WSJ *

Mobiles – How a Tweaked iPhone Can Serve Up Growth WSJ *


TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

Transport – Stocks Signal Markets on Track WSJ

Transport – Delivers hope for equities rebound FT *


COMMODITIES

Food – GMO Labeling Law Roils Companies WSJ *

Food – Protein For Young: They Want It Convenient And Clean IBD

Food – World’s Import Bill Shrank $9b to Five-Year Low B *


ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Alt – Geothermal: Salton Sea could get huge new power plant USAT

Alt – Geothermal: Industry Grows, With Help From Oil and Gas Drilling NYT

Alt – Geothermal: ‘Is the new fracking’ E * *

Alt – Geothermal: A Mile Below Paris Drillers Hit Hot Pools to Warm Houses B

Alt – Geothermal: Pitched as Alberta’s next big energy source CBC

Alt – Geothermal: Builds up head of steam in Japan N

Alt – Geothermal: Indonesia, the slow boil superpower N *


HEALTH



ENDNOTE

Champagne Machine Gun MiamiNT *


21 March 2016

Sunday, March 20th, 2016



Today’s Issue Cluster: China

HK – Port declines from #1 to world’s fifth-busiest
China – Labor Protests Multiply in as Economy Slows
Media – China on course to be world’s biggest movie market by 2017


MAJOR DATA POINTS

US – Feb: NAR Existing home sales plunge; -7.1% / CNBC


MARKETS

China – Wary Investors Find Haven in Booming Southeast Markets B *

China – Insurers Make Moving Money out of Country Harder WSJ *

China – Outflows of Money Slowed in February B / NYT

China – Yuan Loses Luster in Global Trade WSJ *

China – Middle classes still moving into dollars FT *

China – Defends veracity of foreign exchange reserves data FT *

China – Burns hedge funds as $562m yuan bet turns worthless B *

China – Cautious Reception for Head of Securities Regulation WSJ *

China – Bears could start to feel isolated FT *


ECONOMICS

China – Growth Has Slowed to Near Zero in Nominal Dollar Terms B *

China – Has a $590b Problem With Unpaid Bills B / FT *

China – Cannot escape the economic reckoning that a debt binge brings E *

China – Seeks to balance stimulus and reform FT / AP *

China – Growth Addiction Leaves Deleveraging, Reform in Back Seat B *

China – Leaders Put the Economy on Bubble Watch WSJ *

China – ‘Bulging pipeline’ of investment projects boosts bulls FT *

China – On an Overseas Buying Spree WSJ * *

China – Fighting Money Exodus, Squeezes Business WSJ *

China – Begins to Tackle Its ‘Zombie’ Factory Problem WSJ *

China – Clumsy SOEs stagnate as private companies race WSJ

China – Sets 6.5% to 7.0% Growth Target B / R / FT / WSJ / NYT *

China – Lending growth is going much faster WSJ *

China – Tourism spending leaps 53% in a year FT *

HK – Port declines from #1 to world’s fifth-busiest b


POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

China – Premier Says It Is ‘Impossible’ to Miss Targets WSJ / B / AP

China – To Shift Debt Burden in Tax Overhaul WSJ *


MONETARY POLICY



FINANCE

China – Explores debt-for-equity swaps to defeat bad debt pile-up FT *

China – Regulators Speed Up Bad-Loan Help for Banks WSJ *

China – Bad Debt Solution Isn’t Magic WSJ *

China – ChemChina’s Global Shopping Spree Is Debt-Fueled WSJ *

China – As Internet Firms Lure Cash, Worries Follow WSJ

China – Alibaba Affiliate Ant Financial Valued at More Than $50b WSJ *

China – To crack down on P2P lenders FT * *


REAL ESTATE

China – Awash in Empty Homes, Beijing Asks Migrants to Settle Down NYT

China – For whom the bubble blows E *

China – Money rolling hard into Tier 1 property FT / WSJ / FT / FT * *

China – Said to Plan Crackdown on Loans for Home Down-Payments B *

HK – Cost of living forces married couples into separate beds FT *


LABOR & EDUCATION

China – To lay off 5-6m workers R / FT / R *

China – May Rein in Wage Rises to Boost Economy WSJ *

China – Labor Protests Multiply in as Economy Slows NYT / AP / NYT


SERVICES

Media – China on course to be world’s biggest movie market by 2017 FT *

Media – Chinese Cinema Stocks Face Box-Office Blunder WSJ / WSJ *


MANUFACTURING



TECH



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION



COMMODITIES



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT



HEALTH



ENDNOTE

The Languages of Google Translate reddit *


18 March 2016

Thursday, March 17th, 2016



Today’s Issue Cluster: Coal & Carbon Emissions

F&B – UK sugar tax could be sweet for food ingredient suppliers
Aluminum – European cars to use more to meet CO2 targets
Nuclear – 5 years after Fukushima prospects dim


MAJOR DATA POINTS

US – Mar: UMich Sentiment Falls; 90.0 from 91.7 / MW


MARKETS

Japan – Government Bond yield hits record low FT / B / FT *


ECONOMICS

Japan – Strong yen threatens tourism boom FT *

Japan – Weak wage demands deal blow to Abenomics FT


POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

Japan – The architects of Abenomics revive the interventionist spirit FT *


MONETARY POLICY

BOJ – Stands Pat WSJ

BOJ – Plan Runs Into a Wall WSJ *

BOJ – Negative Rates Dig a Hole WSJ *

BOJ – The effects of a month of negative rates B *

BOJ – Kuroda Says Minus 0.5% Rate Is Theoretically Possible B *


FINANCE

US – Fears rise over car-loan delinquencies FT

US – Subprime auto loans come under scrutiny FT *


REAL ESTATE



LABOR & EDUCATION



SERVICES



MANUFACTURING

F&B – Soft drinks groups digest UK sugar tax FT *

F&B – UK sugar tax could be sweet for food ingredient suppliers R

F&B – UK tax on sugary drinks is ‘nannying’ and ‘impractical’ FT * *


TECH



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION



COMMODITIES

Salmon – Prices leap on global supply shock FT *

Salmon – Deadly Algae Bloom Sends Chilean Farmer Stocks Tumbling B / R

Salmon – Norway satisfies EU appetite through Polish back-door R

Salmon – In Atlantic fight, Greenland proves a sticking point AP

Aluminum – JPMorgan rattles traders with LME stockpile FT *

Aluminum – World’s largest producer to increase capacity FT

Aluminum – Sector Presses US On Chinese Exports WSJ

Aluminum – European cars to use more to meet CO2 targets R

Aluminum – Auto, power firms save millions swapping out copper R


ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Coal – Peabody Energy May Have to Seek Bankruptcy Protection WSJ / B *

Coal – China protests highlight overcapacity tensions FT

Coal – Chinese Money Keeps Mines Humming WSJ *

Carbon – China CO2 emissions may be falling FT *

Carbon – China’s dirtiest days could be over sooner than officials say E *

Carbon – Global energy emissions stall FT *

Climate – February shatters heat records cnn

Nuclear – 5 years after Fukushima prospects dim op


HEALTH



ENDNOTE

Amazon patents system that uses blinking to pay online dm *