Bz Nwz

Today’s Issue Cluster: Retail

MAJOR DATA POINTS

MARKETS

ECONOMICS

Asia – Who is Most Dependent on China? B * *

Vietnam – The big winner from China’s move up the value chain FT *

Vietnam – Having attained middle-income status, now aims higher E *

Indonesia – Signs of relief for sluggish economy FT *

Mongolia – Having an Epic Economic Meltdown B * *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

MONETARY POLICY

Mongolia – Lifts rates to halt currency slide FT *



FINANCE

India – Investors see opportunity in bad-debt purge FT *



REAL ESTATE

India – Fund Predicts Prolonged Slump in Home Sales B *



LABOR & EDUCATION

India – Skills Shortfall Challenges Modi’s Manufacturing Vision WSJ *



SERVICES

Retail – Target Dims Outlook as Sales Struggle WSJ / FT *

Retail – Can Target Fix Its Grocery Business? WSJ *

Retail – Home Depot, TJX Cos. Buck Trends WSJ *

Retail – Wal-Mart lifts profit outlook as sales rise FT / WSJ * *

Retail – Wal-Mart hopes to add thrust with Jet.com FT *

Retail – Macy’s Fix: Fewer Stores WSJ *

Retail – Stagnant Sales Mean US Stores May Lack Pricing Power B *

Retail – Where We Spend Is Upending Traditional Stores WSJ *



MANUFACTURING

TECH

India – Spurn Snacks, Shampoo to Load Their Smartphones WSJ *

India – Reality call FT * *



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

COMMODITIES

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Nuclear – UK’s plans to build six plants raises concerns FT *

Nuclear – Developers plan pint-sized plants in UK R *



HEALTH

ENDNOTE

Olympic Gold Medals Have Almost Zero Gold in Them vc *



Today’s Issue Cluster: Coal

MAJOR DATA POINTS

MARKETS

ECONOMICS

South Africa – Regains rank as Africa’s biggest economy B *

Zambia – Ailing economy cast cloud over election FT *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

South Africa – Enters coalition era after ANC domination R *

Zambia – Lungu wins narrow victory FT *



MONETARY POLICY

Fed – Minutes suggest a rate increase as early as September WSJ / FT / R / B

Fed – Dollar’s Drop Signals Doubts Over Rate Rise WSJ *

Fed – Inflation retreat clouds rate outlook FT *

Fed – To raise rates this year, likely after election: poll R *



FINANCE

REAL ESTATE

NZ – Hangs ‘Welcome’ Sign for Foreign Investors WSJ *

Canada – Vancouver Housing Fever Shows Signs of Easing B *



LABOR & EDUCATION

SERVICES

MANUFACTURING

TECH

TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

COMMODITIES

Dairy – Global Prices Rise, as Herds Are Culled WSJ *

Cattle – Futures Market Descends into Chaos WSJ *

Bison – Industry Drives to Recruit Ranchers as Demand Climbs WSJ *

Pork – So Much for the Year’s Best-Performing Market WSJ *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Coal – GE Wants to Bring More Life WSJ *

Coal – US Industry Borrows From Tobacco Playbook, Activists Say NYT

Coal – US ex-miners are giving up and learning to code BW / NYT

Coal – China’s Reforms Fuel Rebound in Prices WSJ

Coal – Chinese province to extend maturity on $60b in loans FT

Coal – Bears gripped by Chinese capacity squeeze FT *

Coal – UK industry presses for rethink on carbon capture FT



HEALTH

Drugs – Mekong nations take on Golden Triangle narco-empire R * *

Drugs – The Chinese Connection Fueling US Fentanyl Crisis WSJ *



ENDNOTE

Map of US in Esperanto wiki *



Today’s Issue Cluster: US Health Insurance

MAJOR DATA POINTS

MARKETS

Japan – Yen flirts with ¥?100 per dollar FT *

Japan – There’s a big dollar crunch brewing B *



ECONOMICS

Japan – Economy Nearly Stalls WSJ *

Japan – Was Economy 29 Trillion Yen Bigger Than Thought in 2014? B *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

MONETARY POLICY

FINANCE

REAL ESTATE

Japan – NIRP Hits Home on Housing WSJ *

Japan – Why Tokyo is the land of rising home construction but not prices FT *



LABOR & EDUCATION

Japan – Plunging Jobless Rate About Aging, not Abenomics B * *



SERVICES

MANUFACTURING

TECH

TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

COMMODITIES

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Oil – Opec: Rekindles Hopes of Freeze B *

Oil – Opec: Could still tip deficit into surplus / b *

Oil – Saudi: Once again has traders hanging on every word FT *

Oil – Refiners: Reap Rewards From LatAm Fuel Shortage B *

Oil – Drillers: Bring Back Rigs B *

Oil – Drillers: Giants Try Again to Master Fracking WSJ * *



HEALTH

Insurance – Obamacare Appears to Be Making People Healthier NYT

Insurance – Aetna to Drop Some Obamacare Markets WSJ / R / NYT

Insurance – Aetna’s Reversal Is Latest Blow to Obamacare B / WSJ

Insurance – Aetna Setback Becomes Campaign Fodder WSJ *

Insurance – CA Obamacare rates to rise 13% in 2017 LAT

Insurance – UnitedHealth sees further losses for Obamacare R

Insurance – Health Care’s M&A Bust WSJ

Insurance – Obama Counters Insurer View on Healthcare Law’s Costs WSJ

Insurance – Cost, Not Choice, Is Top Concern of Customers NYT

Insurance – Struggling for Profit Selling in State Marketplaces NYT

Insurance – Doctors Doing More Tests in Their Offices WSJ *



ENDNOTE

Copyright term length in the world by country wiki *



Today’s Issue Cluster: China

MAJOR DATA POINTS

X



MARKETS

China – Renminbi shock a distant memory for currency markets FT *

China – One-year on, weaker yuan shows stronger PBOC B *

China – $CAD has overtaken renminbi as #5 currency b *

China – Money Outflow Goes Quiet, for Now B * *

China – Vulture funds hunt for bargains amid debt wreckage FT * *

China – Moves Toward Launching Credit-Default-Swap Market WSJ *



ECONOMICS

China – Slows as Stimulus Impact Wanes WSJ *

China – Deflation eases to slowest pace in two years FT *

China – Businesses hold back on spending WSJ *

China – Struggling to make high-quality goods for a rising middle class WSJ *

China – Companies Have $1t in Cash That It’s Too Scared to Spend B *

China – Trouble With Bubbles b *

China – How fast is the economy really growing? / b *

China – Data Highlights Growing Divide Between Regions WSJ *

China – Cutting Beijing Down to Size WSJ *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

China – In SK: Seoul missile move sparks fears for pop culture exports FT

China – In Australia: Move to block A$10b power grid sale FT / WSJ / NYT / B

China – In Brazil: State Grid Pursues Energy Deal WSJ *

China – In Germany: Angst over M&A FT *

China – In UK: $15b Energy Ambitions Crushed Within Two Weeks B *



MONETARY POLICY

FINANCE

China – Trillions in Murky Investments Could Rock Economy NYT *

China – Regulator says nonperforming loans 1.75%, IMF says 7% / jb *

China – IMF not pulling punches in their latest report / b *



REAL ESTATE

China – House price surge is over, says statistician FT



LABOR & EDUCATION

SERVICES

MANUFACTURING

TECH

Alibaba – Results Boosted by More Users, Mobile Growth WSJ *

Alibaba – Thinks Outside the China Box WSJ *



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

COMMODITIES

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

HEALTH

ENDNOTE

Map of flag ratios around the world reddit *



Today’s Issue Cluster: US Housing

MAJOR DATA POINTS

X



MARKETS

EMs – Shock Rally in Emerging Currencies Vindicates BlackRock B *

EMs – Currencies rally to one-year highs against dollar FT * *

EMs – Funds Turn Away From NIRPs in Developed World WSJ *

EMs – Are Hot, Except for China WSJ *



ECONOMICS

US – Productivity Slump Threatens Long-Term Growth WSJ *

US – One Sign That Productivity Growth Is Poised to Shoot Higher B *

US – Companies Warning About High Consumer Uncertainty B *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

MONETARY POLICY

FINANCE

US – Credit-Card Use Up Among People with Low Credit Scores WSJ *

US – Banks step up credit card push in search of hefty returns FT * *

US – Lenders fall behind in dealmaking drive FT * *

US – Why Some Life Insurance Premiums Are Skyrocketing NYT



REAL ESTATE

US – Tracking and Stress-Testing Household Leverage NYFed

US – Lopsided Housing Rebound Leaves Millions Out WSJ

US – Low Supply Lifts Housing Lot Prices To a Record WSJ

US – The starter home remains elusive R *

US – Foreclosures hit record low FT *

US – We’re At Peak Multigenerational a *



LABOR & EDUCATION

SERVICES

MANUFACTURING

TECH

IT – Outsourcing expected to grow at 6% bw



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

Ship – Economic Slump Sends More to the Scrap Heap WSJ * *

Ship – Maersk battles to stay on top as downturn deepens R / FT / WSJ *

Ship – LA area Port Traffic Mostly Unchanged cr *

Ship – Bright Horizon for Cruise Companies WSJ *



COMMODITIES

Crops – Record US Estimates Spur Price Gyrations B / FT *

Crops – Brazil set to welcome GM corn imports from the US FT * *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

HEALTH

ENDNOTE

Blocks Where NYC Real Estate Prices Are Soaring 6sqft *



Today’s Issue Cluster: World Monetary Policy

MAJOR DATA POINTS

x



MARKETS

EMs – Big Investors Surge In FT * * *



ECONOMICS

POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

MONETARY POLICY

World – EMs: Aren’t in Charge of Own Interest Rates B *

World – EMs: See breathing space in deflation fight FT * * *

World – Rates: Why Cuts Have Stopped Working on Currencies WSJ *

World – NIRP: Are Negative Rates Backfiring? WSJ * *

World – NIRP: BOJ, ECB in favor; Fed, BOE against B / WSJ *

World – NIRP: Markets Set Negative Rates Carney Opposes B *

World – QE: Kuroda & Co. Can’t Get the World Weaned Off Stimulus B * *

World – QE: The day when balance sheets shrink further off WSJ

World – QE: Central bank bond holdings jb *



FINANCE

REAL ESTATE

LABOR & EDUCATION

SERVICES

MANUFACTURING

TECH

TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

COMMODITIES

Dairy – The milk industry cowed FT *

Dairy – Big business identifies appetite for plant-based milk FT * *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Oil – Market: IEA Sees Glut Easing B *

Oil – Market: IEA Says Production to Fall Behind Demand WSJ *

Oil – Market: IEA Says Drillers Need $60 to Stage Real Comeback B *

Oil – Market: IEA adjusts short-term projections / b *

Oil – Market: Demand likely rising in sweltering Middle East: Kemp r *

Oil – Market: Time to Pay Attention to the ‘Other’ Category B *

Oil – Opec: Seeks Stable Prices B * *

Oil – Opec: Still Faces Same Obstacles to Agreement B *

Oil – Saudi: Minister hints at effort to rebalance market FT

Oil – Saudi: Production rises on summer demand FT / WSJ / B *

Oil – Libya: West Urges Cease-Fire Around Key Terminal WSJ



HEALTH

ENDNOTE

Power Plant Fuel Source by Area Code PM *



Today’s Issue Cluster: Bonds

MAJOR DATA POINTS

X



MARKETS

Bonds – Markets: Growing Ever More Bizarre WSJ / WSJ / B *

Bonds – Markets: US and EU junk yields hit lows FT * *

Bonds – Germany: 10-Year Auction Achieves Record-Low Yield B *

Bonds – UK: BOE to Make Up Shortfall After Auction Hiccup WSJ / B *

Bonds – UK: Yields Climb From Record as BOE Bombarded B *

Bonds – UK: Buying accelerates fall in global borrowing costs FT *

Bonds – US: Falling Rates Create Call Frenzy WSJ *

Bonds – US: Companies tap global demand FT *

Bonds – US: Treasury yields turn negative B *

Bonds – US: Cities and States Refuse to Borrow Cheap Money WSJ *

Bonds – US: Will it be a record year for muni sales? B *

Bonds – US: New Rules for Short-Term Borrowers WSJ *



ECONOMICS

POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

Canada – The great provincial obstacle course E *



MONETARY POLICY

FINANCE

REAL ESTATE

Canada – Relying on a frothy real estate market B *

Canada – The Housing Boom Fueled by China’s Billionaires B *



LABOR & EDUCATION

SERVICES

MANUFACTURING

TECH

TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

COMMODITIES

Cotton – China Extends Auction Through September WSJ *

Cotton – Soars on speculative buying FT *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Alt – Solar: China prospects dim as overcapacity builds SCMP

Alt – Solar: Manufacturers Pivoting From Big US Utility Projects B

Alt – Solar: Why Home Panels No Longer Pay in Some States NYT

Alt – Solar: How Popular Are Home Systems? / WSJ *



HEALTH

ENDNOTE

Photos taken by locals and tourists in Toronto motw *



Today’s Issue Cluster: Mining

MAJOR DATA POINTS

Germany – Jun: Trade surplus in slight decline; exports +0.3%, imports +1.0% / AFP

UK – Jul: Retail Sales Defy Brexit Vote; +1.1% from -0.5% / WSJ

US – Jun: JOLTS job openings tick higher; 5.6m from 5.5m / CNBC / R



MARKETS

ECONOMICS

EU – Spain: Enjoys tourism boom as terror fears stifle rival regions FT *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

MONETARY POLICY

FINANCE

EU – Bank shares: a bargain or poison for investors? FT *

EU – Investment banks sharply underperform US rivals FT * *

UK – Fintech sector seeks light at end of Brexit tunnel R *



REAL ESTATE

UK – Brexit fears drive fall in land prices FT *



LABOR & EDUCATION

SERVICES

MANUFACTURING

TECH

TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

COMMODITIES

Metals – Investors Look Past Gloomy View of the Economy B *

Metals – Zinc, Nickel and Copper still being imported by China R / FT *

Metals – Anglo American Just Scratching Surface to Slim Down WSJ *

Steel – China Said to Mull Mergers to Create Two State Giants B *

Lead – Has risen just 2% while sister Zinc has jumped 38% B *

Copper – Goldman Warns of ‘Supply Storm’ B *

Copper – Wins Fans in Health Care WSJ *

Tin – Britain Goes Back to Bronze Age With Plans to Revive Mining B * *

Aluminum – Heats up for want of cold metal r *

Aluminum – A Poor Man’s Steel When It Comes to Fighting China B *

Lithium – FMC contract underlines rising battery demand FT

Lithium – Australia miners find themselves in a sweet spot N *

Platinum/Palladium – Chase down gold’s stellar showing FT

Gold – Near 2016 high on haven demand FT / WSJ

Gold – At ‘Rich Level’ as Fed May Hike Three Times B *

Potash – What’s next after China contract FT * *



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Nuclear – US Customers Could Pay $2.5b Plants That Never Get Built B * *

Nuclear – China Cracks Down on Protests WSJ / NYT

Nuclear – Chinese City Backs Down on Fuel Plant After Protests NYT / FT

Nuclear – China warns UK over £18b deal FT

Nuclear – When the facts change… E *



HEALTH

ENDNOTE

The nudge that is toast mr *



Today’s Issue Cluster: Oil

MAJOR DATA POINTS

China – Jul: Consumer inflation cools; 1.8% from 1.9% / R / WSJ
US – Q2: Productivity Fell for Third Quarter; -0.5% from -0.6% / WSJ / R
US – Jun: Wholesale Inventories Revised Up; +0.3%, was flat / R
US – Jul: NFIB Small Business Index Up Slightly; 94.6 from 94.5 / cr



MARKETS

ECONOMICS

India – Rural areas slowly emerge from isolation FT



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

India – Parliament passes landmark tax bill FT / WSJ *

India – Global Lesson: Expect Pain Before Gain From Sales Tax B * * *



MONETARY POLICY

India – RBI: Unequal presents FT *



FINANCE

REAL ESTATE

LABOR & EDUCATION

SERVICES

Retail – Wal-Mart to Buy Web Retailer Jet.com WSJ / FT / R / B / NYT *

Retail – Wal-Mart Is Offering a Free Trial for Its Amazon Prime ‘Killer’ Fortune / WSJ

Retail – Startups Try to Put Remote Customers on the Map WSJ *



MANUFACTURING

TECH

TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline – Landscape shifts for operators FT *

Rail – Crude Slump, Pipeline Expansion Mark End of Boom WSJ *

Rail – Pacific Northwest Fights Oil Trains NYT

Ship – Coal Glut, Enviro Pushback Derail West Coast Port Plans WSJ * *



COMMODITIES

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Oil – Market: Opec Sees Dip Temporary B / FT / WSJ / B *

Oil – Market: Bulls Have Some Comfort on the Way: Citi B

Oil – Market: May Rebound to $57 Next Year, Analysts Say B *

Oil – Market: Investment banks see $60 by the end of 2017 WSJ *

Oil – Market: Slope of Hope Is Getting Less Slippery WSJ *

Oil – Market: Drop Stokes Worries About a Slippery Slope WSJ *

Oil – Majors: Are reducing spending FT * * *

Oil – Saudi: The Risky Track Record of Government Ownership WSJ *

Oil – Iran: Has restored most of its production / b *

Oil – Libya: Production continues to fall / b *

Oil – Gabon: Rejoins Opec / b *

Oil – US: Shale Drillers Add Rigs B *

Oil – US: Where shale drillers are adding rigs / b *

Oil – US: A recent surge in rigs may slow, says Genscape / b *

Oil – US: The Next Shale Boom Will Be Built on Sand B *

Oil – US: Imports highest since 2012 as output slips / b *

Oil – Norway: Has a Surprise for Markets B *



HEALTH

ENDNOTE

5% of the world lives in blue area, 5% also in red / am *



Today’s Issue Cluster: US Labor

MAJOR DATA POINTS

China – Jul: Trade falls more than expected; exports -4.4%, imports -12.5% / R

Germany – Jun: Industrial Output Rebounds; +0.8% from -0.9% / B



MARKETS

ECONOMICS

Africa – Kenya feels Brexit effect as UK vote threatens trade deal FT *

Africa – Asian marketers’ new target N * *

South Africa – A ‘fire sale’ for tourists after rand rout B *



POLITICS & FISCAL POLICY

South Africa – Losing faith in the ANC FT / FT *



MONETARY POLICY

Fed – Upbeat Jobs Data Doesn’t Guarantee September Hike B / WSJ

Fed – Jobs strength keeps possibility of 2016 rate rise alive FT *

Fed – ‘A chart of failed expectations’ b *



FINANCE

REAL ESTATE

LABOR & EDUCATION

US – Companies Have Enough Confidence to Hire, If Not Invest B * *

US – Voter Discord Isn’t Over Wages WSJ *

US – Some Small-Businesses Pull Back, Cite New Labor Law WSJ

US – Job Satisfaction Hits a 10-Year High, But It’s Still Below 50% WSJ *

US – Output per capita will take a hit on older workers B *

US – What if There Just Aren’t Enough Jobs to Go Around? wsj *



SERVICES

MANUFACTURING

TECH

Telecoms – EU Bid to Protect Companies From Chinese Rivals Flounders WSJ *

Telecoms – Consider Fee Hikes, as Fierce Price War Plays Out WSJ *

Telecoms – How the New iPhone Could Quash Wireless Price Hikes WSJ



TRADE & TRANSPORTATION

COMMODITIES

Crops – US to retake center stage in world grain markets FT *

Crops – Worst Wheat Yields Since ’86 Spurs France to Slash Outlook B *

Crops – Russian Wheat Prices Climb on French Woes B



ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

NatGas – UK’s largest storage facility is shut down B *

NatGas – Middle East drives LNG demand B *

NatGas – Despite Global Glut, China Doubles Down WSJ *



HEALTH

ENDNOTE

Dow Jones +3.9% on average during Olympics jb *