Markets & Industries
Data on bad debts in China looks doubtful again - 01/22/2018
Data on bad debts in China, which analysts and investors have long considered to be underestimated, once again tuned put to be doubtful after the bank regulator disclosed false reporting of a local lender, reports Bloomberg. The Banking Regulatory Commission of China (CBRC) said that the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co., the country's ninth largest lender, located in Chengdu (a city in the...
China is hunting for bitcoin miners - 01/19/2018
China intends to put an end to mining of bitcoins in the country due to concerns about excessive electricity consumption and financial risks. A specific working group obliged authorities of the country's provinces to promote stopping of mining by local companies, said the document. Earlier, China has already closed local bitcoins exchanges and has forbidden companies to conduct initial placement...
Can the economy work on green energy? - 01/19/2018
The New York Journal told about "imminent consequences" of global warming for the planet. Its article begins with an ominous phrase: "Everything will be much worse than you think." According to the American publication’s forecast, the temperature in New York will be higher than in today's Bahrain, an unprecedented drought will cover the main agricultural regions, permafrost will cover Siberia,...
Orders for machinery in Japan unexpectedly rose - 01/17/2018
Basic orders for machinery and equipment in Japan unexpectedly rose in November due to demand from the non-manufacturing sector of the country. This data means growth of capital investments, writes Bloomberg. Basic orders in mechanical engineering in November rose by 5.7% compared with the previous month, the Cabinet of Japan said on Wednesday. Analysts on average forecast a decrease of 1.4%....
Americans are choosing trailer parks over convenient housing - 01/17/2018
The growing gap in availability of housing in the United States has forced some people to reconsider the approach to the traditional arrangement of a home for family. Trailer parks aren't the best choice. Well, what about "communities of owners of houses on wheels"? Demographic changes imply different lifestyle. What was once an undesirable phenomenon is now turning into new energy-efficient...
Bloomberg: Pound Sterling is vulnerable to Brexit claims - 01/15/2018
The rally of the pound sterling, caused by hopes for the "soft" Brexit, may be threatened this week due to increased sensitivity to the comments of the leaders of the EU countries on the prospects of such a deal, writes Bloomberg. The pound sterling has strengthened to its maximum since the referendum on Brexit on Friday, when there were signs that some countries want to conclude a Brexit deal...
How geopolitics hinder extraction of gas in the Mediterranean Sea - 01/12/2018
The start of gas production at the Zohr field in December was a significant step for the energy independence of Egypt. It also strengthened the status of the Eastern Mediterranean as important for the region's industry. According to the general director of the Italian Eni Claudio Descalzi, the field will allow Egypt to "turn from an importer of gas to an exporter". Cyprus and Israel, too, are...
The US car market collapses for the first time after the 2008 crisis - 01/10/2018
Sales of new cars, one of the most important indicators of the economy, collapsed in the US following the results of 2017 for the first time after the world crisis of 2008. In the new year, the fall will continue. During the financial crisis of 2007-2009, the demand for new cars has fallen to the lowest levels in decades, and US authorities have sent billions of dollars from the US budget to save...
American coal miners and nuclear power plants are refused subsidies - 01/09/2018
Federal regulators rejected a controversial proposal by the US Presidential Administration of Donald Trump, which was supposed to support coal companies, CNNMoney writes. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected Energy Minister Rick Perry's request for subsidies for coal-fired power plants and nuclear power. Perry referred to the need to improve stability of the country's energy...
Will China change the world oil market? - 01/08/2018
The incredible history of oil yuan, apparently, will be a serious challenge for the West, which now simply ignores this threat. Not only launch of oil futures in RMB serves as a hedging tool for Chinese companies. These contracts will support China's efforts to expand use of the renminbi in world trade, that is, accelerate de-dollarization. Experts expect that the role of the Chinese currency in...