We were lucky to set up when we did, says Gianluca D＇Agnolo, who joined CHIOMENTI Studio Legale, one of Italy＇s largest law firms, in 2007 as it was opening in Beijing. With ten years experience in China working on ...We were lucky to set up when we did, says Gianluca D＇Agnolo, who joined CHIOMENTI Studio Legale, one of Italy＇s largest law firms, in 2007 as it was opening in Beijing. With ten years experience in China working on mergers and acquisi- tions （M＆A） for Freshfields, Bruckhaus, Deringer, one of the largest law firms in the world, he had seen the market for international investment in China develop up close and personal. But when he joined Chiomenti, major change was in the air.展开更多
The Chinese aren＇t the only ones launching exchange traded funds （ETFs）. Over the last six months the pool of ETFs focusing solely on Chinese stocks has grown ever larger, as fund managers chase the recovered marke...The Chinese aren＇t the only ones launching exchange traded funds （ETFs）. Over the last six months the pool of ETFs focusing solely on Chinese stocks has grown ever larger, as fund managers chase the recovered market＇s renewed interest in emerging economies. Global X opened up six sector-related funds in December zoo9. Emerging Global Shares opened a China Infrastructure Index in February, and Clay- more/Alpha Shares opened up an ＂all cap＂ ETF to compliment their highly-successful small cap index.展开更多
Have you ever done a search of your name on Google to see what comes up？ Your Facebook profile perhaps with pictures of your latest vacation, a comment you wrote on a blog a few years ago？ See anything you don＇t l...Have you ever done a search of your name on Google to see what comes up？ Your Facebook profile perhaps with pictures of your latest vacation, a comment you wrote on a blog a few years ago？ See anything you don＇t like？ Maybe you wrote that blog comment a bit too angrily,展开更多
Emerging market stocks not high growth enough for you？ Investing in Chinese infotech companies not high risk enough for you？ Well, for the high risk-high return investor, there is a set of overlooked Chinese stocks ...Emerging market stocks not high growth enough for you？ Investing in Chinese infotech companies not high risk enough for you？ Well, for the high risk-high return investor, there is a set of overlooked Chinese stocks that, if correctly managed, could be a significantly better buy than the state-owned enterprises and brandname Internet companies picked up by traders just looking to add a bit of China to their portfolio.展开更多
If you arrive in Wenzhou by train, chances are that the first thing you will ,see is something previously almost unheard of there - a major government- funded infrastructure project： the majority of Wenzhou＇s street...If you arrive in Wenzhou by train, chances are that the first thing you will ,see is something previously almost unheard of there - a major government- funded infrastructure project： the majority of Wenzhou＇s streets, all its highways, and even its airport, were built by private business owners. But in January 2009, at the onset of the global financial crisis, ground was broken on the new southern train station as part of a governmental effort to provide employment for the city＇s large migrant worker population in the face of large-scale lay-offs in factories.展开更多
Now that both the global and local economy have slowly improved from the doldrums of the past two years, there has been a concerted effort over the past few months to move forward with the internationalization of the ...Now that both the global and local economy have slowly improved from the doldrums of the past two years, there has been a concerted effort over the past few months to move forward with the internationalization of the RMB, experiments that could pave the way for the currency to be less dependant on the fixed value of the USD, and allow China to operate an independent monetary policy.展开更多
First-quarter GDP growth came in at an impressive, and slightly frightening, 11.9%, up from 10.7% in the fourth quarter of 2009, and close to China＇s record 12.6% growth in the second quarter of 2007. While much of t...First-quarter GDP growth came in at an impressive, and slightly frightening, 11.9%, up from 10.7% in the fourth quarter of 2009, and close to China＇s record 12.6% growth in the second quarter of 2007. While much of this was due to low numbers from the first quarter of 2009, the higher-than- expected numbers from a variety of industrial sectors -- including consumer appliances, infrastructure development, and especially the property sector where prices rose 11.7% in March from a year earlier and automobiles, where sales were up 76% in the first quarter -- has led most analysts to argue that interest rate hikes, or a revaluation of the RMB, will be on the cards in the coming month or two.展开更多
While China＇s massive RMB 4 trillion stimulus policy, and even larger lending spree, has done its work keeping the country＇s GDP near target levels, a recurring theme in economic commentary has been that the long-te...While China＇s massive RMB 4 trillion stimulus policy, and even larger lending spree, has done its work keeping the country＇s GDP near target levels, a recurring theme in economic commentary has been that the long-term effect of the stimulus depends wholly on where the money goes. Money for health insurance, water sanitation or other projects that meet consumer＇s needs could increase domestic demand and decouple the country from America＇s faltering consumerism. Money for infrastructure in already infrastructure-heavy places will just create more production capacity in a country that＇s already well overcapacity.展开更多
Anywhere there is a problem in the world there＇s a way to make money solving it, and in China, no problem is as desperate as the country＇s water shortage. China＇s per capita water resources are only one-fourth the ...Anywhere there is a problem in the world there＇s a way to make money solving it, and in China, no problem is as desperate as the country＇s water shortage. China＇s per capita water resources are only one-fourth the global average, whereas its water usage per unit of GDP is 550% higher than the average. Pollution and inefficient water use is estimated to cut 8-10% out of the country＇s GDP, and according to China Research and Intelligence, over 70% of Chinese lakes and 90% of Chinese underground water in urban areas is polluted.展开更多
There＇s a menace lurking in computers around the world. Internet Explorer 6 （IE6）, which once held a 95% share of the Internet browser market worldwide, is now a technological dinosaur, incompatible with most web d...There＇s a menace lurking in computers around the world. Internet Explorer 6 （IE6）, which once held a 95% share of the Internet browser market worldwide, is now a technological dinosaur, incompatible with most web design technology. Despite lobbying by Google, Facebook, and even IE6＇s own creator Microsoft to get it moved to the trash bin,展开更多
Those who were in the Silicon Valley in the summer of 2004 will tell you that the atmosphere was one of skepticism. Google, a popular search engine company with no discernable major revenue streams, was asking for bet...Those who were in the Silicon Valley in the summer of 2004 will tell you that the atmosphere was one of skepticism. Google, a popular search engine company with no discernable major revenue streams, was asking for between USD io8 and i35 for one share of its stock. Eventually the company had to lower the price to USD 85-95 and cut the number of shares offered when investors showed little interest in the high-priced sale.展开更多
We usually cover individual stocks in this column, but this month markets are dominated by a trend that covers a large number of Chinese and China-related companies as well as exchange-traded funds （ETFs）： commodit...We usually cover individual stocks in this column, but this month markets are dominated by a trend that covers a large number of Chinese and China-related companies as well as exchange-traded funds （ETFs）： commodities re-inflation. Two major signs are pointing to an impending rebound of commodity prices, the first being the recovery of China, the second being the devaluation of the US dollar. And the two are intertwined.展开更多
Buying into Chinese oil and gas companies is never a safe idea, as shown by the oil price scare in early 2008 when, due to government price controls, Chinese refiners took massive losses while their counterparts in ot...Buying into Chinese oil and gas companies is never a safe idea, as shown by the oil price scare in early 2008 when, due to government price controls, Chinese refiners took massive losses while their counterparts in other countries had their best year in decades.展开更多
China＇s opening up and development is one of the defining stories of globalization. It＇s a tale of steady determination, where a country turned itself from a largely agricultural society to the center of world trade...China＇s opening up and development is one of the defining stories of globalization. It＇s a tale of steady determination, where a country turned itself from a largely agricultural society to the center of world trade and manufacturing, and in doing so lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and experienced 30 years of nearly uninterrupted growth.展开更多
That＇s right, Mauritius, the small island country of 1.2 million people standing off the eastern coast of Madagascar, is one of the top ten largest sources of foreign direct investment into China, according to the Mi...That＇s right, Mauritius, the small island country of 1.2 million people standing off the eastern coast of Madagascar, is one of the top ten largest sources of foreign direct investment into China, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Mauritius invested USD 1.5 billion in China in 2008, accounting for 1.62% of the total investment volume that China had received. The size of its investment in China is growing faster than all but five other countries.展开更多
If you are looking for a sign that something significant changed in China＇s macro-economic world, look no further than July＇s bank lending numbers, which dropped to RMB 355.9 billion （USD 52 billion）, well in line...If you are looking for a sign that something significant changed in China＇s macro-economic world, look no further than July＇s bank lending numbers, which dropped to RMB 355.9 billion （USD 52 billion）, well in line with normal lending patterns, from the massive RMB 1.5 trillion seen in June and the RMB 1.2 trillion monthly average over the first half of the year. Analysts warned that a rapid slowdown of money entering the system, combined with lower profitability from speculative buying, could mean that the second half of the year looks very different from the first half in China. And it looks like this is just the beginning.展开更多
Everyone wants the solar industry to succeed, and China is certainly no exception. Besides cleaning up the environment, a growing solar industry would be a boon to the country＇s high tech workers designing the newest...Everyone wants the solar industry to succeed, and China is certainly no exception. Besides cleaning up the environment, a growing solar industry would be a boon to the country＇s high tech workers designing the newest panel models, its factory workers who would manufacture and construct the panels, and the multitude of investors circling overhead waiting to be the first to swoop on the ＂next big thing.＂展开更多
Inflation is back on everyone＇s mind again, which comes as little surprise. Consumer prices were up 4.9% in January, with food prices up a disconcerting IO.3%. More surprising though is that nonfood inflation hit z.6...Inflation is back on everyone＇s mind again, which comes as little surprise. Consumer prices were up 4.9% in January, with food prices up a disconcerting IO.3%. More surprising though is that nonfood inflation hit z.6%, the highest it has been since before 2001. The rise in prices is being driven by surging producer price inflation,展开更多
Macro-economically, nothing extraordinary happened in July. There were signs that the inventory adjustment, which has slowed the economy since the beginning of the year, is approaching its end - finished goods invento...Macro-economically, nothing extraordinary happened in July. There were signs that the inventory adjustment, which has slowed the economy since the beginning of the year, is approaching its end - finished goods inventories dropped, while steel and iron ore prices rose. Fixed asset investment continued its slow descent from its highs during the stimulus package, dropping to zz.3% from a rate of 26% earlier in the year. Industrial production is growing 13.4% a year, implying a decent month on month gain. Basically,展开更多
文摘We were lucky to set up when we did, says Gianluca D＇Agnolo, who joined CHIOMENTI Studio Legale, one of Italy＇s largest law firms, in 2007 as it was opening in Beijing. With ten years experience in China working on mergers and acquisi- tions （M＆A） for Freshfields, Bruckhaus, Deringer, one of the largest law firms in the world, he had seen the market for international investment in China develop up close and personal. But when he joined Chiomenti, major change was in the air.
文摘The Chinese aren＇t the only ones launching exchange traded funds （ETFs）. Over the last six months the pool of ETFs focusing solely on Chinese stocks has grown ever larger, as fund managers chase the recovered market＇s renewed interest in emerging economies. Global X opened up six sector-related funds in December zoo9. Emerging Global Shares opened a China Infrastructure Index in February, and Clay- more/Alpha Shares opened up an ＂all cap＂ ETF to compliment their highly-successful small cap index.
文摘Have you ever done a search of your name on Google to see what comes up？ Your Facebook profile perhaps with pictures of your latest vacation, a comment you wrote on a blog a few years ago？ See anything you don＇t like？ Maybe you wrote that blog comment a bit too angrily,
文摘Emerging market stocks not high growth enough for you？ Investing in Chinese infotech companies not high risk enough for you？ Well, for the high risk-high return investor, there is a set of overlooked Chinese stocks that, if correctly managed, could be a significantly better buy than the state-owned enterprises and brandname Internet companies picked up by traders just looking to add a bit of China to their portfolio.
文摘If you arrive in Wenzhou by train, chances are that the first thing you will ,see is something previously almost unheard of there - a major government- funded infrastructure project： the majority of Wenzhou＇s streets, all its highways, and even its airport, were built by private business owners. But in January 2009, at the onset of the global financial crisis, ground was broken on the new southern train station as part of a governmental effort to provide employment for the city＇s large migrant worker population in the face of large-scale lay-offs in factories.
文摘Now that both the global and local economy have slowly improved from the doldrums of the past two years, there has been a concerted effort over the past few months to move forward with the internationalization of the RMB, experiments that could pave the way for the currency to be less dependant on the fixed value of the USD, and allow China to operate an independent monetary policy.
文摘First-quarter GDP growth came in at an impressive, and slightly frightening, 11.9%, up from 10.7% in the fourth quarter of 2009, and close to China＇s record 12.6% growth in the second quarter of 2007. While much of this was due to low numbers from the first quarter of 2009, the higher-than- expected numbers from a variety of industrial sectors -- including consumer appliances, infrastructure development, and especially the property sector where prices rose 11.7% in March from a year earlier and automobiles, where sales were up 76% in the first quarter -- has led most analysts to argue that interest rate hikes, or a revaluation of the RMB, will be on the cards in the coming month or two.
文摘While China＇s massive RMB 4 trillion stimulus policy, and even larger lending spree, has done its work keeping the country＇s GDP near target levels, a recurring theme in economic commentary has been that the long-term effect of the stimulus depends wholly on where the money goes. Money for health insurance, water sanitation or other projects that meet consumer＇s needs could increase domestic demand and decouple the country from America＇s faltering consumerism. Money for infrastructure in already infrastructure-heavy places will just create more production capacity in a country that＇s already well overcapacity.
文摘Anywhere there is a problem in the world there＇s a way to make money solving it, and in China, no problem is as desperate as the country＇s water shortage. China＇s per capita water resources are only one-fourth the global average, whereas its water usage per unit of GDP is 550% higher than the average. Pollution and inefficient water use is estimated to cut 8-10% out of the country＇s GDP, and according to China Research and Intelligence, over 70% of Chinese lakes and 90% of Chinese underground water in urban areas is polluted.
文摘There＇s a menace lurking in computers around the world. Internet Explorer 6 （IE6）, which once held a 95% share of the Internet browser market worldwide, is now a technological dinosaur, incompatible with most web design technology. Despite lobbying by Google, Facebook, and even IE6＇s own creator Microsoft to get it moved to the trash bin,
文摘Those who were in the Silicon Valley in the summer of 2004 will tell you that the atmosphere was one of skepticism. Google, a popular search engine company with no discernable major revenue streams, was asking for between USD io8 and i35 for one share of its stock. Eventually the company had to lower the price to USD 85-95 and cut the number of shares offered when investors showed little interest in the high-priced sale.
文摘We usually cover individual stocks in this column, but this month markets are dominated by a trend that covers a large number of Chinese and China-related companies as well as exchange-traded funds （ETFs）： commodities re-inflation. Two major signs are pointing to an impending rebound of commodity prices, the first being the recovery of China, the second being the devaluation of the US dollar. And the two are intertwined.
文摘Buying into Chinese oil and gas companies is never a safe idea, as shown by the oil price scare in early 2008 when, due to government price controls, Chinese refiners took massive losses while their counterparts in other countries had their best year in decades.
文摘China＇s opening up and development is one of the defining stories of globalization. It＇s a tale of steady determination, where a country turned itself from a largely agricultural society to the center of world trade and manufacturing, and in doing so lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and experienced 30 years of nearly uninterrupted growth.
文摘That＇s right, Mauritius, the small island country of 1.2 million people standing off the eastern coast of Madagascar, is one of the top ten largest sources of foreign direct investment into China, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Mauritius invested USD 1.5 billion in China in 2008, accounting for 1.62% of the total investment volume that China had received. The size of its investment in China is growing faster than all but five other countries.
文摘If you are looking for a sign that something significant changed in China＇s macro-economic world, look no further than July＇s bank lending numbers, which dropped to RMB 355.9 billion （USD 52 billion）, well in line with normal lending patterns, from the massive RMB 1.5 trillion seen in June and the RMB 1.2 trillion monthly average over the first half of the year. Analysts warned that a rapid slowdown of money entering the system, combined with lower profitability from speculative buying, could mean that the second half of the year looks very different from the first half in China. And it looks like this is just the beginning.
文摘Everyone wants the solar industry to succeed, and China is certainly no exception. Besides cleaning up the environment, a growing solar industry would be a boon to the country＇s high tech workers designing the newest panel models, its factory workers who would manufacture and construct the panels, and the multitude of investors circling overhead waiting to be the first to swoop on the ＂next big thing.＂
文摘Inflation is back on everyone＇s mind again, which comes as little surprise. Consumer prices were up 4.9% in January, with food prices up a disconcerting IO.3%. More surprising though is that nonfood inflation hit z.6%, the highest it has been since before 2001. The rise in prices is being driven by surging producer price inflation,
文摘Macro-economically, nothing extraordinary happened in July. There were signs that the inventory adjustment, which has slowed the economy since the beginning of the year, is approaching its end - finished goods inventories dropped, while steel and iron ore prices rose. Fixed asset investment continued its slow descent from its highs during the stimulus package, dropping to zz.3% from a rate of 26% earlier in the year. Industrial production is growing 13.4% a year, implying a decent month on month gain. Basically,
