The new regional automotive sales lines are being drawn, with very different outcomes in Asia and the US. Toyota, even despite its recall issues, had the largest increase in its domestic auto sales in 38 years. Chinese automakers also saw sales increase dramatically. This, of course, while sales in the US were slower last month than they’ve been in about three decades.
[Read more...]China’s Huge Economy Perhaps Not as Solid as it Seems
August 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
China now has the world’s second largest economy, but its GDP girth may not directly translate into as solid a market as one might guess. In the video below, Stratfor points out that China, despite impressive growth rates, is both export heavy and consistently dependent on razor-thin margins that can easily turn negative. This leaves the nation on a more precarious footing than developed countries with domestically-oriented economies. Until China makes that transition, Stratfor argues, it’ll have a tough time eliminating the persistent threat of social unrest in order to become a sustainable economic powerhouse.
[Read more...]Foxconn Increasing its China Staff to 1.3 Million Workers
August 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment
While the US economy suffers from severe joblessness, one of China’s largest manufacturers, Foxconn Technology Group, is making plans to add about 400,000 new jobs over the next year and build new factories.
True, it’s the same Foxconn that recently experienced a string of 12 worker suicides, but apparently things are looking up!
[Read more...]India’s Banks Follow China’s Lead Toward Expanding Gold Market
August 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Recently, China began looking at ways of internationalizing its gold market, and since then banks in India have also made it known to their central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, that they are seeking permission to buy back gold from investors. These trading rights would be in addition to the role they currently maintain of primarily importing gold with the express purpose of selling it directly to jewelers and retailers.
[Read more...]Ready, Set, Gold! Best Months Are Just Ahead
August 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Global economic conditions are now favorable for gold as a safe-haven investment. The U.S., Western Europe and Japan are close to buckling under the weight of their sovereign debt loads, government budget deficits remain large and persistent and, as a result, faith in major paper currencies is low.
[Read more...]An Emerging Pattern in China’s Gold Market
August 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Earlier this week, we wrote about China’s latest effort to internationalize its gold market, and we’ve previously covered its efforts to encourage citizens to hold personal savings in precious metals. It appears to be part of a somewhat discreet pattern of behavior China has adopted in the gold market, perhaps to become a much bigger player, that’s not gone entirely unnoticed.
[Read more...]Already World’s Largest Gold Producer, China Still Hungry to Grow its Market
August 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
China’s on a mission to further internationalize its gold market, as indicated by a recent announcement to allow more foreign bullion suppliers to import, export, and trade in its market. Previously, the Shanghai Gold Exchange had only five external bank members and that’s including the Chinese divisions of HSBC and Standard Chartered. This looks likely to change soon.
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Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (NYSE:GMCR) — CFRA Roasts Vermont’s Green Mountain
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NYSE:GMCR), the Vermont-based specialty coffee and coffee maker company, last week received a fairly negative research opinion from the Center for Financial Research and Analysis. How it’s impacted the stock is the issue that Dan Amoss, Agora Financial’s editor of the Strategic Short Report, has investigated.
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