Rate cut emerging markets

Representative image China’s GDP growth forecast for 2022 has been cut by Fitch Ratings from 4.8% to 4.3% in the backdrop of rising coronavirus cases in the country, which led to the adoption of policies that restricted mobility in the important commercial hub of Shanghai aside from broader restrictions across the nation. The ratings agency has; however, revised its 2023 growth forecast for China from 5.1 percent to 5.2 percent based on the assumption that Beijing would gradually phase out its ‘dynamic zero-Covid’ policy over the next year. They explained that their forecast is subject to downside risk if containment measures fail to bring new outbreaks under control quickly or if the easing of current restrictions is delayed, and based on the assumption that Beijing would adhere to the ‘dynamic zero’ strictly until 2023. "Spillover to economic activity from Covid-19 pandemic-related disruption became apparent in March, with retail sales falling by 3.5%, the first YoY … [Read more...] about Fitch Ratings cuts China’s 2022 growth forecast amid uptick in COVID-19 cases

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin When it comes to being home to a large number of the world’s richest people, it was already a tough year for mainland China on the 2022 Forbes Billionaires List unveiled in early April. Their ranks thinned to 539 members from a record 626 a year earlier amid slowing economic growth and stock price declines in the world’s most populous nation. The loss of wealth among mainland China’s richest has become even worse since the list was published, however. At least another 97 listees among that group of 539 mainlander members are now below the $1 billion threshold, based on preliminary estimates using Tuesday’s global stock prices. The culprits: Covid and rising interest rates. China’s choice of “zero-Covid” policies to combat the pandemic has led to lockdowns and logistics woes affecting millions across the country, most stunningly in Shanghai, a global business hub with a population of 26 million. China’s Covid … [Read more...] about More Than One In Six Mainland Chinese On 2022 Forbes Billionaires List Are Now Below The Cut

- A + A LONDON (May 15): Bitcoin staged a modest recovery to trade just below US$30,000, extending a period of relative market calm after the collapse of a closely watched stablecoin roiled digital assets in the past week. The largest cryptocurrency advanced 1.1% to US$29,670 at 10.40am in London. Ether, the second-biggest token, rose 1.9% while coins like Avalanche and Cardano posted larger gains. Bitcoin dipped to a low of US$25,425 on Thursday after the TerraUSD algorithmic stablecoin unravelled, throwing the entire ecoystem that supports it into disarray. At its height, the market panic engulfed the US$76 billion stablecoin Tether, a key cog in crypto assets that briefly dipped from its dollar peg. "We have witnessed the rapid decline of a major project, which sent ripples across the industry, but also a new found resiliency in the market that did not exist during the last market downswing," Changpeng Zhao, chief executive officer of crypto exchange … [Read more...] about Bitcoin trades below US$30,000 as markets digest TerraUSD fallout

New C-Class Mercedes-Benz, the country’s largest maker of luxury cars by volume, recently launched its entry-level premium sedan the C-class at a price that’s higher than ever before, but the Stuttgart-based auto major doesn’t see that as a barrier to pushing sales and driving volumes. Instead, its executives say that its product portfolio, which it claims is the widest in the category, combined with its transparent pricing mechanism, is future-proofing its business model, and prepping it for even higher sales. Mercedes-Benz India reported sales of 11,242 cars and SUVs in 2021, cementing it at the top of the luxury segment for the seventh year running and giving it a market share of around 41 percent. For Q1 this year, the company says it has already sold around 4,022 units. In terms of its range of products, Mercedes claims the largest selection in the Indian market. “We have the broadest portfolio of any manufacturer in India,” Martin Schwenk, Mercedes-Benz India’s CEO, … [Read more...] about Mercedes-Benz tackles tough market with wide portfolio, transparent pricing

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Shanghai will gradually allow shopping malls, vegetable markets and hair salons to reopen starting tomorrow after weeks of closure to ward off Covid-19, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported today. “Shanghai has been vigorously promoting the opening of business outlets and the return of personnel to ensure supply of daily necessities,” the Xinhua report said, citing comments by Shanghai Vice Mayor Chen Tong at a media briefing. Lockdowns in the business hub of 26 million have disrupted supply chains, investment, staffing and transportation in the world’s second-largest economy. Foreign businesses with operations in the city include Tesla, Volkswagen and Johnson & Johnson; a government report last year said the city has 61,090 foreign-invested businesses. The city is home to U.S.-listed Chinese companies including Bilibili, Pinduoduo, Trip.com and Huazhu. Lockdown fallout has spilled over from Shanghai itself into the … [Read more...] about Covid-Hit Shanghai To Allow Gradual Reopening Of Malls And Markets, Xinhua Says

Representative image After closing at an all-time low against the US dollar on Thursday, the rupee recovered some lost ground to trade at 77.31 against the US dollar in morning trade on Friday as the American currency retreated from its elevated levels. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 77.35 against the American dollar, then gained further ground to quote at 77.31, registering a rise of 19 paise from the last close. On Thursday, the rupee plunged 25 paise to close at its lifetime low of 77.50 against the US currency. Forex traders said the Indian Rupee could see range-bound trade against the US dollar as broad dollar strength could offset losses from a rate hike by the Indian central bank next month due to rising domestic inflation. India's headline inflation galloped for a seventh straight month to touch an 8-year high of 7.79 per cent in April on rising food and fuel prices, raising the odds of an interest rate hike by the RBI early next month to … [Read more...] about Indian rupee rebounds from all-time low; rises 19 paise to 77.31/USD

Representative image The soaring dollar is propelling the global economy deeper into a synchronized slowdown by driving up borrowing costs and stoking financial-market volatility -- and there’s little respite on the horizon. A closely watched gauge of the greenback has risen 7% since January to a two-year high as the Federal Reserve embarks on an aggressive series of interest-rate increases to curb inflation and investors have bought dollars as a haven amid economic uncertainty. A rising currency should help the Fed cool prices and support American demand for goods from abroad, but it also threatens to drive up the import prices of foreign economies, further fueling their inflation rates, and sap them of capital. That’s especially worrying for emerging economies, which are being forced to either allow their currencies to weaken, intervene to cushion their slide, or raise their own interest rates in a bid to buttress their foreign exchange levels. ALSO READ: The Dollar … [Read more...] about Dollar’s strength pushes world economy deeper into slowdown

Indian markets remained bearish for the the second consecutive week ended May 13 as the benchmark share indices lost nearly 4 percent. Persistent worries over rising inflation, possibility of further rate hikes by global central bank, China lockdown and weakening rupee kept the investors on the edge. During the last week, BSE Sensex declined 2,041.96 points (3.72 percent) to close at 52,793.62, while the Nifty50 shed 629.05 points (3.83 percent) to end at 15,782.20 levels. However, in the month of May Sensex and Nifty have lost more than 7 percent each. During the week gone by, all the sectoral indices were in the red with BSE Metal and Power indices falling 13 percent each. BSE Telecom index shed 6.7 percent and Realty index declined 5.8 percent. In broader market, the BSE Mid-cap index lost 5.6 percent, Small-cap index shed 6.5 percent and Large-cap Index declined 4.4 percent. In absence of any major event, market participants will be closely eyeing the performance of … [Read more...] about Dalal Street Week Ahead | LIC listing, earnings among 10 key factors that will keep traders busy

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin China this week reported a 47% plunge in auto sales in April from a year earlier as Covid-19 lockdowns wreaked havoc in the world’s largest auto market and a major global manufacturing hub for auto parts and electric vehicles. Amid business uncertainties in the wake of the country’s Covid policies, “one thing remains certain,” China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said yesterday. “China will stick to its dynamic zero-COVID policy.” So what’s ahead for the global auto industry? I spoke on Tuesday with Bill Russo, the founder and CEO of Automobility, a Shanghai-headquartered strategy and investment advisory firm. The 18-year China business veteran and former head of North East Asia at Chrysler had been on the ground in Shanghai through this year’s lockdowns until last week, when he returned home to the United States. Industry supply chains will remain constrained for the foreseeable future, fueling inflationary pressure, … [Read more...] about ‘Gigantic’ Impact From China Lockdowns To Hit Auto Industry Globally: Automobility’s Bill Russo

Representative image Snapping its two-day winning streak, the rupee slumped by 15 paise to end at 77.40 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday, following risk-off sentiments amid increasing concerns over inflation globally. Weak domestic equities, surging US dollar in overseas markets and persistent foreign fund outflows also weighed on the rupee which plunged to its all-time intra-day low of 77.63 against the US dollar, forex traders said. Weak domestic equities, surging US dollar in overseas markets and persistent foreign fund outflows also weighed on the rupee which plunged to its all-time intra-day low of 77.63 against the US dollar, forex traders said. At the interbank forex market, the rupee opened steeply lower at 77.52 against the greenback and moved in a range of 77.36 to 77.63 in the day trade. The rupee finally ended at 77.40, down by 15 paise over its previous close. The rupee had settled at 77.25 against the US dollar on Wednesday. On May 9, the … [Read more...] about Rupee recovers from all-time low, settles 15 paise lower at 77.40 against US dollar