Us economic recovery

The trend of Malaysia’s economic recovery is in a better direction, according to the chief statistician. (Photo by Low Yen Yeing/The Edge) - A + A KUALA LUMPUR (June 23): Malaysia’s economic recovery is in a better direction as the performance of the Leading Index (LI) for April 2022 eased to a better negative of 0.5% from a negative 1.4% in March 2022, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). The LI is a predictive tool used to anticipate economic upturns and downturns in an average of four to six months ahead. In a statement, the DOSM said the decrease in the LI was influenced mainly by a drop in the number of housing units approved caused by a decline in applications from developers during the said month. Based on a month-on-month comparison, LI slipped to a negative 0.5%, dragged by the number of housing units approved (-1.4%), the number of new companies registered (-0.5%), and the Bursa Malaysia Industrial Index (-0.3%). "Despite the … [Read more...] about DOSM: Leading Index signifies better economic recovery ahead

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India ’s (IBBI) suggested changes to liquidation regulations, if implemented, could help banks maximise recoveries in a time-bound manner, said at least six bankers and legal experts Moneycontrol spoke to on June 23. “The proposed amendments are possibly a solution to practical difficulties faced in the liquidation regime and the failure to achieve the timelines,” said Sushmita Gandhi, partner, IndusLaw. “It is a genuine attempt to fill those gaps to work out a comparatively efficacious regime.” “The amendments hold a strong potential for reducing banks’ haircuts by imposing stricter timelines for the completion of the liquidation process,” Gandhi added. Liquidation is the process of monetising a company’s assets, and using those funds to repay the company’s debts. The liquidation process starts in case the insolvency resolution process fails or the committee of creditors (CoC) decides to liquidate the company at any time during the … [Read more...] about IBBI’s proposed amendments to liquidation regulations may help banks streamline recovery process, say experts

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Inflation is soaring, stagflation looks likely, and an economic recession seems imminent. “A mild downturn may be followed by a painfully prolonged recovery” is how The Economist describes the near-term economic climate, which stands to severely impact healthcare technology buying and selling patterns and decrease available capital for tech investments; it also places a greater emphasis on digital health sellers to be able to clearly demonstrate the ROI and value of their products. Demonstrating ROI Is No Easy Task – Nor Should It Be The good times have been really good for digital health sellers over the last decade, and increasingly so over the past few years. Even with recent pullbacks in 2022, digital health funding reached $6B in Q1 of this year (compared to $6.7B in Q1 of 2021), which is certainly nothing to sneeze at. But with economic uncertainty comes increasing capital constraints, which stands to … [Read more...] about Digital Health’s Burden Of Proof: Compelling ROI In A New Economic Reality

Copper or Doctor Copper as market analysts refer to it due to its reputation of having a “Ph.D. in economics” because of its ability to predict the direction of global economy, has tumbled significantly in the recent past and is currently trading at its 15-month low on the London Metals Exchange (LME). The past trends of copper prices and global economic growth have signified that both the copper prices and global economy move in tandem and one can predict the turning points in global economy based on the direction of global copper prices. Experts are of the opinion that the correlation between copper prices and global economic health does largely hold good, though, at times there might be some brief aberrations. “Aberrations may occur due to governments’ interventions in the form of fiscal stimulus, or the major central bankers’ trying to respond to the changing macro-economic conditions by the way of change in their monetary policies”, said Praveen Singh, AVP, Fundamental … [Read more...] about Dr Copper’s falling prices indicate more ailments on the cards for global economy

Representative image Dear Reader , The Panorama newsletter is sent to Moneycontrol Pro subscribers on market days. It offers easy access to stories published on Moneycontrol Pro and gives a little extra by setting out a context or an event or trend that investors should keep track of. Inflation is the topic of the moment, not just for central bankers, but also for households, markets, governments and corporates. In fact, companies have been taking innovative steps to tackle it. For India, inflation traditionally has a lot to do with energy prices, though food prices have also played their part. This time around too, fuel-led inflation has impacted the country, but at the same time high fuel prices and commodity prices along with logistic issues on account of the Russia-Ukraine war have resulted in fertiliser prices shooting up. The government has tried to absorb the impact of higher fertiliser costs by extending subsidies. Fertiliser subsidy during the year is … [Read more...] about Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | No quick fix for inflation

After long years of delay, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the setting up of an entity to address the stressed assets of banks. The organization will be set up through an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC) model, she said in the 2021 Budget Speech. Details of the proposals are still awaited. This institution, what is commonly known as ‘bad bank’, will be a major boost for bad asset resolution in the financial system and has been in discussions for long. Banks can transfer bad assets to this entity at a discount. Experts will then attempt for a resolution through a professional approach, while originating banks can focus on new business. On January 27, Moneycontrol reported that a bad bank is likely to be announced in the Budget. Nearly 8 percent of the total loans have gone bad (overdue more than 90 days) at this stage. What is a bad bank? To be sure, the idea of a bad bank itself is not new. In 2018, the government announced a plan for PSBs called … [Read more...] about Budget 2021: FM announces bad bank, why it is a big step towards addressing Indian banks’ toxic assets worries

Any assessment of a government's performance invariably ends up at the economic door. At the start of Narendra Modi's ninth year as prime minister (PM), it is then pertinent to ask: how has the Indian economy fared so far? Making any straight comparisons between now and May 2014 would be unfair given the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. And even before the pandemic's end, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upended all calculations again. "No one country today can plan for its recovery...because of these kinds of disturbances. Our recovery, not just of India, but for countries everywhere, will be severely hampered," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had noted in late February a day after Russia attacked Ukraine. But it must not be forgotten that India has attempted to kick-start its economic recovery multiple times in the last eight years. The first of these was soon after Modi took charge as PM in May 2014. Working in tandem with Raghuram Rajan at the Reserve Bank of … [Read more...] about Modi govt @ 8 | Pandemic hides economy’s past troubles as restart button hit again

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Market chatter is that Budget 202 1 may offer some roadmap to address the problem of bad loans in the banking system. Nearly 8 percent of the total loans have gone bad (overdue more than 90 days) at this stage. How can banks speed up bad asset resolution? Among options, the most favoured idea is the creation of a bad bank--a long-pending proposal in the Indian banking industry. What is a bad bank? A 'bad bank' is a bank set up to buy the bad loans and other illiquid holdings of another financial institution. Once toxic assets are transferred to this entity, attempts for an early resolution by experts begins while originating banks can focus on their business. Banks can transfer NPAs to a bad bank at a discount. The price discovery can happen at a later stage. To be sure, the idea of a bad bank itself is not new. In 2018, the government announced a plan for PSBs called 'Project Sashakt', which had a five-point plan for bad loan resolution … [Read more...] about Budget 2021: Will ‘bad bank’ take off this time? 5 reasons why the timing could be just right

When the sun sets in Batu Ferringhi, the sidewalks of Penang’s main beach destination come alive with a cacophony of activity at the popular night market. Vendors set up stalls along Jalan Batu Ferringhi and sell a variety of things. The items on sale range from home decoration items to fresh fruits and fake designer handbags, to T-shirts featuring Armenian Street’s iconic murals. The bazaar has been a perennial favourite among tourists, but chances are you won’t find Elaine Tan browsing around. The Penangite only goes there when visiting friends want to experience the nightlife at Batu Ferringhi. “It is such a touristy thing to do. Most Penangites I know don’t really go to the night market,” Tan says, adding that she is not a fan of the long drive up the winding road to the popular tourist spot from her home in the city centre. The Batu Ferringhi night market has always injected much excitement to the nightlife at Penang's famous beach destination. - Filepic But the … [Read more...] about Can Malaysians really be tourists in their own country?

It has been almost a year since Doris Kwan last stepped into a spa centre. Before the pandemic, the housewife from Selangor would regularly go for traditional Thai massages to help alleviate muscle aches and headaches. “When I step into a spa centre, I can immediately feel my mind being put at ease,” she said. Kwan, who is in her late fifties, added that she enjoys the relaxing ambiance that is created through scent, music and water features at the venue. According to Kwan, the soothing music at spa centres transports her to a different location. “Sometimes I feel like I’m inside a forest or at a riverside. I really feel a sense of freedom from my daily stress,” she said. Kwan, who usually frequents spas with her husband, shared that going for a spa treatment allows her to have quality time with her spouse. Spas, wellness centres and massage centres are allowed to reopen after braving a long closure period. - Filepic Kwan is certainly looking forward to her next rest … [Read more...] about Time for Malaysians to feel good at spa and massage centres