|
COVER
STORY
Commodities
: The Great Surge
- - Amit Singh Sisodiya and Surjeet Mohapatra
If
you have not analyzed what outperformed equities in
recent times, its time to look at the commodities
rice charts. Commodities, right from oil to base metals
to precious metals to even the so-called soft (agri)
commodities, have delivered returns that were unheard
of in the past. The remarkable rise in commodities prices
has also meant that they are no longer a mundane stuff.
And the commodity bulls who have made merry as a result
of the unprecedented run-up in commodity prices claim
that the excitement has just begun.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
INDUSTRY
Galloping
Oil Prices : Oil Shock in the Offing?
- - N Janardhan Rao and Ravi Babu Adusumilli
The
burgeoning oil consumption and the consequent rise in
oil prices are a matter of concern. Is oil shock round
the corner? The abrupt rise in oil prices in
the past can be attributed to supply crisis caused by
politics, whereas the current oil price rally is more
a "demand crisis". Though the supply constraints
still exist due to changing political scenario globally,
the oil demand is outpacing the supply. Eventually,
the rising oil prices have occupied the top position
in the list of major impediments to the global economy.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
INDUSTRY
Oil
Prices : They Dont Make News Anymore
- - R Vishwanathan
The
world is coming to realize that there is a need for
fair price for oil too, like anything else, for it could
be significantly higher than the current price.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
INDUSTRY
India
Inc.: Global Acquisitions Spree
- - D Satish and Surendar Vaddepalli
An
increasing number of overseas acquisitions by Indian
corporates are of late overtaking the inbound acquisitions.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
BY
INVITATION
Indian
IPOs : Impact on Secondary Market
- - Deven R Choksey
Going
by the current trend where liquidity is abundant, it
is not expected to have any material impact on the secondary
market.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
BY
INVITATION
Commodity
Boom : The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- - P H Ravikumar
Apart
from demand and supply, the "other factors" include
the trend in the last two years of looking at commodities
as a "currency" for store of value by investors.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
BUSINESS
ENVIRONMENT
France
: Idealizing Conservatism
- - D Satish
The
French are rejecting reforms and are increasingly turning
pro-tectionists. What does it mean to the fifth largest
economy in the world and what repercussions would it
have on the progress of the European Union?
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
BUSINESS
ENVIRONMENT
Ballooning
US Deficit : Leading to Global Imbalance?
- - N Janardhan Rao and L Venu
Americas
worsening current account deficit is worrying global
financial markets. The US current
account deficit reached record levels causing renewed
fear of flight from the dollar with wrenching consequences
for the US economic prosperity. In economic parlance,
there is nothing wrong with a country running a current
account deficit as the global economy integrates more
closely today than ever. According to the Bureau of
Economic Analysis (BEA), an agency of the US Department
of Commerce, the current account deficit (i.e., measure
of the US balance of trade in goods, services, and payments
to the rest of the world) as on March 2006 has reached
an all-time high of $900 bn. Economists say from a global
perspective, this is indeed very large even for an economy
of the size of the US.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
BUSINESS
ENVIRONMENT
Emerging
Economies : Budding to Booming
- - D Satish and Smitha Deshpande
Countries
of the so-called "Third World" are ready to lead the
global economy. For some years now, the global
economy has been performing re-markably well. Its annual
GDP growth rate has been hovering around 5% for almost
a decade now. A large share of this rapid growth can
be attributed to emerging economies which are outperforming
the rich countries in terms of economic growth. Driven
by strong macroeconomic factors and sound monetary policies,
the emerging economies are poised to shift the economic
strength from a few developed nations to several developing
countries. Three facts support this argument.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
BUSINESS
ENVIRONMENT
Sino-US
Trade Relations : Tensions Escalate
- - D Satish and Smitha Deshpande
While
President Hu Jintaos visit to Washington produced no
major breakthrough, it did reveal the world just how
significant and complex the Sino-US trade relations
have become. How these relations would be handled will
have a far-reaching impact on the future of the global
economy.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
BUSINESS
ENVIRONMENT
Outsourcing
War : India vs. China
- - C Padmavathi
With
increased momentum in outsourcing, the two Asian giants
are increasingly digging into each others markets.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
BUSINESS
ENVIRONMENT
US
: Debate on Illegal Immigration
- - D Satish and Krishna Priya
The
proposed US anti-immigration bill is caught in the middle
of a fierce debate. May 1, 2006 can be rightly
called the "day without immigrants", as hundreds
of thousands of immigrants and their sympathizers abandoned
their work to stage a peaceful protest against the US
governments proposal to pass a law against illegal
immigrants. The protests were triggered by the prospect
of a new bill aimed to criminalize illegal immigrants
and those who support them, as well as build a 700 mile
long wall along the 2,000 mile border with Mexico, which
already has 83 miles of fences. These protests spread
the message across that immigrants are an indispensable
part of the US economy and, hence, deserve the right
to continue living and working in the US.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
INTERNATIONAL
FINANCE
IMF
: In Reform Mode
- - D Satish and Smitha Deshpande
The
embattled International Monetary Fund (IMF) struggles
to reinvent itself to face the changing environment.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
FINANCIAL
MARKETS
Private
Equity : Hub of Activity
- - D Satish
India
is witnessing significant activity in the private equity
space with a number of overseas and domestic private
equity firms eyeing for opportunity.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
FINANCIAL
MARKETS
US
Property Derivatives : Homes with Hedges
- - D Satish and Ravi Babu Adusumilli
The
property markets, Americas largest asset class, have
now found a way to hedge against uncertain housing prices.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
PERSPECTIVE
Higher
Education : Challenges under New Economy
- - GRK Murty
The
quest for knowledge workers in a globalized economy
compels India to hone its infrastructure for higher
education.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
ENTERTAINMENT
Seventymm
: Flicks on Click
- - Amit Singh Sisodiya and Ankur Gupta
Promoted by Raghav Kher, an ex-Microsoft hand and
a serial entrepreneur, Indias very own online movie
rental firm aims to capitalize on the shift in consumer
preferences to home entertainment, which has seen sales
of home theater systems and DVD players rising significantly
in recent times.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
TECHNOLOGY
IPTV:
Redefining TV Viewing
- - Amit Singh Sisodiya and Kavitha Putta
Internet
Protocol Television (IPTV) looks all set to enter India
if telecom service providers have their way.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
CORPORATE
STRATEGY
Suzlons
Acquisition of Hansen : Winds of Synergy
- - Amit Singh Sisodiya and Akhil Tandulwadikar
The
acquisition of Hansen, the Belgian gearbox maker, gives
Indias Suzlon, a leg-up to its plan to have a strong
global footprint.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
ART
AND ARTISTS
Chinas
Tryst with English : A Win-win Situation for China and
India
- - Rajendra Kumar Dash
Of
late, China has woken up to the advantages which the
knowledge of the English language confers upon its votariesglobal
competency and unlimited trade opportunities.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
APOLITICAL
Sense
and Sensex: Are they strange bedfellows?
- - grk
"Sensex nose-dived by 826 points"; "Meltdown: investors lose Rs.2,25,681 crore"; "Largest
fall in BSEs 130 years" - thus screamed the market
players on Thursday, 18th May 2006. Coming to the details:
The market suffered its biggest single day fall of 6.8%.
As the benchmark index fell from an intra-day high of
12217.81 to 11391.43, it wiped out a whopping Rs. 2,25,681
crore of market capitalization - all in a matter of
a days trading. No support was witnessed even at 11400
levels, though; unlike on May 17th 2004 it did not trigger
circuit breakers.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved
|
