Category Archives: Business

Business

Business Monitor International Launches Latest Report in India

Business Monitor International (BMI) has announced the launch of its latest report on India’s Information Technology industry.

The report includes BMI’s market assessment and independent 5 forecast to end 2015, covering personal computers and software; semi-conductors, memory chips, integrated circuits and general components; the internet and IT solutions.

The India analysis report also analyses regulatory changes (licensing, customs and intellectual property protection) and competitive landscapes comparing multinational and national IT companies by products, sales, market share, investments, projects and expansion strategies.

BMI’s India Information Technology Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, IT associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on the IT industry in India. The report is vital for all these groups to benchmark BMI’s independent 5-year IT industry forecasts to test other views – a key input for successful budgetary and strategic business planning in the India IT market. It is also vital because it allows them to target business opportunities and risks in India’s IT sector through reviews of latest Information Technology trends regulatory changes, and major deals, projects and investments in India. Finally, it allows these groups to assess the activities, strategy and market position of competitors, partners and clients via Company Profiles, including KPIs and latest activity.

In 2011, India’s potentially vast IT market should consolidate its strong performance in 2010 thanks to an improving economy and consumer sentiment. Computer shipments were up by around 30% in 2010 compared with 2009, and although growth is expected to moderate in 2011 due to base effects, it should remain comfortably in double-digits.

Less than 3% of people in India own a computer (about one-fifth of the level in China), meaning particular potential in the lower end product range. However, realisation of this long-term growth potential depends on fundamental drivers such as raising India’s low computer penetration, rising incomes, falling computer prices and the government’s ambitions to connect the vast rural areas to the outside world.

However, the key threat to the Indian IT sector is the global economic slowdown and rising costs that will impact on consumer and business sentiment.

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Saxo Bank Announces Ole Sloth Hansen to Visit Dubai

Saxo Bank, the online trading and investment specialist, has announced that Ole Sloth Hansen, senior commodity Manager at Saxo Bank, will be visiting Dubai in early June to discuss with investors and the financial media recent trends in commodity prices, which have risen dramatically over the past two years.

Total investments into commodities have risen 250 per cent from US $159 billion in 2008 to $400 billion in 2011, according to Barclays Capital, with investments in gold and silver rising three-fold during the period.

Hansen recently observed that investment flows into commodities have been very strong due to a combination of strong fundamentals and new inventions, such as exchange traded funds (ETFs), which has made the sector accessible to everyone.

“ETFs have had a strong impact on the commodities market, making them accessible to everyone from the biggest hedge fund managers to the retail investor,” said Hansen.

“May has been a month of setbacks across most commodities. Prior to this, commodities had been outperforming bonds, equity and currency investments, so it is most likely that this deceleration is just a temporary correction in an overall bullish market.”

Ole Sloth Hansen is a specialist in traded futures with over 20 years experience, both on the buying and selling side. He joined Saxo Bank in 2008 and today works as a senior manager analysing a diversified range of products from fixed income to commodities. He previously worked for 15 years in London, most recently for a multi-asset Futures and Forex Hedge fund where he was in charge of the trade execution team.

Ole Sloth Hansen will be in Dubai 7/8 June to discuss the commodities landscape at present and the new strategies for entering the market through ETFs.

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Saxo Bank Provides Retail Derivatives Trading to TD Waterhouse

Saxo Bank, the specialist in online trading and investment, has announced it will provide TD Waterhouse, the UK’s leading execution only broker, with an online derivatives trading platform for retail investors. Through Saxo Bank’s technology and service, TD Waterhouse will enhance its offering to enable customers to take control of their trading through TD Derivatives Trading for Contracts for Differences (CFDs), FX and Futures.

The TD Derivatives Trading account, which will be provided by Saxo Bank, has been developed to respond to the needs of sophisticated derivatives traders. Clients can tradeCFDs with commissions starting from 0.15% (minimum £15) on all markets. They can also take advantage of one of the leading FX Trading offerings available, with access to more than 160 FX currency pairs. The account also includes Futures, enabling customers to trade over 450 instruments on live market prices from exchanges around the world. TD Derivatives Trading clients can also create their perfect trading environment using two, free customisable platforms that can be adapted to their exact specifications.

Darren Hepworth, trading and customer services director at TD Waterhouse commented: “We always strive to ensure our customers have access to the best products and services. With the launch of TD Derivatives Trading, our customers can take control of their trading needs and create their perfect trading environment.”

Albert Maasland, CEO of Saxo Bank London added: “We are thrilled to be working with the preeminent execution only broker, TD Waterhouse. Their decision to adopt Saxo Bank’s technology and service are testament to the effectiveness of our offering in the retail market place. We strive to develop a collaborative business model, and the launch of this service reinforces the strength of our Institutional solutions.”

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Business Monitor International Launches Report on China’s Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industry

Business Monitor International (BMI) has announced its latest report, China Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report.

The healthcare and pharmaceutical analysis includes Business Monitor International’s five and ten year forecast for drugs and healthcare expenditure, imports and exports, and focuses on the growth outlook for the prescription, OTC, patented drugs and generics market segments. The forecasts are based on in depth analysis into industry trends and new developments.

The China Analysis report is designed to provide industry professionals, market investors and corporate and financial services analysts with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on the Chinese pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. The report is vital to these groups so that they can benchmark BMI’s independent five and ten year pharmaceutical and healthcare industry forecasts on Chine, target business opportunities and risks in the Chinese pharmaceutical and healthcare sector and asses the activities, strategy and market position of pharmaceutical competitors, partners and clients.

Following the outcome of Q1 2011, BMI now predicts China will become the most attractive pharmaceutical market in Asia Pacific within the next five years. China has the world´s most attractive emerging pharmaceutical market. Driven by a booming economy and underpinned by political stability, demand for medicines, both generic and patented, will continue to increase. However – the key downside risk is further pricing pressures, which could intensify in the event of an economic slowdown.

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TradingFloor.com Releases Video on Margin Pressure

TradingFloor.com, the home of Saxo Bank’s trading commentary, financial research and analysis, has released a video discussing the first quarter earnings wrap and specifically what happened to margin pressure.

It seems margin pressure hardly emerged and that its effects (on the back of higher commodities), especially for consumer driven companies, will instead first kick in later in the year. The underlying momentum for stocks remains strong. Pro-cyclical companies, in particular, posted good results largely driven by emerging markets), and this was confirmed in their earnings outlooks for more growth ahead – which is good news for stocks and the overall economy. Peter Garny, equity strategist for Saxo Bank discusses these issues in TradingFloor.com’s latest video.

With the larger companies in the S&P 500 in mind Peter discusses how many investors at the beginning of the earnings season were talking about a margin squeeze. In actual fact margins have actually expanded slightly in April, as well as year on year. So, margin pressure is by and large not evident yet, and the only disappointment lay on the top line in terms of revenue, which has slowed down somewhat. However, Peter is hopeful that this will grow again as the economy continues to grow throughout the year.

Peter then tackles how companies have dealt with the pressure of rising input costs. He commented that many of the large companies still have tight controls in place, meaning they have managed to keep their operating costs low. Most companies are also operating with long term contracts, which mean that rising spot prices in commodities are yet to kick in.

To finish, Peter talks about how large shipping companies and steel makers have recently reported better than expected earnings and growth, and what can be deduced from this in terms of economic growth. The numbers from these big procyclical companies, combined with the better than expected GDP numbers from the Eurozone show that the underlying momentum in the economy and on the corporate side is strong. However, as there is no great pick up in either Europe or the U.S., the emerging markets are clearly driving these numbers. This is a good sign for economic recovery, because when big companies affirm their outlooks for 2011, it generally means it should be a good year for stocks.

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Will the Catholic Church & the U.S. Courts Embrace Advanced Cell Technologies?

Advanced Cell Technology with laboratory facilities in Marlborough Massachusetts has pioneered a solution to the ethical, moral & legal debate raging in regards to protection of a human embryo. ACT has developed the “single-blastomere” technique. Patent Number 7,893,315 a non-destructive alternative for deriving human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines.

This achievement in Regenerative medicine is a ground breaking feat for both Catholic and U.S. law.
• The 1995 encyclical The Gospel of Life, of which Pope John Paul II wrote: “Human embryos obtained in vitro are human beings and are subjects with rights; their dignity and right to life must be respected from the first moment of their existence. It is immoral to produce human embryos destined to be exploited as disposable ‘biological material'” (1,5 )
• The Dickey Amendment (also known as the Dickey-Wicker Amendment) is the name of an appropriation bill rider attached to a bill passed by United States Congress in 1995, and signed by former President Bill Clinton, which prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from using appropriated funds for the creation of human embryos for research purposes or for research in which human embryos are destroyed.

The single-blastomere technology uses a one-cell biopsy approach similar to pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), which is widely used in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process and does not interfere with the embryo’s developmental potential. The stem cells generated using this approach are healthy, completely normal, and differentiate into all the cell types of the human The safety record for one-cell biopsy as part of PGD now has a 15-year track record, and is carried out routinely as part of IVF processes around the world. ACT’s technique of protecting the human embryo from harm can be expounded to the smallest blood transfusion in the world. As does a human being give millions of blood cells in a pint of blood so does ACT’s “single blastomere” process take but “one cell” from a 2 day old embryo. As the blood removed from a human donor “regenerate” the removed pint of blood so does the human embryo “regenerate” the one cell. Both of these procedures leave the human body & two day old embryo healthy. Both procedures are similar in that they both provide life saving material to those whom need them most to due to disease and other aliments of a medical nature.

Advanced Cell Technology has been granted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a Phase I/II multicenter clinical trial using retinal cells derived from human embryonic stem cells for both Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD), one of the most common forms of juvenile macular degeneration in the world and Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) the most common form of macular degeneration in the world affecting an estimated 150 million people. ACT is using RPE cells developed from the patented (SCB) technique for this trial. The trial will take place at UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute in California. Because of the biological nature of the human eye the trial will be able to provide a 100% irrefutable proof that the (hESC) derived RPE cells used attached to the Bruch’s membrane. Before and after state of the art imaging will take place.

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RBS Invoice Finance Launches New External Website

RBS Invoice Finance has launched its new external website. The new site comes after several months of development and planning, as well as talking to staff, clients and introducers alike.

The improved site sees the information architecture of the site being completely overhauled, allowing easier access to the information on the site for different audiences.

The new site aims to be turnover-based for those who are keen to understand the types of services RBS Invoice Finance offers; sector-based, for those who are keen to see examples of the services and clients in sectors such as theirs and product-based, for those who know what they are looking for.

The site also features new and improved content including richer content, to help engage visitors and keep them browsing the site, animation to bring ‘Approve/Fund/Collect/Protect’ to life and video client case studies to help tell the RBS Invoice Finance story through the voice of the client.

Ross McFarlance, director of UK sales and client relations, commented: “The digital world is constantly changing, so it’s important that we invest to give our site prominence in search engine results. To ensure this happens, RBS Invoice Finance has appointed bigmouthmedia as its retained search engine optimisation agency. They will help RBS Invoice Finance to continually review and improve its performance in online search engines.

“This is a significant investment in the online channel and one which RBS Invoice Finance is confident will yield increased online visibility, site traffic and new business lead flow.”

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Advanced Cell Technology (OTC:ACTC) vs. Geron Corp. (NASDAQ:GERN)

Regenerative medicine is a highly complicated and vastly misunderstood science. Investor Stem Cell is dedicated to bringing investors and stakeholders together in thoughtful discussion to educate and publicize the incredible advancements unfolding in the regenerative medicine sector. A quantum leap in health care is upon the world. Will you profit from this emerging sector & help bring cures to millions? Find out now what the street thinks at www.investorstemcell.com.

Side by side comparison of Advanced Cell Technology & Geron Corporation:

Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN), Approved by the FDA to use human embryonic stem cell (hESC) treatments to treat spinal cord injuries. The research Goliath is a well-funded machine employing the top minds in the world working on everything from mid-stage oncology trials to promising (hESC) drugs for spinal cord injuries, heart disease & cancer.

Snap shot of Goliath: Geron Corpoartion-(NASDAQ:GERN)-
• Seven oncology Phase 2 trials currently underway, and has several big Pharma joint venture agreements in oncology animal and human trials
• Five hESC areas of investigation underway. GRNOPC1 is the lead candidate. Geron destroys the human embryo through its (hESC) R&D, of which the company uses the blastocyst embryo formation at day five after fertilization from IVF clinics
• Cash, restricted cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities: $221,274.000.00
• Total operating expenses in 2010: $114,730,000.00
• 175 employees; over 100 hold PhD or MD degrees
• Geron Corporation was founded in 1990 and is based in Menlo Park, California
• Trades on the NASDAQ providing liquidity & large institutional investors
• Corporate financial statements:http://www.geron.com/investors/reports/GeronAnnualReport2010.pdf

Advanced Cell Technology not too long ago was the predominant leader in the field of regenerative medicine. It fell from that distinction in part due to executive management hubris and ultimately the credit crisis in mid-2008. ACT was able to resurrect itself from near bankruptcy in June 2008 and now has the distinction of holding two out of the three FDA approved (hESC) trials. ACT is led by a competent executive management team and employs several of the most predominant regenerative researcher(s) in the world.

Snap shot of David: Advanced Cell Technology-(OTC:ACTC)-
• Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell Program is their lead program-(HESC) trials for both SMD/AMD are expected to start in week(s) Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA ) will conduct the 2 (hESC) trials for Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD) and Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
• Filed a European Clinical Trial Application for Phase 1/2 study using (hESC) to treat macular degeneration
• Issued a broad patent for hESC-derived RPE cells in China
• Seeking funding & joint venture partner for Myoblast program for the treatment of cardiovascular disease Phase 2 approved by the FDA
• Joint ventured with Korean medical giant CHA to form “Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine International” (SCRMI). This partnership expected to file an investigational new drug application (IND) with the FDA in Q-4 of this year. CHA biotech is waiting for final approval from the Korea Food and Drug Administration for (hESC) trial for AMD
• Issued patent on its “single-blastomere” technique. Patent Number 7,893,315 broadly covers ACT’s proprietary single-blastomere technology that provides a non-destructive alternative for deriving hESC lines. This “Embryo-Safe” one-cell biopsy approach similar to pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), which is widely used in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process and does not interfere with the embryo’s developmental potential
• 22 full-time employees, six hold PhD or MD degrees-Formed in 1994, HQ in Menlo Park, California with laboratory facilities in Marlborough, MA
• Total operating expenses in 2010: $22,044,701
• Cash, restricted cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities: $34,889,409
• Trades on the OTC:BB ACTC is a Sarbanes–Oxley Act SEC reporter
• Corporate financial statements: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/...

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Cainvest Acquired Sul America International Bank

Cainvest controlled by the Cohab/Aboulafia family from Brazil has announced the acquisition of the totality of shares of Sul America International Bank (Cayman) Ltd. for an undisclosed amount. Cainvest announced an investment of US$ 30 million and renamed the acquired Bank to Cainvest International Bank Ltd.

“We were very impressed with the high level of regulation from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and the number of top-of-class service providers with physical presence in the Island. We understand now why the country ranks as the fifth-largest banking center in the world and look forward for a long lasting presence in the country.” states Charles Aboulafia, co-founder and managing director of Cainvest.

The Cohab/Aboulafia family owns an asset manager specialized in Latin American Corporate Eurobonds and a boutique Investment Bank in Brazil. The family also controls Trisoft Group, a conglomerate of manufacturing companies leader in the non-woven industry in Brazil.

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Saxo Bank Publishes OTC FX Options Market Information And Client Position Data

Saxo Bank, the specialist in online trading and investment, is first to publish market data from the FX Options OTC market. The data, which will be published three times a day on Tradingfloor.com, will greatly enhance traders’ understanding and ability to profitably trade FX as an asset class.

This initiative signifies Saxo Bank’s unique position as a leading market maker in the interbank OTC markets and exemplifies the value that Saxo Bank’s active participation offers to its FX clients.

Information included in the posts is:
– ATM volatilities, which shows the change in volatility of currency pairs
– 25-Delta Risk Reversal, the most widely used parameter in gauging market direction
– OTC Volume index, based on interbank OTC FX Options trade activity
– Market Pin Risk, which shows large strikes that have traded in the interbank market and may act as magnetic levels for the spot price in the future
– Charts, the graphical illustration of Risk Reversals and Implied vs. Historic Volatility
– Retail Position Ratio, which shows client sentiment (bullish/bearish) based on actual client positions
– Current FX Options Board Prices, which allows interested parties to see the competitiveness of Saxo Bank’s streaming quotes

Events in the OTC FX Options market have a direct impact on the development in the Forex spot market. Therefore, this type of data has historically been extraordinarily difficult and costly for traders to acquire. Saxo Bank is making this information publicly available to anyone interested in the Forex market, the largest and most liquid market in the world.

In a statement, Edward Voorhees, Global Head of Foreign Exchange at Saxo Bank, said:
“For market makers in the OTC FX Options market the trend has for some years been risk aversion, which has led to major institutions dramatically reducing their market making activities. Saxo Bank has remained very committed to its market making activities in the FX options space. The reward for being an active market participant is the valuable insight we gain. The options team at Saxo Bank is very proud to be able to share these insightful flow details with all our clients at no added cost.

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Ladi Balogun of FCMB GMD Receives Young Global Champions Award

Ladi Balogun, the Group Managing Director of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plc has been honoured with the award of This Day’s Young Global Champions in honour of young and daring Nigerians who are 50 and below and have taken Nigeria into global competition.

Ladi Balogun received this honour at the 16th Annual This Day Awards for Excellence and Good Governance which took place in Lagos, recently. Ladi Balogun was honoured for transforming a family owned bank in the face of the demise of other family owned banks.

According to the organizers of the yearly awards, leaders of 14 corporate organizations in the country who have built new companies from scratch and made them world class received this year’s awards in this category.

Ladi Balogun, son of Otunba Subomi Balogun, remains one young man who has done tremendously well for himself. Ladi Balogun’s impressive story could not have been otherwise, seeing that ladi balogun attended some of the best educational institutions in the world, which ladi Balogun complements with his subomi Balogun background.Ladi Balogun remains undaunted in his desire to further solidify and sustain the financial base of the balogun’s mega-business, especially, the First City Monument Bank (FCMB), where Ladi Balogun sits as managing director and chief executive officer.

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Saxo Bank Scoops Six Awards at the Euromoney Annual FX Survey 2011

Saxo Bank has picked up no less than six awards at the Euromoney annual FX survey 2011. The categories in which the online trading and investment specialist was voted into the top spot for are:

– Best Improved Overall Market Share By Volume ($10bn – $25bn)
– Best Improved Overall Market Share By Volume ($5bn – $10bn)
– Best Speed of Execution
– Best Research and Analytics
– Best Effective Risk Management and Execution Strategies
– Best Integrated Workflow and Compliance Solutions

Albert Maasland, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive of Saxo Bank London said at the awards ceremony in London last night: “These awards are an accolade to Saxo Bank’s experience in the online trading business and its recognition in the market place. Saxo Bank received more award wins this evening than ever before in our history. This follows our best full-year results ever. I am honoured to accept these awards on behalf of our two founders and my colleagues. All six awards reflect our ongoing commitment to respond to our broad client base and provide the FX market with consistent competitive pricing and leading value-adding products and services.”

The Euromoney annual Foreign Exchange survey is in its 22nd year. The survey is the industry’s leading review of FX trading, research and e-business capabilities and is widely considered as the benchmark league table for the FX market. The awards are a reflection of the efforts of the wider FX industry to provide the tools and functionality that make trading FX more efficient. Results are based on qualitative responses from thousands of companies around the world. Last year over 11,700 votes were cast in the survey, including those of treasurers, traders and investors.

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Saxo Bank First To Offer Direct Online Trading In Brazilian Market

Saxo Bank, the specialist in online trading and investment, has launched four futures that will, for the first time, offer investors who are not residents in Brazil direct access to the Brazilian market. The products include the Bovespa Index and USD/BRL cross and enable investors to gain exposure to one of the currently most buoyant economies and hedge risks in their portfolios.

With this launch, Saxo Bank provides investors with four futures investment instruments – the BOVESPA Index, IBOVSPA Index Mini, BMF US Dollar Future and Mini BMF US Dollar – that are available on all of the bank’s platforms (SaxoTrader, SaxoWebTrader and SaxoMobileTrader).

Moreover, Saxo Bank expands its coverage to over 20 futures markets and more than 80 trading venues which can be accessed via a product range comprising more than 22,000 financial instruments.

In a statement, Pedro Brigham, director of the Latin region for Saxo Bank, said: “The rise in commodity prices has put Brazil on investors’ radars. Its excellent economic growth, political stability and a liquid market where over 3.5 billion US dollars are traded on a daily basis have made the country the clear leader in Latin America at a time when investors increasingly demand greater access to emerging markets”.

Claus Nielsen, executive vice president and head of markets at Saxo Bank, added: “The launch of futures trading in Brazil marks a significant milestone for Saxo Bank, and we are proud to be able to offer our global client base access to this vibrant economy. We look forward to expanding the list of available instruments in Brazil and to further add trading venues in emerging countries to our platform.”

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Business Monitor International Releases Japan Earthquake Implications Report

Business Monitor International has released a new special report which covers the probable economic and market implications of the Japan earthquake to the world economy.

Since the devastating Tohoku earthquake in Japan on March 11 and its terrible aftermath, there has been much speculation on the scale and scope of a potential nuclear disaster and the implications the disaster will have on the world financial markets. The special report seeks to provide some insight into some of the main economic repercussions ranging from the disruption to Japanese economic growth and markets through to the impact on commodity prices and the infrastructure sector.

Currently at least 6,000 people are known to have died and many thousands are still missing, with local authorities reporting that the final toll could exceed 10,000, which would be greater than the 6,400 killed in the Kobe (Hanshin) quake of 1995. However, while the human toll is disastrous, the infrastructure analysis provides the relatively positive news, if there is any, that Japan is better placed than many other disaster prone countries to respond to the crisis and Japan’s social cohesion should help it withstand a disaster of this magnitude better than many other countries. The participation of China and South Korea in the rescue efforts could also boost the previously strained relations between Japan and its neighbours.

Figures in the report show that there will be severe disruption to economic activity and that recession risks have returned to the fore, although at this stage the full impact is difficult to estimate. This comes at a time when it looked like export growth would boost overall GDP in 2011 following a 1.2% annualised contraction in Q410. While Tohoku is not a major economic centre, it still accounts for 8% of GDP and has numerous factories. Meanwhile, power outages across large parts of Japan, including Greater Tokyo, and supply chain concerns mean that major exporting companies such as Sony and Toyota have halted some operations indefinitely. Assuming that net exports place a sizeable drag on headline growth as exports cool and capital imports surge (as following the Hanshin earthquake in 1995), Japan may continue to suffer negative sequential growth in H111.

Other insights from the Japan analysis indicate that the Japanese government will need to spend heavily to rebuild the damage in the Tohoku region, around the city of Sendai, which will generate economic activity, but the costs will worsen Japan’s already dire fiscal deficit and debt burdens, and could put gross government debt through the JPY1,000trn level this year (an estimated 204% of GDP). Additionally, while markets will remain volatile in the short term, indications are that the authorities’ response to the crisis means that the medium-term view of a weaker yen (to JPY85.00/US$ in the first instance) remains on track, and the longer-term view of an eventual fiscal crisis is reinforced.

Other major areas looked at by the report include the risks for oil & gas prices, shipping, agriculture, automotive manufacture and the base metals industry, as well as important regional economic outlooks.

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Online Merchants Maintain Confidence Despite VAT Rise

Almost 50% of online merchants have reported that their sales are up on last year so far, despite the VAT increase in January, according to research by SecureTrading, the UK’s leading independent payment processor.

Approximately 10% of merchants have reported that sales are higher than expected, while 55% claim that sales are in line with their expectations.

Meanwhile, half of the merchants surveyed have taken on the increased VAT cost internally rather than pass this onto the customers. However, 20% have said they do plan to pass these costs on in the next three months, while 52% have no plans to pass these costs on in the future whatsoever.

Tim Allitt, Head of Sales & Marketing, SecureTrading, said, “ Many traditional high street retailers struggled in the run-up to Christmas and this has continued for some in the New Year. However, online merchant accounts are continuing to perform strongly despite the current economic challenges. With the continued growth of online shopping and the rapid take-up by consumers of smart phones, we expect to see this sector go from strength to strength despite the VAT rise. Merchants are working hard to deliver a great experience to their customers.”

Almost 20 per cent of online merchants have introduced VAT-beating promotions to incentivise customer spending. Many merchants are confident that 2011 will be an even better year for online retailing with 72% expecting to perform better than last year.

Allitt added, “Online merchants will have to increase their efforts in 2011 to continue to perform strongly. It’s essential that businesses partner with an experienced and secure payments processer to ensure they can meet customer expectations for a speedy and convenient service.”

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Business Monitor International Launches Special Report On MENA Crisis

Business Monitor International has revealed a special report recently launched on its website that looks at the key risks to global recovery and stability following the crisis in the Middle East and North Africa.

The report states that the wave of popular protests that have swept across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) since January 2011 constitutes the biggest shake-up to the region for at least a generation, and its impact will be felt for many years to come. The unrest also poses the biggest risk to the global economic recovery this year, not least because of its effects on the oil and gas industry with the price of oil continuing to increase.

Although rising inflation has fuelled discontent, the protests are being driven by more fundamental issues, such as a lack of democracy, high unemployment and poor opportunities for social advancement.

Business Monitor International deemed Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, and Yemen to be most at risk of further unrest, although the company emphasises that virtually no state will be completely immune to public protests.

Egypt will remain in a delicate transition to democracy, and if the people’s hopes are dashed, further protests could erupt. In Bahrain, the growing demands of the Shi’a majority could transform the polity, with major implications for Saudi Arabia, which fears unrest among its own Shi’a minority in the oil-rich Eastern Province.

Libya’s descent into civil war represents the most immediate risk to the region and Europe. The country’s oil supplies are of key significance to the EU, but southern European countries also fear a massive influx of refugees from the country. In addition, chaos and lawlessness in Libya could allow Islamist extremists to establish a greater presence in the country.

More broadly, the crisis in MENA has served notice to authoritarian regimes around the world that they are not immune from popular uprisings. Governments in Venezuela, Belarus, several African countries, Central Asia, North Korea, Myanmar, and even China will become ever more vigilant to the possibility of public unrest.

As far as global financial markets are concerned, the combination of supply-side risks to oil and massive political uncertainty in a strategically important region is bad news for risk trades. Business Monitor International’s global macro team has modelled a ‘worst-case scenario’ in which oil prices spike to US$200/bbl. The company’s special report also reveals that Asia’s economic growth is particularly vulnerable to high oil prices, because most countries in the region import more than 90% of their oil needs.

European economies are also likely to be hit by high oil prices the company reveals, and policymakers in the continent will also be wary of the security risks of Libya’s descent into chaos. However, one relative beneficiary is likely to be Russia. Although there are several Russian oil firms with stakes in the Libyan oil market, high oil prices are generally positive for the Russian economy, provided that any price surge does not tip the global economy back into recession.

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Saxo Bank Video Looks at Post-quake Japanese Investment Opportunities

Saxo Bank has released a new Equity Focus video featuring the company’s Equity Strategist Peter Garnry. The video looks at what the possible implications for investors interested in the Japanese stock market are in the short and long-term, with the total impact and cost of the massive earthquake in Japan, related tsunamis and nuclear crisis still unclear. The Bank of Japan has introduced a series of policy easing measures but there is still doubt that this will be enough to create market stability in the Japanese stock market.

Comparing Japan’s current situation to the state of the country’s market following the huge earthquake which occurred in the city of Kobe in 1995, Peter Garnry commented that the stock market remained steady in the days following that disaster but people underestimated its effects and within four months the market had fallen by 25%. When asked whether this was due to the Kobe earthquake hitting a large industrial area of Japan rather than the coastal areas devastated by the recent quake (although some car manufacturing and electronics plants were forced to stop production) Garnry replied that the effect on the market will only be known in the coming months. He also stated that the aftermath of the earthquake could be a great opportunity for many investors to be exposed to Japanese stocks and subsequently invest in them.

With the current disaster coming on top of an already exorbitant national debt status there are increased concerns that the Japanese economy could be pushed back into recession. Meanwhile, major Japanese exporters are being hurt by forced shutdowns due to power shortages, while the yen, at least for now, is supported by the Bank of Japan’s massive liquidity injection into the banking system. As it’s still early days there’s a chance that just a few months down the road the impact on Japan’s economy and currency might be somewhat different and this could result in some interesting investment opportunities in large Japanese export driven stocks.

About Saxo Bank:
Saxo Bank is an online trading and investment specialist, enabling clients to trade Forex, CFDs, Stocks, Futures, Options and other derivatives, as well as providing portfolio management via SaxoWebTrader and SaxoTrader, the leading online forex trading platforms. The three specialised and fully integrated trading platforms; the browser-based SaxoWebTrader, the downloadable SaxoTrader and the SaxoMobileTrader application are available in over 20 languages. The Saxo Bank website features a wealth of investment advice, trading products, market news and analysis, including forex videos.

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TradingFloor.com Releases Video On European Growth

TradingFloor.com, the home of Saxo Bank’s trading commentary, financial research and analysis, has released a video discussing the current European growth.

The European growth situation is particularly in focus, with quite a bit of key macro data being published which is expected to confirm the ‘growth story’. In the video Mads Koefoed, macro strategist at Saxo Bank’s TradingFloor.com discusses the growth in Europe and in the U.S.

Mads first discusses Eurozone industrial production in addition to the Eurozone and some individual members’ GDP reports. The industrial production numbers of -0.1% were a little below consensus expectations but above TradingFloor.com’s expectations of -0.4%. Even though the numbers had declined, the manufacturing sector is still growing strongly in the Eurozone. The declining numbers are thought to be attributed to the very strong November numbers, which saw industrial production rising 1.4% month on month, so some give back is it to be expected in December’s numbers. The very poor weather in December will also have had some affect on production numbers. Mads expects the numbers to improve for January.

The overall GDP reports were also fairly good and what was expected. Countries like Spain performed better than expected with a result of 2% up. With Germany continuing to drive the Eurozone, Mads predicts a fairly robust growth in the Eurozone in the fourth quarter.

Furthermore, also in focus is a meeting of Europe’s Finance Ministers and any indications of increasing the debt stability of southern Eurozone members. While Mads does not foresee much news coming out of the event, he does foresee them discussing the Germany and France proposal to put in place a measure against debt increase to hopefully ensure a more harmonized corporate tax system in the Eurozone, despite other leaders not being completely behind this.

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TradingFloor.com Releases Video on the German Economy

TradingFloor.com, the home of Saxo Bank’s trading commentary, financial research and analysis, has released the video ‘Why the German economy continues to outperform in Eurozone’.

Despite a minor correction in industrial orders in December, the German economy continues to stand out from the rest of the Eurozone members in terms of growth. In the video Mads Koefoed, macro strategist at Saxo Bank’s Tradingfloor.com, discusses the performance of Europe’s largest economy versus the 16 other Eurozone members.

Mads Koefoed discusses two main reasons why he believes the Germany economy is continuing to outperform other countries in the Eurozone. Germany is turning part of its foreign exports away from other countries in the Eurozone and towards Asia. While Germany still continues to do a lot of trade within the Eurozone, by turning to Asia, where more solid growth is taking place, it is doing better than other Eurozone countries that have not moved some of their trade overseas.

Southern countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy have also seen higher cuts on public spending than have happened in Germany, meaning Germany should recover much stronger.

Mads is optimistic that the economic growth of Germany will continue throughout 2011 and hopefully into 2012, because while Germany is cutting costs, it is not doing it as harshly as other countries.

Northern areas of the Eurozone such as the Netherlands and France are expected to catch up with Germany first, though it looks doubtful whether the southern countries will make real advance any time soon. Mads mentions that other countries outside of the Eurozone, such as the UK, should catch up fairly quickly as well. While the UK may see a weak first half due to the rise in VAT and the public spending cuts, the second half of 2011 should see a strong rebound.

The Eurozone economy video is available to view on the Saxo Bank TradingFloor website.

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