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☆ China’s Tightening Grip on Foreign Firms Risks Hitting Investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jason Douglas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Foreign investment in China will likely remain concentrated among a few big companies willing to maintain or expand their existing operations there. Photo: ROMAN PILIPEY/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockSINGAPORE—China’s moves to put pressure on foreign companies risk squeezing the flow of overseas capital its economy needs, as signs point to the country’s appeal waning as a destination for all but the largest global companies. By one measure, foreign direct investment into China dropped by almost half last year from a year earlier, hitting the lowest level in five years as Covid-19 lockdowns mauled its economy, while other gauges suggest the world’s second-largest economy is struggling to attract corporate newcomers.

☆ When Brian Chesky co-founded Airbnb, his mom said, 'You're not an entrepreneur, you're unemployed'—now he's worth $9.3 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

That's according to Chesky, who told the story at a recent Stanford Graduate School of Business event. Months before Airbnb's scheduled initial public offering, business dropped 80% in eight weeks during Covid-19 lockdowns, Chesky told Stanford students. Today, Airbnb's market cap is $75.49 billion, and Chesky's net worth is $9.3 billion, according to Forbes. "I never focused on trying to make a lot of money," Chesky said. DON'T MISS: Want to be smarter and more successful with your money, work & life?

"Because of higher prices, people are buying smaller amounts of groceries overall and may have become more careful not to waste food." "Despite all of that, (there are) 8% to 12% missing items on shelves," he said. "This has created a major, major issue around out-of-stock" in most of the 16 Middle Eastern countries where the company operates, he said. Laurent Thoumine, Accenture's Europe lead for retail, said supermarkets in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain have had the worst stock issues. Products that are scarce in some stores include ketchup, pasta, chocolate, tea, potato chips, toothpaste and pet food, according to Nielsen IQ's Data Impact.

☆ China has kicked off one of its first long post-pandemic holidays, and an industrial town with cheap barbecue is so popular that authorities are telling people to go elsewhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Zibo's popularity exploded after videos of its affordable local barbecue went viral on social media. It's so popular that Zibo city authorities are urging people to visit during off-peak periods or to consider going to other places in the Shandong province instead. Zibo's popularity exploded over the last two months after college students' videos of the city's affordable local barbecue went viral on social media, according to state-owned China Daily. "Some customers arrived in the morning and waited until evening to enjoy a barbecue supper," Yang Benxin, the owner of a local barbecue eatery, told the Chinese Communist Party-owned People's Daily on Saturday. Zibo's vibrant tourism scene mirrors a recovery in the sector in China with 240 million trips expected over the five-day holiday, according to the government-backed China Tourism Academy, per Xinhua.

☆ EU's von der Leyen hails Infineon factory as chip production milestone for Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DRESDEN, Germany May 2 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday hailed the construction of a new factory by Germany's Infineon (IFXGn.DE) a milestone in mass chip production as Europe tries to capture a larger slice of the strategic industry. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of Infineon's factory in the German city of Dresden, von der Leyen said it was a step in Europe's goal of doubling its share of global chip production to 20% by 2030 by quadrupling its current capacity. But she warned that Europe was still too dependent for raw materials on individual suppliers, citing in particular that China has a 76% share of producing the silicon metals needed in chip production. This is why it is vital that we in Europe strengthen the supply chains of our most important goods and technologies," von der Leyen said in a speech. Infineon expects production at the 5-billion-euro semiconductor plant, the largest investment in the company's history, to start in 2026.

☆ For the first time since it invaded Ukraine, Russia is expected to start buying Chinese yuan again to replenish its foreign reserves
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia is likely to start buying Chinese yuan to replenish its FX reserves as soon as May 2023, per Bloomberg Economics. This would be the first time Russia has replenished its FX reserves since it invaded Ukraine. The move indicates that Western sanctions and a G7-led price cap on Russian crude aren't enough to curb Russia's energy revenues. Russia stopped buying foreign currency in late January 2022 due to market volatility, shortly before it invaded Ukraine. US crude oil futures are down 5.8% so far this year to around $76 a barrel, but are up nearly 14% from this year's low of around $67 a barrel.

☆ Unique fossil site discovered in Wales reveals early life
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Exceptionally well-preserved fossils of tiny worms, starfish, sponges, barnacles and other creatures with no modern parallel discovered at a quarry in Wales are painting a picture of life on Earth 462 million years ago. The fossils come from a period of time known as the Ordovician when life was becoming more complex. Most of the 170 animals discovered so far from the fossil site were tiny (1-5 millimeters) and many were either completely soft-bodied when alive or had a tough skin or exoskeleton. It’s a completely unique site,” said Lucy Muir, study coauthor and also an honorary research fellow at Amgueddfa Cymru Museum Wales. A crowdfunding project to buy microscopy equipment helped them identify the animals and understand the importance of the site.

☆ Chess-China's Ding Liren defies odds to become world champion
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Alessandro Parodi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 30 (Reuters) - China's Ding Liren was crowned on Sunday as the 17th world chess champion in a tense match against Russian-born Ian Nepomniachtchi in Astana, Kazakhstan, in the last chapter of an odds-defying sequence of events. "One Ding to rule em all," fellow grandmaster Anish Giri wrote on Twitter in honour of the new champion. Ding's triumph means China holds both the men's and women's world titles, with current women's champion Ju Wenjun set to defend her title against compatriot Lei Tingjie in July. "The moment Ian resigned the game was a very emotional moment, I cannot control my feelings," the new world champion said in a press conference. Carlsen said he was not motivated to play shortly after Nepomniachtchi won the Candidates tournament, the prestigious qualifier to the match.

On its last day as the front-month, Brent futures for June delivery rose $1.13, or 1.4%, to $79.50 a barrel by 1:54 p.m. EDT (1754 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.92, or 2.6%, to $76.68. "But, today there were headlines showing there may be a solution to the First Republic problem, and there was data pointing to a rise in oil demand and a decline in output," Flynn said. Fuel demand rose to nearly 20 million bpd, its highest since November, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Crude prices have been lower in recent weeks and months due to uncertainty over further interest rate hikes that could reduce demand for oil.

TOKYO, April 28 (Reuters) - Oil prices gained about 2% on Friday after U.S. data showed crude output was declining while fuel demand was growing. Brent crude futures rose $1.16, or 1.5%, to $79.53 a barrel by 12:24 p.m. EDT (1624 GMT), while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.99, or 2.7%, to $76.75. "But, today there were headlines showing there may be a solution to First Republic's problems and data pointing to a rise in oil demand and a decline in output," Flynn said. In the same report, the EIA said U.S. product supplied of crude and petroleum products - a proxy for oil demand - rose to nearly 20 million bpd and finished motor gasoline rose to 8.7 million bpd in February, the highest for both since November 2022. Oil companies like Exxon Mobil Corp(XOM.N), meanwhile, are riding a wave of strong demand and have held the line on cost-cutting implemented when fuel demand collapsed during COVID-19 lockdowns.

☆ China Celebrates Economic Recovery, Pledges More Help on Jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Jason Douglas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

China’s Politburo says it aims to strengthen the country’s lead in electric vehicles with brands such as Leapmotor, whose cars are assembled at a factory in Jinhua, China. Photo: CHINA DAILY/via REUTERSSINGAPORE—The top policy-making body of China’s Communist Party pledged to nurture the country’s economic recovery after better-than-expected growth in the first quarter of the year, signaling optimism over the outlook for the economy while acknowledging problems such as local-government debt and youth joblessness. The world’s second-largest economy is expected to expand at a healthy clip this year after Beijing ditched its strict approach to controlling Covid-19 late last year. The upbeat projections offer support to a global economy beset by slowing growth in the U.S. and Europe as rising interest rates, stubborn inflation and the specter of financial-sector instability bear down on consumer and business spending.

☆ Exxon delivers a record first-quarter profit on higher output
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Exxon Mobil on Friday reported a record first-quarter profit that was more than double from a year ago and topped Wall Street estimates as rising oil and gas output overcame a pullback in energy prices from high levels. Oil companies are riding that wave of relatively higher oil and gas prices with earnings benefiting from strong demand and cost-cutting tied to efforts to counter Covid-19 lockdowns three years ago. "We delivered a first-quarter record despite the fact that energy prices and refining margins are softening a bit," Chief Financial Officer Kathryn Mikells said in an interview. Its oil and gas production rose by nearly 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) compared to year-ago levels excluding asset sales and its exit from Russia. Higher volumes partially offset a 16% drop in oil prices from a year ago.

☆ Exxon delivers record first-quarter profit on higher output
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Sabrina Valle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Exxon doubled profits from the same quarter last year as higher output more than compensated for lower energy prices. Shares rose 2.3% to a record high of $119.52 per share after Exxon reported its results on Friday. "We delivered a first-quarter record despite the fact that energy prices and refining margins are softening a bit," Chief Financial Officer Kathryn Mikells said in an interview. Exxon's oil and gas output rose to the highest level in almost four years. Exxon's oil and gas production rose to the most since 2019 to 3.83 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed), up by 160,000 boed from the previous quarter.

☆ China's job market tough, especially for college graduates, vice minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 27 (Reuters) - China's job market remains tough, and it is becoming especially hard for college graduates to find jobs, vice Human Resources minister Yu Jiadong said on Thursday. China's cabinet on Wednesday unveiled plans to boost employment, including supporting financial institutions to offer loans to small firms and issuing subsidies to firms that hire college graduates or unemployed young people. "Employment is steady, but under pressure, steady but also worrying, and the employment pressure for young people such as college graduates remains very big," Yu told a news conference. A record 11.58 million college graduates will hit the job market this year, with the economy still feeling the impact from COVID-19 curbs that were removed in late 2022 and a crackdown on tech and education sectors. China's private firms, which account for over 60% of output and 80% of urban employment, have been hit hard by COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions over the past three years.

REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - Incumbent President Joe Biden entered the 2024 election race on Tuesday with something he didn't have two-and-a-half years ago: a record in the White House. Critics also say that increased federal spending under Biden, including $750 million on climate change and tax breaks, also drove inflation higher. Biden may have worse cards in 2024, with unemployment likely to rise as growth slows, interest rates remaining high and inflation holding above pre-pandemic levels. Biden also dismissed the sentences of thousands of people with federal offenses for simple marijuana possession, a disproportionately non-white group. The Biden administration also has faced scrutiny over its handling of record numbers of unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - Britain on Thursday set out long-awaited plans to crack down on problem gambling as it aims to bring regulations up to date with a rise in betting online and on smartphones. The reforms would give extra powers to gambling regulators to take down illegal betting sites and tackle unauthorised operators. Campaign group Charity Gambling with Lives, which supports families bereaved by gambling-related suicide, welcomed the changes but said they did not go far enough. It had called for an end to all gambling advertising and affordability checks at 100 pounds of monthly losses. Habits have changed significantly since then, with an exponential rise in online betting.

BARCELONA, April 25 (Reuters) - Europe's cost of living crisis has benefited discount retailers but mid-market names are being squeezed as shoppers watch their spending, executives and analysts at an industry conference said on Tuesday. Although price rises are slowing, retailers globally are still worried inflation will dampen consumer spending and are looking for new ways to attract customers. In Europe especially, some have seen sales slow as high energy bills lead customers to buy less or cheaper food and clothes. And passing higher costs on to shoppers is likely to become harder: 72% of respondents said they expected consumers to be more price-sensitive this year. "It's a very positive moment," said Ying Xu, president of Chinese supermarket chain Wumart, referring to the reopening.

☆ Analysis: China rebound buoys hopes for stronger-than-expected US, Europe earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But recent data and upbeat comments from major companies like LVMH (LVMH.PA), Europe's most valuable listed company, about business in China have given investors some cause for optimism. Refinitiv I/B/E/S data points to a 2.5% decline in earnings growth in the first quarter for STOXX 600 (.STOXX) companies, down from a forecast for 5.4% growth prior to the banking chaos. Europe is headed for a recession too, the data shows, with a drop in earnings of 5.4% expected in the second quarter. But stubbornly high inflation means major central banks are expected to continue to hike rates, at least in May. European financials are expected to report first-quarter earnings growth of 31%, according to Refinitiv.

☆ Oil prices settle higher on optimism about fuel demand in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said finger-pointing and misrepresenting the actions of OPEC and OPEC+ was "counterproductive." Oil prices settled higher on Monday, reversing losses as investors grew optimistic that holiday travel in China would boost fuel demand in the world's largest oil importer. China's bumpy economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic has clouded the oil demand outlook, though Chinese customs data on Friday showed record volumes of imports in March. "There's a lot of optimism around Chinese holidays as it relates to jet fuel demand, the first genuine numbers on Chinese demand construction," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho. "Planned output cuts by the OPEC+ alliance and a strong demand outlook from China could provide a fillip to prices in the coming days", said independent oil analyst Sugandha Sachdeva.

☆ Amazon to expand office supplies business after pandemic sales boost in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, April 20 (Reuters) - Amazon plans to expand its business selling office supplies in Europe and internationally after the pandemic helped boost sales as companies shopped more online and looked for bulk discounts. Amazon Business' gross sales in Europe grew at a compound annual rate of 25% from 2020 to 2022, vice president Alexandre Gagnon said in an interview. In Europe, the business launched first in Germany in 2016, then Britain in the following year, followed by Italy, Spain and France in 2018. "Because businesses buy in larger quantities, the fulfilment economics are more advantageous," Gagnon said, adding that Amazon gives companies discounts for bulk orders. Amazon Business clients in the region include Siemens Gamesa, Centrica, and ABB, the company said.

☆ China funds flock to Hong Kong to sate mainland investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Summer Zhen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, April 20 (Reuters) - Large China-based fund managers are setting up shop in Hong Kong for the first time, seeking to fill Chinese investors' appetite for U.S. dollar-based products and international exposure after the country reopened its borders. As mainland-based funds are yuan denominated, fund managers need to set up in Hong Kong to be able to offer foreign currency products. "We are optimistic about Hong Kong as the global asset management hub. "Foreign managers are getting licenses and issuing funds in China - it's natural for us to go overseas," said Jason Yim, managing director of QX Asset Management in Hong Kong. Wealth management firms such as Noah Holdings (NOAH.N), China's largest independent wealth manager, are also aggressively expanding teams in Hong Kong.

☆ Russian inflation risks must ease to make room for rate cut - central bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The central bank has become more wary of inflation this year, warning of the risks of a widening budget deficit, weaker rouble and labour shortages. Annual inflation decelerated sharply to 3.51% last month due to the high base effect. "In order to create space for further rate cuts, it is necessary that pro-inflationary risks decrease. "If we sacrifice price stability, we will not be able to protect our citizens and enterprises in the future." Reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya and Alexander Marrow Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ New propellers with looped blades could help make the oceans quiet again, sparing both marine life and the climate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Sharrow Marine sells them for small boats but would need to scale up to reach the shipping industry. A traditional ship propeller that has blades in a screw-like form. That's what Sebastian realized when he put loop propellers on a drone. Sharrow began selling propellers to recreational boaters in 2020 through a company he founded called Sharrow Marine. Testing led by the company BoatTEST found that the Sharrow Propeller was up to 30% more efficient than a standard blade propeller.

☆ Jake Gyllenhaal and Jamie Lee Curtis spent the Covid-19 lockdown together
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —It’s sourdough bread and handstands for Jake Gyllenhaal and Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis, who won best supporting actress Oscar at lthe 2023 Academy Awards, is friends with Gyllenhaal’s parents, director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner. He and Jeanne lived in the house next door that I have. “He made a lot of sourdough bread, a lot,” Lee said. It also stars Alexander Ludwig, Antony Starr, Bobby Schofield and Jonny Lee Miller.

☆ Exclusive: Airbus delays some 2024 deliveries, keeps output goals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Airbus confirmed unspecified delays for 2024 in a statement to Reuters but said they did not reflect any worsening of supply chain problems since it revised production plans earlier this year. The delays particularly affect the larger and in-demand A321neo variant, which now represents over half of Airbus deliveries, the sources said. Airlines and leasing companies have protested in recent months over a trickle of short-term delay notices amid ongoing supply chain problems. Airbus is currently the world's largest planemaker as Boeing slowly recovers from the 737 MAX safety crisis and production delays on the 787. The delays for 2024 extend the impact of supply chain problems stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak into a fifth year.

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