BUSINESS
Is higher household borrowing a sign of consumer confidence or consumer distress?
The MPC minutes imply that while lenders should be cautious, an increase in household borrowing is not a sign of distress, but instead a signal of increasing confidence that will support consumption and also increase capex, which in turn could power the economy
BUSINESS
Moneycontrol Pro Weekender: Push Me Pull You Markets
Why does the global policy regime resemble the Pushmi-Pullyu of the Doctor Doolittle series? Read on to know
BUSINESS
Fund managers’ allocation to China falls, but India and Japan gain
If the conflict in Israel-Palestine does not spread, we could have a Santa rally at year-end
BUSINESS
Can Joe Biden ensure the Israel-Palestine conflict doesn’t escalate?
The US president will be going to Israel on Wednesday, in an attempt to ensure the war does not spill over to the rest of the region. But US actions so far do not hold out much hope
BUSINESS
Moneycontrol Pro Weekender: The Mighty Bulls
The bulls are a courageous lot. Probably, that explains why the stock market is holding up despite the flow of adverse news
BUSINESS
IMF: Soft landing hopes propel rally in risky assets
The IMF’s Global Financial Stability Report says, ‘the belief that aggregate demand will gradually slow, labour market tightness will ease, and price pressures fade—has boosted investor risk appetite, fuelling the rise in risk asset prices seen since April 2023’
BUSINESS
Unemployment much lower than pre-pandemic levels, but fine print throws up many questions
The PLFS survey shows that while the unemployment rate has improved, there has also been a rise in the proportion of unpaid helpers in household enterprises. The increase in the proportion of such workers, the higher proportion of workers in agriculture and the higher proportion in the informal sector may have reduced the unemployment rate, but it may also be a symptom of disguised unemployment
BUSINESS
IMF forecasts 6.3 percent GDP growth for India, but no big investment jump
Surprisingly, the IMF projects a very modest rise in investment and savings as a percentage of GDP over the next few years
BUSINESS
If real rural wages have stagnated for a decade, how has private consumption growth been so strong?
Does the consumption of rural labourers really matter? Or can the economy do perfectly well even without them?
BUSINESS
Indian economy: 4th largest in 2026, 3rd in 2027. Just ask IMF
While the Indian economy will overtake both Japan and Germany by 2027, its per capita GDP in that year will only be 9.1 percent of Japan’s and 5.7 percent of Germany’s
BUSINESS
The connection between this year’s Economics Nobel and India’s female labour force participation rate
Claudia Goldin, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics, says female participation in the workforce follows a U-shaped pattern as economic development occurs
BUSINESS
Recent IMF report warned of high risk of Palestinian conflict with Israel
The report said Israel’s blockade is responsible for the economic stagnation and high unemployment in the Gaza strip
BUSINESS
RBI survey paints dismal picture of discretionary consumption growth
Only a third of urban consumers surveyed plan to increase their spending on discretionary items during the next one year, a finding hardly conducive to consumer confidence
BUSINESS
Hamas opens another geopolitical front in the Middle East
So far, much of the talk in the markets has been about the effect the conflict will have on oil prices. Far more important is the resurrection of the Middle East as an arena of conflict and the threat of the conflagration spreading
BUSINESS
Moneycontrol Pro Weekender: Das Bond Slayer
The markets didn't expect the OMO announcement -- hence, the panic. If the transmission of the policy rate is to be completed, lending rates need to go up
BUSINESS
Why the Centre may continue with the free foodgrain scheme even after December
Why -- when growth is stronger this fiscal year than in 2019-20 -- is demand for work under the rural employment guarantee scheme higher this year?
BUSINESS
Even before the festive season, PMI shows India’s economy is booming
The signal from the PMI data to the MPC is of very strong growth with muted inflationary pressures, which will reinforce the widely expected decision to keep the status quo on the policy rate
BUSINESS
Just before MPC meet, manufacturing PMI shows higher selling price inflation
Greater labour costs, upbeat business confidence and buoyant demand facilitated a sharper increase in factory gate charges
BUSINESS
Moneycontrol Pro Weekender: India in The Time of Monsters
The Era of Markets is over, says McKinsey. Therein lies India's opportunity
BUSINESS
Moneycontrol Pro Weekender: Do gentlemen really prefer bonds?
Fed’s hawkish policy tilt is sending US bond yields higher, giving equities a big scare
BUSINESS
On the eve of Fed meet, OECD forecasts Fed Funds rate to remain at current levels till July next year
The OECD’s latest economic outlook report forecasts lower growth for the world next year. Growth in India is expected to slow from 6.3 percent in 2023-24 to 6 percent in 2024-25
BUSINESS
Are households borrowing more to fund consumption?
Households’ net financial savings as a percentage of GDP fell to a 47-year low in 2022-23. But the stock of household financial liabilities, as a percentage of the stock of household financial assets, is still lower than what it was back in March 2019, before the pandemic
BUSINESS
Moneycontrol Pro Weekender: China’s pain is India’s gain
Equities are rising in spite of higher inflation and rising oil prices as funds move out of China into other markets
BUSINESS
Global investors ditch China, flee to Japan and the US
Behold what the mighty Xi Jinping hath wrought. No fund manager now expects a stronger Chinese economy in the next 12 months, compared to a massive 78 percent in February this year. Optimism about economic growth in China among investors is lower than what it was back in September 2022, before the country came out of the lockdown
