A weakening tractor cycle may crimp M&M’s profitability
While there is no complaining about M&M’s utility vehicle segment, the anticipated weakness in tractor sales may be a drag on profitability
Alibaba shows gap between chip haves and have-nots
Some leading companies like OpenAI, Alphabet Inc, Anthropic and Meta Platforms Inc have plenty of GPUs. Alibaba, with $63 billion in cash and annual free cash flow topping $27 billion, finding itself caught short on one of the most important facets of its most-promising business, have led investors to dump the stock, wiping out close to $25 billion in market value in a matter of days
Elon Musk’s X drama hurts Tesla where it matters most
The market for electric vehicle has become sharply more competitive, as Tesla’s own sinking margins and missed sales estimates show, with price cuts indicating buyers are thinking twice about EVs. Even before his endorsing of an anti-semitic tweet, Musk has been at risk of alienating Democrats since his Twitter (X) purchase
Gaze on Gaza and the wickedness in the West Bank
Since 1967, the global community has called for a two-state solution. But instead since the Oslo Accords in 1993, it’s been clever by half measures – more land grabs, more illegal settlements, an increased cycle of violence, all in the West Bank, an area sans Hamas, debunking the myth that it’s all about Hamas
Chart of the Day: Indigo hits a speed bump in October
The company’s market share declined by 80 basis points in October from September 2023
Sam Altman exposes the charade of AI accountability
Whether board members were justified in seeking to remove Altman isn’t the real issue. What’s truly important is that the board made a decision that was almost instantaneously overturned by the sheer power and popularity of a trailblazing cofounder
After balance sheet repair, the difficult part awaits Suzlon
The company has to rapidly grow its business volumes
RBI’s move makes growth party of NBFCs quieter
By nature, NBFCs tend to have looser credit covenants than banks and are more flexible in terms of taking on riskier assets. Tell-tale signs of trouble are already emerging through the increase in delinquencies for smaller NBFCs and even for larger lenders in the September quarter
Will OPEC win against the ghost market?
The oil cartel may push for oil output cuts to shore up prices but it’s a buyers' market
Europe's petrochemical industry is heading for death row
In Europe, natural gas is about five times more expensive than in the US. Right now, it’s cheaper to buy ethylene in Texas and ship it across the Atlantic for further processing in EU than producing it at home. With petrochemical companies doing that, the net result is loss of economic activity in Europe, erosion of trade balance in chemical products and, ultimately, the loss of jobs and energy security
While Gaza burns, the West Bank is at boiling point
Everyone from Biden to the European Union and Israel’s own Shin Bet security service have warned Netanyahu that, unless the settlers are reined in, their rampages could spark widespread violence in the West Bank, in Israel itself, and spill into the wider region
Ahead of COP28, climate seems conducive to collaborative efforts
Host UAE is pulling out all stops to make the summit on global warming a success, and is aided by implicit and explicit support from New Delhi to the Vatican
Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | Waning of the ESG investing phenomenon
In today's edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: India using global forum to tweak its diplomacy, differing visions of AI, a reprieve for China after Biden meet, India Inc's boardrooms need to look younger, and more
ODI World Cup Final: Indian cricket and the travesty of ‘home’ conditions
Australia steered clear off conventional wisdom as a dry and slow wicket in Ahmedabad backfired on Team India
Chart of the Day: Iron ore prices show surprising strength
The run-up to winter in Europe and China usually marks a dull period for the steelmaking input, but it’s recently hit an 8-month high
China’s rise is reversing
The past two years have seen the largest drop in the nation’s share of global GDP since the Mao era
RBI throws sand in the wheels of consumer credit
The RBI’s recent policies are targeted at controlling growth in specific categories of personal loans
Stockology: Reading the week ahead for markets
TimeMap can aid in decision-making, and utilising ETF as the platform allows for real-time execution, making it an optimal choice
Human brains aren't wired to fight climate change
Most of us don’t even save enough for retirement. If we have a choice between eating a donut right now and being marginally more healthy later, the donut almost always wins. Not just individuals, society as a whole is also prone to toxic short-termism, which among other things also hinders our climate change fight
South Korea's emergence as a major arms exporter
While South Korean companies are best-known for producing artillery, their reputation for more-sophisticated arms is growing. More importantly for Asia, it would rebalance weapons supply and demand. Six of the world’s top-10 recipients of major arms are Asian, yet only two of the leading nations that supply weapons are in the region. Seoul's rise reduces the need to rely on Western countries
A guide to the AI safety debate after Sam Altman’s ouster
AI is more likely to lower than to raise net existential risks. Humankind faces numerous existential risks already. We need better science to limit those risks, and strong AI capabilities are one way to improve science. Our default path, without AI, is hardly comforting
The fight for a 48-hour week shouldn’t be forgotten by those demanding unduly long work hours
It is perfectly acceptable for individuals who have significant financial rewards tied to long hours to voluntarily put in any number of hours they wish to. Individuals driven by a passion to make the world a better place are also known to work long hours. But to advocate such long hours for everyone is nothing short of an exhortation to return to the exploitative practices of the early days of the Industrial Revolution
Assembly Elections 2023: The BJP’s messages in the current state polls
Assembly Elections 2023: The messaging has been tailored to various constituencies--national rejuvenation for some, Hindutva for core supporters, pointers to economic achievements for the elites, freebies to those left behind and also the caste card. But the prime minister being the face of the BJP in the state elections is expected to pay dividends in next year’s general election
Subtle use of a global forum to tweak India’s diplomacy tack
PM’s remark at Global South summit more in sync with India’s long-standing Palestine diplomacy and in line with New Delhi’s global ambitions
Why India Inc's boardrooms need to look younger
Indian companies need younger board members who are more in tune with their markets, in line with demographic changes
