Small tech stocks soar as the future arrives early
The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated trends that were building for years by forcing large swaths of the population to work from home and shop online. And many obscure companies are taking off
China’s Communists to private business: You heed us, we’ll help you
More broadly, the instructions reflect a long-running debate within China about the role of private business in a country where the government still controls crucial levers of industry
Agriculture Reforms: There’s no wrong time to do the right thing
For a country that is often witness to farmers hitting the streets for government hand-outs, these Bills passed in Lok Sabha would truly empower them to take informed decisions and be masters of their own destiny
Rise in Mudra NPAs a sign of what lies ahead
While the economic slowdown is convenient to blame for this pile-up of Mudra bad loans, remember that directed banking by the state is an equally potent reason
Why mail-in-ballots are important in US Presidential Elections
There is a political maelstrom brewing in the United States around mail-in-ballots for the Presidential elections in November, and that could complicate matters as hanging chads did two decades ago
The Nifty P-E is at an all-time high, but this is not the time to sell
Standalone or absolute P-E ratio levels seem to be less relevant. Here’s a new yardstick that will help investors make buy-sell decisions
Onion exports banned again
Six years on, NDA keeps following in UPA’s footsteps on banning onion exports
Severe GDP fall and inflation join rising infections to thicken policy fog
Reconciling to a drawn out COVID-19 infection curve is realistic. This will not disperse the policy fog or lessen macro risks of inflation and fiscal overextension. However, it helps recognise the imminence of more income support for poorer populations
Europe’s economic revival is imperilled, raising the spectre of a grinding downturn
The fundamental threat to economic livelihood is the coronavirus itself. The lockdowns have simply intensified the effect
A cataclysm of hunger, disease and illiteracy
The greatest impact of COVID-19 may be not on those whom the virus directly infects, but on those shattered by the collapse of economies and health and education systems in developing countries
US stock options data suggests it’s time to be cautious
In India too retail investors have piled on to options trading, but there’s nothing new about that
Fraud detection in an audit report, coming soon?
A Big Four accounting firm’s CEO has said auditors should do more to uncover fraud that is material in nature
A case for fiscal intervention | Story behind credit numbers
Recent data shows that although the government keeps announcing that banks have allotted large shares of money on the lines of packages, this doesn't reflect in the aggregate credit growth numbers. That builds a case for direct fiscal intervention
A new bull market?
The Bank of America Survey of fund managers for September finds that allocation to equities rose 6 percentage points month on month to a net 18 percent overweight. But allocation to emerging markets has come down
Oracle’s TikTok deal doesn’t offer a template for India
A home-grown resolution keeping in view the various sensitivities involved would be an ideal solution
There’s something about poll-bound states and job schemes
The BJP governments at the Centre and in the states have in recent weeks expressed intent or announced plans to fill vacancies in government jobs and disbursed loans to the self-employed
US Elections | Is Teflon Trump virus-proof?
Less than two months before the US presidential elections, the massive body count in the US coupled with the information now being made public would have ordinarily crippled a campaign—But will it affect Donald Trump’s chances?
Verdict on US-China tussle bares inadequacy of WTO
The multilateral body should be rejuvenated at a time when protectionist stance of pandemic-hit nations threatens to reset global trade rules
US poverty hit a record low before the pandemic recession
Minority groups experienced bigger declines in poverty in 2019, the census report showed, but also have much higher poverty rates
‘Strategies for the Indo-Pacific’ is diplomacy’s little black dress
The real threat for India is, what if the whole ‘Indo-Pacific’ game slips out of its hands, and into those with different priorities and interests?
Three areas Aatmanirbhar Bharat must focus on: health, education and technology
Reform in urban governance and laws, investment in urban infrastructure and basic amenities for both ease of business and ease of living, and creation of new urban centres can build the critical economic ecosystem necessary for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat
There are no ‘two realities’ in the United States
The US is being ravaged by COVID-19, devastating fires, economic and education crises, and more — but nearly half the country doesn’t believe it
BOT road projects in the new avatar may see few takers
The push for BOT projects comes at a time when companies’ cash flows are choked by the pandemic
Chart of the Day | India’s August exports falter, but shipments to China are a bright spot
The slump in non-oil, non-gold & silver imports in August reflects weakness in the domestic economy
