First Insights: China: HSBC flash manufacturing PMI rebounds in March

Economics Research | Asia Ex-Japan

21 March 2013

First Insights: China: HSBC flash manufacturing PMI rebounds in March

The HSBC China flash manufacturing PMI rebounded to 51.7 in March from 50.4 in February, much stronger than expected (Consensus: 50.8; Nomura: 51.0). The 1.3 percentage point (pp) jump in March cannot be explained by seasonal factors alone. Since the HSBC PMI data started in 2005, there have been four years when the lunar new year holiday fell in February; in these years, the PMI rose by an average of 0.6pp in March.

Colony Capital Securities Fraud Losses

Colony Capital Securities Fraud Losses

We are currently investigating claims of investors of Colony Capital. From approximately July, 2008 through July, 2010, Gary Snisky and David Burch of Colony Capital, LLC and other related companies such as Colony Capital Holdings and Colony Capital Group (“Colony”), carried out a scheme to defraud investors by investing his clients in a so-called “private equity fund” secuties. The clients lost at least $3.2 million with the promise of an annual rate of return on their investment based on the misrepresentations and omissions of the risks of making the investment.

http://www.jpedersonlaw.com/blog/2013/03/18/colony-capital-securities-fraud-loss/

Chile: All Signs Point to Buoyant Domestic Demand

Chile: All Signs Point to Buoyant Domestic Demand

Nader Nazmi - Market Economics
Latam Macro Snapshot | 18 Mar 2013 17:17 |

Data releases today confirm that domestic demand strength underpinned a rapid rise in real output and widened the current account deficit in Q4. Recent data indicate that early in Q1 domestic demand continued to grow at a pace that likely exceeded the economy’s potential, increasing the risk of overheating.

Power Shift: Energy Boom Dawning in America

Power Shift: Energy Boom Dawning in America

Published: Monday, 18 Mar 2013 | 11:28 AM ET
By: Patti Domm
CNBC Executive News Editor

Randy Foutch calls it a renaissance, but when you listen to the veteran Texas oilman and others describe America's nascent energy boom, it sounds more like a miracle.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/100563497

China: Rising risks of financial crisis

Asia Special Report: China: Rising risks of financial crisis

· China is displaying the same three symptoms that Japan, the US and parts of Europe all showed before suffering financial crises: a rapid build-up of leverage, elevated property prices and a decline in potential growth.

Turkey: December unemployment rate

Turkey: December unemployment rate

Temporary rise in the unemployment rate

In December, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased 0.1pp to 9.6%, and non-farm unemployment rate increased 0.2pp to 11.8%, on our calculations. The employment and participation rates remained strong at 46.0% and 50.9% respectively, only a tad below the record high levels of 46.1% and 51.0% in November.

Turkey: Strong increase in fiscal revenues and spending in February

Turkey: Strong increase in fiscal revenues and spending in February

Central government primary balance was TRY 3.5bn in February, significantly lower compared to the surplus of TRY 6.0bn in February 2012. The deterioration in the fiscal balance came despite stronger budget revenues, which increased 18% y/y. On the other hand, non-interest expenditures rose much faster by 34% y/y. The additional spending in February stems from payments to contractors and transfers to social security institution.

Housing Recovery 'Fundamentally Strong': Lennar CEO

Housing Recovery 'Fundamentally Strong': Lennar CEO

Published: Friday, 15 Mar 2013 | 11:26 AM ET
By: Diana Olick
CNBC Real Estate Reporter

Despite being headquartered in one of the states hardest hit by the housing crash, the CEO of Miami-based Lennar Homes said he is bullish both on the rental side of the business and the single family side. No wonder, Lennar recently announced it was getting into multi-family apartment construction.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/100558148

How Are the SBA’s Loan Programs Doing?

How Are the SBA’s Loan Programs Doing?
By Karen E. Klein
March 14, 2013

Question: I read your 2011 article about U.S. Small Business Administration loans and wondered what is going on with the SBA loan program for 2013? Are there any new loan programs this year?

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-14/how-are-the-sbas-loan-programs-doing

Shale Oil: A Deep Dive Into Implications for the Global Economy and Commodity Investors

Viewpoints
March 2013

Shale Oil: A Deep Dive Into Implications for the Global Economy and Commodity Investors
Greg E. Sharenow, Mihir P. Worah

• The shale oil revolution in the U.S. is a classic example of high prices and improving technology spurring methods of commodity production that may have been historically unimaginable.

• Although growth in U.S. shale production has not yet been sufficient to meaningfully weaken oil prices, it has had a notable impact on long-term price expectations, on both the upside and downside.

• After acting as a significant brake on economic activity during the run-up in prices during the last decade, greater energy availability will at the very least be a positive for global growth.

http://www.pimco.com/EN/Insights/Pages/Shale-Oil-A-Deep-Dive-Into-Implications-for-the-Global-Economy-and-Commodity-Investors.aspx