Daily Archives: December 27, 2011

Brazil: let 113 shopping centres bloom

December 27, 2011 6:45 pm by Samantha Pearson
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If there’s one thing Brazilians love to do, it’s shop.

You may have thought that the frenzied scenes outside Next at 6am on Boxing Day in the UK were a little over the top, but that’s nothing compared to Brazil.

At shopping centres across São Paulo, crowds of hopefuls even turned up on Christmas Day, only to be informed by grumpy security guards that the shops weren’t open for another day. A new study by Alshop (the Brazilian Association of Shopping Centres) shows just how bad their addiction is. Continue reading »

Tags: Posted in Brazil |

Saudi Arabia: spend it while you can

December 27, 2011 5:00 pm by Robin Wigglesworth
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While most western governments are by now checking ministry sofas for any loose change that might have been lost in the creases, Saudi Arabia increased spending by 25 per cent this year – and has still been able notch up budget surplus north of $81bn, or 14 per cent of the kingdom’s annual economic output.

Emboldened, the kingdom now plans to raise government spending further next year, to an all-time budget high of SR690bn next year, according to the 2012 fiscal plan approved on Tuesday. A planned SR250bn splurge on housing projects comes on top, as the money needed has already been deposited at the central bank. Continue reading »

Tags: Posted in Saudi Arabia |

12 for 2012: Will Putin 2.0 be any different?

December 27, 2011 3:30 pm by beyondbrics
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Beyondbrics is running a series of guest posts – 12 for 2012 – on key emerging markets topics for the coming year. This is the first.

By Ivan Tchakarov of Renaissance Capital

Russia has always invited speculation. From the Kremlinologists of a bygone age to today’s pundits, experts have tried to work out the country’s political and economic course – and often failed to predict its sudden twists and turns.

The key question now is what will be the effects of the protests that Moscow and many other cities saw after the recent parliamentary elections? Will they influence next year’s crucial presidential poll? Will it all lead to a version of the Arab Spring or just fizzle out in the freezing northern winter? Continue reading »

Tags: , , , Posted in Russia |

[video] War and peace: Ambani brothers

December 27, 2011 2:50 pm by beyondbrics
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James Crabtree examines the bitter business feud between the Ambani brothers in India, the splitting up of Reliance Industries and prospects for further reconciliation.

Tags: , Posted in India |

China: not enough elves for the factory

December 27, 2011 12:30 pm by Patti Waldmeir
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Talk to any factory owner in China these days, and they will complain about the shortage of workers. With a population of 1.4bn, you wouldn’t think of China as being short of people – but it is increasingly short of people who want to be factory workers, it seems. Continue reading »

Tags: , , , Posted in China |

New York headlines

December 27, 2011 11:59 am by beyondbrics
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* China and Japan agree currency push

* Asian shares drift awaiting US cues

* China to start work on world’s highest airport Continue reading »

Posted in Global |

Global equities macromap

Number of the day

240p The new offer for Cove Energy shares from PTT, trumping the bid from Shell.

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