Slowdown

Retail sales sank in June to record the largest monthly drop for 22 years, official data showed on Thursday, as consumers slashed spending amid an economic slowdown across the country.Analysts warned that shops would struggle even more in the coming months to keep their tills ringing in the face of a flagging property market, rising unemployment and the ongoing impact of the global credit crunch i

Singapore's non-oil domestic exports is down 10.5% in June, the worst half-yearly trade data since 2002, grossly below the forecast of economists who had expected a modest decline of 2.8%.The global slowdown is here, declared the eonomists stunt by the sharp decline.Singapore is the Asian economy most exposed to the G3 countries - the US, Japan and Germany. Growth has been quite impressive in othe

From QuamnetFUZHOU, China (MNI) - China's economy is in its most difficult position in five years, a senior official with the government statistics agency said Friday, warning of a looming slowdown on the back of shrinking external demand and rising costs.National Bureau of Statistics chief economist Yao Jingyuan said that GDP will likely grow at around 10 pct this year - higher than the average 9

BANGALORE: Unperturbed by the economic slowdown in the United States, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector is growing and cashing in on the opportunity of more business.For the BPO sector, the US slowdown is the melting in the pot to look for more business in terms of opportunity.This space in information technology even though US centric is looking formidable in facing the slowdown.Th

BANGALORE: Unperturbed by the economic slowdown in the United States, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector is growing and cashing in on the opportunity of more business.For the BPO sector, the US slowdown is the melting in the pot to look for more business in terms of opportunity.This space in information technology even though US centric is looking formidable in facing the slowdown.The s

By Carlos Torres and Rich MillerJune 19 (Bloomberg) -- Stagflation just ain't what it used to be.While economic growth has almost stalled, and surging oil prices have doubled the rate of inflation since the start of last year, structural changes in the economy since the 1970s mean the U.S. is unlikely to witness anything like the conditions that ravaged it then.``It's a mini-stagflation,'' said Al

Crude oil declined for a third day amid concerns that slower economic growth will curb consumption of oil products. Oil has retreated more than $7 from yesterday's record of $139.89 a barrel. German investor confidence dropped to the lowest in more than 15 years in June as surging inflation hit... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Incidents of terrorism and human trafficking will spike due to the global economic slowdown led by surging prices for food and fuel, a top Malaysian minister said Tuesday. Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, who ovesees internal security, said spiralling inflation will cause serious hardship among Asia’s poor. “The economic outlook is therefore grim. All that will [...]

Public housing transactions not as high as 6 months ago There is no slowdown in the public housing market, but National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan has said the number of transactions may not be as high as six months ago, as the market is now more balanced with an adequate supply of new flats being offered by the Housing and Development Board.- Channel NewsAsia - 15 Jun 2008A more ‘balanced

Higher oil revenues of $350 million a day mean that the Emirates is prospering while the rest of the world suffers from high oil prices, food price inflation and a slowing economy. The latest MasterCard survey of consumer confidence showed the UAE the only country surveyed to have happier consumers over the past six months. [...]

Mumbai’s realty market, which in recent years witnessed an astronomical price increase bringing it in the league of the worlds most expensive cites, is finally taking a beating. Property sales that have been growing at a clip of about 20% every year have plummeted by 17% in 2007-08, the first time in six years. Though the [...]

As property prices continue their downward spiral in Britain, NRI investors here are looking to India, which is increasingly seen as a hotspot due to rising real estate prices across the country. Every week, leading mortgage lenders and estate agents publish figures of declining prices, higher number of houses on the market, fewer buyers and smaller [...]

The number of property transactions in Chennai and its immediate neighbouring districts has come down by 10 to 15 per cent in 2007-08.In 2006-07, the three zones within the city registered about 3.7 lakh documents and netted about Rs.1,384 crore in terms of registration charges and stamp duty. Of these transactions, about 80 per cent was property related. The second half of 2007-08 witnessed a slo

You’re going to think, “typical Realtor.” Maybe you already do.I thought about not writing this post. But this blog is about my experiences and my opinions so I’m going to share what I’m thinking and it counters most of what the headlines scream today: Homes are selling somewhat fast in Portland.Ok, that’s a bit misleading. Not all homes, not most homes. Homes that are priced righ

Slowdown bites chunk off business sales and profits - Singapore BT-UniSIM survey finds companies more gloomy about next 6 months By OH BOON PING   (SINGAPORE) Business sales and profits here have taken a hit in the first quarter of this year and economic growth looks set to slow in the months ahead, according to the latest BT-UniSIM quarterly [...]

Has the Commercial Real Estate slowdown hit Oregon?From the Portland Business Journal:Oregon's retail and restaurant industry offers an odd combination: lots of closures but solid employment figures.According to the Oregon Employment Department, 199,300 Oregonians worked in retail in April, about 3,500 more than a year ago. The sector is growing at a rate of about 1 percent, down from nearly 2 per

Saw a story recently that showed that gambling in the US had dropped this year (proof of an economic slowdown) and was wondering how much of that drop-off was due to online casinos?I couldn't really find any 'concrete' numbers on what the guesses would be so I'll just stay with the assumption that the slowdown was due to people not going to the casinos as much in an effort to save money. It's the

Cape's cement consumption has doubled since 2002, building slowdown not an immediate ... - Cement and aggregate consumption in the Cape Peninsula region has been growing year-on-year since 2002 and is expected to further increase over the next five years. [Engineering News]

Business Times - 07 May 2008 Govt has arsenal to counter US-driven slowdown: PM Lee In a crunch, it can pump-prime the economy and give targeted assistance By CONRAD TAN (SINGAPORE) Singapore is prepared to face any economic scenario that emerges from the current uncertain climate, including a prolonged downturn in the United States, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.One option to fall back on would be to boost economic growth through government spending, including resuming construction projects that were earlier put on hold, he said.'If things do get bad, which cannot be ruled out - although it does not appear to be on the cards - we are not without recourse,' he told a group of some 100 guests including chief executives, senior bankers and economists at a discussion hosted by

Govt has arsenal to counter US-driven slowdown: Singapore PM Lee In a crunch, it can pump-prime the economy and give targeted assistance By CONRAD TAN (SINGAPORE) Singapore is prepared to face any economic scenario that emerges from the current uncertain climate, including a prolonged downturn in the United States, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.   PM Lee: Singapore [...]

STAMFORD, Conn., February 12, 2008 - Despite the current economic downturn, the software industry is poised for growth in 2008, with worldwide enterprise software revenue totaling $190.7 billion in 2008, an 8.2 percent increase from 2007 revenue of $176.3 billion, according to Gartner, Inc. While the software market is forecast to grow, it will face [...]

From the Oregonian:Weyerhaeuser Co., one of the world's largest timberland owners and wood products manufacturers, said Friday it swung to a loss in the first quarter, hurt by a sagging housing market and low product prices.The Federal Way, Wash.-based company said it expects continued weakness in the housing market and higher fuel costs to hurt second-quarter earnings in its timberlands segment.Weyerhaeuser lost $148 million, or 70 cents a share, in the first three months of the year, compared with a profit of $720 million, or $3.09 a share, in the year-ago period. Results included $40 million in charges for closures in Weyerhaeuser's wood products business and $35 million for real estate impairments and reserves. Excluding these and other pretax items, the company lost $51 million, or 24

Singapore Job growth expected to be healthy this year despite US slowdown By Wong Siew Ying, SINGAPORE: Fears of job loss due to the slowdown in the US economy are unfounded, at least for now. This is according to economists who said the job outlook in Singapore should remain positive. They expect 230,000 new jobs to be created [...]

Business Times - 02 May 2008 Slowdown may stretch into next year: PM Lee For S'pore, much depends on the shape of the US downturn - whether it's V, U or L By CHUANG PECK MING (SINGAPORE) To the eternal optimists who think that the Singapore economy will rebound from its lean patch in the months to come, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong offered a sobering projection: he expects the slowdown to continue into next year.While the economy is on track to hit 4-6 per cent growth this year, Mr Lee sees its momentum slowing in the next few quarters as the United States economy limps along, dragged down by still-unfixed sub-prime mortgage problems.And whether it's a V-shaped or U-shaped downturn in the US, it could extend the slowdown in Singapore's economy into 2009, Mr Lee told some 1,500 unionists

As storm clouds loom ...Slowdown could stretch to 2009; Singaporeans should be prepared, says PM LeeFriday • May 2, 2008Loh Chee Kongcheekong@mediacorp.com.sgIT WAS, by all accounts, a stellar first quarter economic performance by Singapore — job creation was at a high while flash growth estimates of 7.2 per cent beat expectations. However, rather than set the stage for another year of expansion, the Prime Minister yesterday delivered the Government's most bearish outlook thus far. Despite the "good" first quarter expansion, Mr Lee Hsien Loong did not once hint at exceeding the full-year growth forecast of 4 to 6 per cent. Instead, he warned Singaporeans to "prepare ourselves" for a slowdown that "may last until next year".Speaking at the May Day Rally yesterday, he reiterated the impa

For S'pore, much depends on the shape of the US downturn - whether it's V, U or L (SINGAPORE) To the eternal optimists who think that the Singapore economy will rebound from its lean patch in the months to come, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong offered a sobering projection: he expects the slowdown to continue into next year. While the economy is on track to hit 4-6 per cent growth this year, Mr Lee sees its momentum slowing in the next few quarters as the United States economy limps along, dragged down by still-unfixed sub-prime mortgage problems. And whether it's a V-shaped or U-shaped downturn in the US, it could extend the slowdown in Singapore's economy into 2009, Mr Lee told some 1,500 unionists yesterday at a National Trades Union Congress May Day Rally. 'The first quarter is good,' h

The comprehensive measures taken by the government recently have shown good results with the CPI slowing down in April. However, experts have warned that big challenges remain ahead. The 2.2% CPI increase in April, the lowest increase in the last four months (2.38% in January, 3.56% in February and 2.99% in March) was really good news for many people. The slowed CPI increase has been attributed

Slowdown may stretch into next year: Singapore PM Lee For S’pore, much depends on the shape of the US downturn - whether it’s V, U or L By CHUANG PECK MING (SINGAPORE) To the eternal optimists who think that the Singapore economy will rebound from its lean patch in the months to come, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong [...]

MUMBAI: The BPO deal space for acquisitions is looking hot again after a lull for over the last six months. The US slowdown is pushing more third-party outsourcing firms and captive operations to sell out, according to industry players and investment bankers.Compared to the last quarter when both potential targets and buyers were in a wait-and-watch mode, large third-party BPO firms and integrated IT and BPO players are now keen on using their cash reserves to gain scale and new service lines, while potential targets that were holding out hoping for a recovery in their valuations are now interested in exiting before further value erosion happensMany of the smaller players which are unable to scale up are now looking to sell out. Some of the investors in these companies were planning to exi

Business Times - 29 Apr 2008 Slowdown looks unlikely in China Urbanisation, desire for better housing will put pressure on prices: think tank (BEIJING) China's real estate market will not see a major slowdown in 2008 despite Beijing's intensified efforts to cool excessive price rises, the top government think-tank said in a report published yesterday. Urban property prices rose less rapidly in March than in the first two months, and the property outlook index, which covers price and investment trends, continued to decline in March after peaking in November. But the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) said that it was still premature to draw the conclusion that the market was heading south. 'Although transaction volumes have been declining in some cities since 2007 and more buyers are

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A slowing U.S. economy will push firms to hike IT outsourcing to low-cost locations for savings and productivity, and India has an edge over other countries to attract these deals, research firm Gartner said. Overseas firms have given deals to Indian software firms, attracted by an army of English-speaking workers and cheaper wages, but there are concerns about the impact

Business Times - 25 Apr 2008 US slowdown impact will last longer than foreseen: OECD (PRAGUE) US economic weakness and its impact on the global economy are likely to last up to nine months longer than previously expected, OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria was quoted as saying yesterday.Mr Gurria said the OECD had initially thought the crisis would weigh on global economic growth in the first half of this year and there would be a slight recovery starting in early 2009.'We expect a drop in the US economy this year and very weak growth in Europe. The crisis will be six to nine months longer than we had previously expected,' Mr Gurria was quoted as saying by Czech daily Hospodarske Noviny.Mr Gurria is due to present the OECD's economic outlook for the Czech Republic later yesterday. His com

Despite the massive slow down in consumer spending in the U.S., Amazon posted earnings of 34 cents a share, up nearly 30 percent from the same quarter a year prior. Analysts were only expecting earnings of 32 cents per share. Amazon's growth has been increasing as it continues to gain support from third party retailers who sale on Amazon's site.

Strong domestic consumer demand is expected to drive Indonesia's economy this year and steer it away from the worst impact of a global economic slowdown, an official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday. The economy has also become more resilient towards external financial instability, given its higher foreign exchange reserves and a declining external debt ratio to gross domestic product, he said. "I think Indonesia's economy will resist the global economic slowdown due to strong domestic demand," Charles Collyns, deputy director at the research department of the IMF told a media briefing. As of end-March, the central bank's foreign exchange reserves stood at $58.98 billion, compared to $47.22 billion at end-March 2007. Indonesia's foreign debt ratio currently

We have been waiting for this one to happen, and it comes as absolutely no surprise, but John Cook, the venerable technology reporter for the Seattle PI is saying that there is a slow down in Venture Capital money flowing into Seattle. This is no surprise, people have been talking about it for months now, [...]

CALGARY - A report released today by TD Bank Financial Group says housing starts in Alberta as well as the number of homes sold will retreat in the next two years as the country on the whole experiences a cooling trend in the residential real estate industry.Also the yearly pace of resale home price growth in the province will slow down substantially from the highs recorded in the past two years."A soft landing is anticipated," said the report about the Canadian housing market. "This moderation will reflect the fact that the past rapid price appreciation has eroded affordability and has encouraged additional supply from new listings and new home construction. A weaker domestic economy will also contribute to the cooling."

I figured out what was slowing down my blog when it was loading up.  I have corrected the problem and the page loads up MUCH faster now. Look for the video post later today. Thank you for your patience.

The Indian IT and ITeS sector will not be affected by a slowdown in the US market, IT industry body Nasscom said. Nasscom President Som Mittal said that though the slowdown might affect the industry in the short-term, but in the long run the Indian IT and BPO sector will continue to maintain healthy growth rate. India`s outsourcing industry is grappling with an appreciating rupee and the sluggishness may remain for another four-to-six months, he said. The sector expects to meet or even exceed its software export target of 60 billion dollars and overall software and services revenue goal of 73-75 billion dollars by 2010.. `The financial turmoil in the US and elsewhere could drive businesses to farm out more work to cheaper Indian firms,` newly elected Vice-Chairman of Nasscom Pramo

From the Register Guard:Upstairs on a bed stand, in the model home that Jesse Seery hopes to replicate in his 64-lot subdivision in west Eugene, sits a sculpture of a hand with its fingers crossed.Luck is what builders yearn for nowadays when embarking on a project in a skittish real estate market.“I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t nervous,” Seery confesses, but quickly adds: “But I believe in our product, and the prices are just fantastic.”Aside from the single model home, Seery has launched work on seven houses in the subdivision — two of them for specific buyers and the rest on speculation.Seery’s doing everything he can think of to ensure that the homes will eventually sell.He has consulted with a real estate agent, who told him to push out the walls to get a more

The New York Times is reporting that there is a major slowdown in M&A as well as IPO activity happening in Silicon Valley the first quarter of 2008. The question we are asking is can this same thing happen in Seattle. The answer is most likely yes, but over the last 8 months people have [...]

The number of houses being sold in London is at its lowest level for more than a decade, research shows today.Sellers have been forced to shave hundreds of thousands of pounds off asking prices as a result.In one case, a house in Paultons Square, Chelsea, has had £250,000 cut off its original asking price of £3.5m in a bid to find a buyer.About 9,000 properties were sold in the capital in the first three months of this year. Last year, homes were being sold at the rate of 16,000 a month. According to property information website mouseprice.net, sales have been slower than in any period since 1995.

In the latest sign that the tech sector in general and Silicon Valley in particular is feeling the pinch of reduced spending and an overall slowdown, yet another big employer slashed its workforce. The New York Times reports that Advanced Micro Devices said it would cut about 1,650 workers — about 10 percent of its work force — because of deteriorating business conditions across its business

April 6, 2008 PROPERTY7 signs of a property slowdown Buyers seem to be gaining ground again in the private homes market but consultants say it's far from crashing yet By Joyce Teo After rocketing to dizzying heights last year, the private homes market has stalled because of the global credit crunch - an external factor that took the market by surprise. The withdrawal of the deferred payment scheme last year has also dampened demand somewhat. Sales volumes and interest have fizzled out just as quickly as the market surged last year. While many players hang on to the notion that strong fundamentals - low interest rates, for instance - will support the market, sentiment has fast melted away. Is the property market slowing to a crawl? We examine the mounting evidence. 1 Growth in home prices

Pune real estate developers are doing their best to cheer up the property investors with colorful ads in the local news papers. Sorry, i mean 'end users'. Because, there are no investors in Pune real estate market. So, i should say, Pune builders are trying to tempt the 'end users' who can buy a 2/3 bhk luxurious terrace flat in Pune. Sorry, second mistake, i said 'flat'. In Pune real estate market, when the exclusive and the prestigious housing project is launched, there are apartments or condominiums, not flats. For example, Queenstown has condominiums and Supreme Pallacio has apartments ("Apartmentos de Castillo"!) On this auspicious Gudi Padwa, the Maharashtrian New Year's Day, Pune real estate is offering you more than a simple luxurious (or super luxurious) flat, apartment or even

April 6, 2008, The Sunday Times PROPERTY7 signs of a property slowdown Buyers seem to be gaining ground again in the private homes market but consultants say it's far from crashing yet By Joyce Teo, Property Correspondent After rocketing to dizzying heights last year, the private homes market has stalled because of the global credit crunch - an external factor that took the market by surprise. The withdrawal of the deferred payment scheme last year has also dampened demand somewhat. Sales volumes and interest have fizzled out just as quickly as the market surged last year.While many players hang on to the notion that strong fundamentals - low interest rates, for instance - will support the market, sentiment has fast melted away. Is the property market slowing to a crawl? We examine th

7 signs of a Singapore property slowdown  Buyers seem to be gaining ground again in the private homes market but consultants say it’s far from crashing yet By Joyce Teo, Property Correspondent  After rocketing to dizzying heights last year, the private homes market has stalled because of the global credit crunch - an external factor that took the [...]

While the conveyance deeds have remained static in the last three months, registrations by way of leave and license as also lease contracts have shown a steady rise.Conveyance deeds Till February-end, the records show the registration of 28,052 conveyance deeds, with the graph peaking in September with 3,011 conveyance deeds. Thereafter, it dropped and has been averaging around 2,500 deeds per month.Leave and License agreementsMeanwhile, there has been an increase in registration of leave and license agreements as also lease contracts in the corresponding period. The leave and license agreements which was at its lowest in November last year at 1,020 has been showing upward movement since then. Having touched 1,431 in December. The number of such agreements peaked jumped to 1,878 in January

Having carved a niche in Mumbai’s high-end and middle-income residential segment with over 20 projects since 1985, the Lalani Group of Developers and Builders has now set its sights on the fast developing Thane and Pune markets. Projects on the anvil here include a premium residential project at Thane’s Ghodbunder road and a state-of-the-art IT Park at Bavdhan, close to Pune’s IT hub of Hinjewadi. In an exclusive interview, the company’s young directors, Shamsu and Hussain Lalani, sons of founder Shaukat Lalani, shed light on their future plans and their views on the current turbulent real estate market scenario. Excerpt:Q. RK: On the downside, real estate growth is said to have slowed down considerably due to negative factors like increasing home loan rates, overheated market scen

Press Release - Desperate attempt of Pune real estate brokers - agents or a fact?According to broker Raju Punjabi, Astitva Real-estates," The investor has almost entirely exited the Pune market and the residential sector is now driven by the serious end user." Since the residential property is available for sale at high capital costs and there is a wide gap between monthly EMI and monthly rent, the end user is moving towards the affordable rental option."The monthly rental of a 2BHK flat:A 2BHK apartment is the maximum transacted residential property in Pune and is currently fetching a monthly rental of Rs 15,000 in posh localities such as Koregaon Park and Kalyani Nagar. Kalyani Nagar due to its well laid out social infrastructure, good ambience and quality of life is in great demand by I

Nobody can deny that there is a definite slowdown in the Pune real estate market:Sonal Modi general manager (Maharashtra), Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC), said the market sentiments were low, despite strong fundamentals in the city (Pune) with migration and economic growth continuing to fuel demand. “But what we are seeing now are the first signs of a kind of easing out in the market," Modi said.Officers at the HDFC said that in Pune, people are not buying because property is not affordable. Unlike other markets like Gurgaon, Delhi or Mumbai, Pune is not as much investor driven. The city real estate market has seen growth because of automobile and manufacturing sectors doing well, besides IT. “But customers are waiting and watching and expecting a certain ration

Optimistic Pune Real Estate Developers:The builders, however, still hope that the IT sector will see boom times once again and the present slowdown turns out to be a temporary phenomenon. Says Sachin Bora, director of Samrat Constructions, “All opinions are based on past records and here we cannot deny that the kind of growth the real estate market has seen is unprecedented. It is the hype and not market that has slowed down,” he says, adding that school exams may be the reason for the present slowdown.Frustrated Pune Property Buyers:With rising home loan rates leading to the EMIs sometimes even exceeding their salaries, the IT sector in the city has gone a wait-and-watch mode. “I think the price hike was not just fueled by the IT industry, but also by the NRIs. But today those inves

Consumer confidence fell further into recessionary territory in March, hitting a 16-year low, even as other data showed incomes rose and inflation dipped in February, which should support the Fed’s efforts to bolster the economy.The Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers said its final index of confidence fell to 69.5 in March — its lowest [...]

Southeast Asian central banks expect strong domestic demand and regional trade to help mitigate the impact of likely lower global growth, the banks said yon Saturday following a two-day meeting.Governors from Southeast Asian countries, as well as South Korea and Taiwan, gathered in Jakarta for a regular meeting as policy makers globally try to tackle a credit crisis that is threatening to drag on worldwide economic growth."Governors noted that global growth is expected to weaken... while the region will be affected by increasing downside risk to the global outlook," the banks said in a statement.Asian economies rely heavily on exports to the United States, so governments and bankers fear a weaker dollar and economy is likely to crimp Asia's growth.But the statement said that "the impact wi

Mumbai is set to break its record for land prices at a sale today after the nation’s financial capital doubled the minimum bid in response to surging demand. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority will offer plots for office space at a reserve price of 300,000 rupees a square meter ($690 a square foot), anticipating the [...]

Rubin Says Financial Markets Have Entered `Uncharted Waters'by Bloomberg - snip:Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin said financial markets are in "uncharted waters"... Rubin, chairman of Citigroup Inc.'s executive committee, said in a speech in Washington. "The outlook for credit markets and the economy is uncertain" and he called for "substantial additional action in the mortgage area."Fear of further casualties whips up new stormby Financial Times - snip:The credit crunch is entering a new phase, spreading to previously resilient areas of the financial system in what some observers say may be a necessary – but savagely painful – prelude to any eventual recovery. The immediate casualties of this new chapter include hedge funds and other leveraged investors such as Carlyle Cap

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article noting that many authorities in the legal industry believe that 2008 will represent a "work slow down" for law firms. The article notes that the turbulence in the credit industry has reduced...

Overall, clicks on ads placed on Google didn’t change much from January of last year to January of this year, according to the latest numbers from comScore. In fact, on average, clicks were actually down about 12 percent from the last three months of last year.

After witnessing a staggering growth in the past three years, the Hyderabad Real Estate Market has come to a slowdown. Prices, which shot up by up to 300 per cent in most areas, have started cooling off, resulting in low growth rates or stagnation. Lots of factors have contributed to the present scenario. While higher interest [...]

ETFs have become the investment tool of the 21st century for household investors. It is true, they do have many advantages ranging from lower commission, better performance, tax considerations and more.With ETFs becoming increasingly popular more investors ask themselves why invest in mutual funds altogether?I am a big supporter of investing in ETFs. There’s nothing more enjoyable then watching how simple financial assets outperform the big money in mutual funds constantly preaching to the household investor when and what to buy. Mutual fund managers have nearly completely failed in justifying the commissions they charge with very little abnormal returns to show for.However, and there is always an however, sometimes the judgment and discretion of an investment manager is required. If you

One of China's biggest real estate agencies, Chuanghui Real Estate, has shuttered dozens of outlets in Shanghai and other cities, leaving behind angry customers and employees, following an ill-timed expansion just as the market was peaking.Several other agencies around the country also have closed down or scaled back.

The prospect of a U.S. recession has some homeowners and prospective buyers nervous about the impact on the real estate market in Canada, but one economist says a slowdown could actually boost activity in Canada's housing sector.It's not surprising that economic uncertainty in the U.S. has been the focus of much discussion and speculation in recent days, since Canada has followed the American lead during four of the last six U.S. recessions.

It seems it will take a while for the financial markets to get back to a healthy state. Currently, the banks have decreased their recruitment efforts significantly. It appears that getting IBank job may be a very difficult task at the moment. Probably this is good time now to go back to school. Doing additional certificate or degree, when the market is stagnant, may be an extremely good investment. Not only will you get a powerful credential when the market is back to healthy state again, but also you will NOT lose too many opportunities. The alternative cost of studying is now smaller than usual.The big question is, however, how long will the current crisis last. If it is short, you’d rather not start PhD program for example. You don’t want to be stuck preparing your dissertation when

(Refiles to remove reference to German market, which is closed) (Adds European markets, updates prices) By Louise Heavens SINGAPORE, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Asian shares rose, with Seoul and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

By Louise Heavens SINGAPORE, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Asian shares rose, lifted by technology and bank stocks as stronger-than-expected U.S. consumer spending calmed fears the world's top economy was... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The pace of new-home construction in November dropped to the lowest level in 14 years. And that's good news, even to David Seirs, Chief Economist for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). David Seirs says he's somewhat pleased because builders cannot reduce their inventories of unsold homes unless they cut production, particularly in light of weak demand and rising competition from existing home sellers. "The builders are behaving appropriately at this point," Seiders said. "I would have liked to see the production decline start earlier than it did. But since the beginning of 2007, production has been falling rapidly." The pace of housing starts fell 3.7% in November from a month earlier, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.187 million, and it dropped 24% from November, 2006. Building permits, an indicator of future home construction, fell 24.6% from November, 2006, to an annual rate of 1.152 million. With buyer activity down and their stock

Apparel company True Religion Apparel Inc affirmed its 2007 earnings outlook on Wednesday and said it has not seen any slowdown in consumer spending on its high-end clothes due to economic worries. True Religion President Michael Buckley said at a conference hosted by Wedbush Morgan Securities that the company still sees full-year earnings of $1.24 to $1.27 per share, with sales expected to rise about 20 percent to $167 million. Analysts, on average, expect profit of $1.27 per share on revenue of $167.4 million, according to Reuters Estimates. The company also said it is expanding its licensing deals and has a branded fragrance on the way. In addition to the current licensing of its name to makers of handbags and swimwear, Buckley sees licensing opportunities in undergarments, loungewear,

                      "Finnish estate agents believe the rate of increase of home prices will slow down and sale times lengthen, real estate company Kiinteistömaailma quoted its survey as saying on Monday.""Almost half of the respondents said they saw flat home prices within the next six months while a third believed prices would rise by a maximum of three per cent.""Kiinteistömaailma interviewed 560 estate agents across Finland."Coming from a real estate agent, you can bet that it means that price will go down in the years to come.Regarding the sentence "Human being,  Human being..." it was taken from a real  advertisement from Kiinteistömaailma.

                                              YLE, a Finnish state channel, has shown on prime time a report on the state of the housing in Finland. Watch the YLE Video (in finnish, but there are some nice Charts...)In any case, Finland is not insulated as it is a global phenomenon.Today in the US the number of existing home sales reach the 1999 level and still worse is coming."Sales of existing home sales in the US plummeted last month to their lowest annual rate since records began.This was the lowest level since figures on single-family homes and condo sales were collected in 1999...The so-called "jumbo mortgages" - loans which are over $417,000, have dried up. High-cost areas like California, where buyers are reliant on these mortgages, have therefore been hit hard.", reported the guardian.

Today, we live in a bit strange world. The economists are not able to say, whether the world economy will run at the full speed or the economic slowdown will appear to return some balance into the economies of many countries in the world. To make things even worse - the real economic slowdown did not appear for more than 20 years and the companies did get fat a bit over the period. All the HR Processes in successful organizations are set to support the growth of sales, volumes and net income, but they are not ready to support the moments of cost cuts, lay offs and many other action needed during the economic slowdown. The real HR Professional who remember the times of the economic slowdown are very rare on the market. People working in Human Resources are not aware of the real need to control and manage personnel expenses and the line management has no experience as well. The Performance Management and Career Development Processes are set to identify top talents, their potential to id

Today, we live in a bit strange world. The economists are not able to say, whether the world economy will run at the full speed or the economic slowdown will appear to return some balance into the economies of many countries in the world. To make things even worse - the real economic slowdown did [...]

Qatar's relentless population rise may be about to halt. According to a report in gulfnews.com the growth of the population may slow or even be reversed due to a change in marriage habits. A increasing number of Qatari women are marrying later in life and twenty five percent of women of a child bearing age remain unmarried. One third of those who do get married will end up getting divorced.A slowdown in the increase of the population may not be a bad thing. Qatar only has to look at Saudi Arabia, where a massive increase in the population has led to the GDP per person more than halving since the 1970's.The report seems to put pressure on Qatari women to marry and have families. However, some more liberal observers may have sympathy for the Qatari women, many of whom are well educated and occupy important positions in Government. It's not long since it was suggested that in order to decrease philandering by Qatar men, those men should take second wives. Perhaps, at the same time, we

From Khaleej Times OnlineBEIJING - China is well placed to deal with a slowdown in the world economy and its conservative investment strategy has helped limit the impact of the US subprime crisis, the World Bank said Wednesday.Strong fiscal and trade positions will allow China the room to adjust its policies and respond to a slowdown in the world economy despite an unavoidable weakening in Chinese exports, the World Bank said in a report.‘China has a very strong macroeconomic position when you think about fiscal position, external position,’ senior China economist Louis Kuijs told reporters at the launch of the World Bank’s latest quarterly update on China’s economy.‘That means that China would have the room to adjust macroeconomic policies if there is a slowdown in the world economy.’He said a moderate slowdown could even help China rebalance its economy, which roared ahead at a breakneck 11.9 percent in the second quarter, with a surging trade surplus and high inflation t

New home sales are down, but not out. That explains the reason many builders throughout the Portland metro area are offering incentives (as opposed to let’s say, 2005).And according to a 2007 study by the PSU Center for Real Estate, new home sales have appreciated more slowly than existing homes. The study reports, “The overall median price of new detached homes sales increased by only 4% between 2006 and 2007, down from 23% the previous year.”Here are the current 2nd Quarter median home prices of new homes, compared to the 2nd Quarter prices in 2006:2007 & 2006$254,000 & $248,000 = North Portland$262,000 & $265,000 = Northeast Portland$301,500 & $271,000 = Southeast Portland$315,000 & $280,000 = Gresham, Troutdale$349,000 & $440,000 = Beaverton, Aloha$362,000 & $288,000 = Oregon City, Canby$380,671 & $366,688 = Overall$388,500 & $319,000 = Hillsboro, Forest Grove$495,000 & $529,000 = Milwaukie, Clackamas, Happy Valley$527,000 & $515,000 = Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, Wilsonvi

LONDON (Reuters) - The UK's only pure industrial property real estate investment trust, Brixton, said it was confident its specialist status could shield its prospects as the property sector braces for a market correction. "A less certain direct market is good for specialist companies who concentrate more on prime locations and quality product," Brixton chief executive Tim Wheeler said in a conference call on Tuesday.

Following John Chow’s idea, and suffering from the summer’s slow down myself, I’ve decided to conduct an experiment: leave Google Adsense for now and try my luck with a private sponsor. So, for those of you looking to get a private sponsorship ad, you want to know… What do I have to offer? 30 Days of site-wide 250X׳250 banner, on every single page and on every article in the Index Page, which shows 3 articles at a time. This site currently has an estimate of 100 unique readers per day via RSS, and more than 40,000 unique visitors per month. I attract a young audience, between the age of 20 to 30 (not counting my grandma - she’s 107). My target audience is mostly the Internet geek culture, but not the far-out-there eggheads. They are the kind of people who can sling some code, but still get a date. In other words, I’m latching onto the New Wave Geek market. The site itself has Page-Rank 2 on its main page and several others. It is expecte

Canada’s housing starts slowdown to 220,000 this year, down 3.2 percent from last year, says the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). This slowdown is partly due to higher prices, and rising mortgage costs. The agency also made a forecast of a drop to 207,200 next year as well. “Despite high employment levels, income gains and low mortgage rates, housing starts will trend downwards in 2007,” said Bob Dugan, CMHC’s chief economist. Though housing starts are expected to slowdown, builders and renovators will probably still continue to enjoy boom times in the industry. Why? Sales of existing homes are expected to hit a record 514,445 this year, up 6.5 percent from 2006 sales - according to the CMHC. The Conference Board also said that the booming western provinces help push the price of existing homes up 9.9 percent this year. Renovations will most likely maintain the industry as Canadians are expected to keep spending money on home improvement project

LONDON (Reuters) - Invista Real Estate Investment Management said it expected to cash in on a slowdown in the UK property market as falling returns would distinguish skilled managers from lesser rivals. Speaking to Reuters as the company (INRE.L: Quote, Profile , Research) posted half-year figures on Tuesday, Chief Executive Duncan Owen said he was confident Invista would outperform in a market delivering average returns of between 8 and 9 percent because the double-digit annual returns seen in 2005 and 2006 made it harder for investors to select the best managers.

The Atlanta real estate market does not have as many buyers as it has had over the past several years and there is one underlying reason that this has changed: The dissolution of the sub-prime real estate mortgage. Over the past few years, it did not take very good credit or very much money to obtain a loan to buy a home. Pressured by congress, large institutions have had enough of some mortgage programs that have caused many of today’s current problems. (more…)

From India DailyChinese stock market is falling like a stone. The Indian stock market fueled by American and European financial institutions faces the biggest bubble burst in the history.The CSI 300 Index dropped 292.52, or 7.7 percent, to close at 3511.43. After the government tripled the tax on share trades to 0.3 percent, Chinese stick market has tumbled 16 percent from its May 29 peak.Indian and other emerging markets are in deep trouble too. The fuel there comes from American and European financial institutions who have gathered in the shore of Mumbai to reap apparent benefits of Indian economy after failing to gain much in their own respective turfs. The bubble burst will be known in the history as the biggest financial meltdown in the history Western financial infrastructure.[Read more]

I logged into my mutual fund accounts and saw a large 3% average drop today. This is the biggest change I had experienced in my investment so far, so I went off to read news, which I seldom did. As expected, the news did mention a drop in stock markets around the world, so all my funds were affected. I’m not satisfied with just learning that, so I went off to look at more research to see if there are any markets I should move my funds to. My verdict was that it seems like stock markets and consequently mutual funds are not the best thing to buy into at the moment and I’ll explain why. Before I do that, let’s just look at my portfolio, which had suffered the full impact. Now that you have seen how hard my portfolio had been hit, let me go on to explain my rationale. First of all, I looked through the news on various websites and they said that they are expecting the medium-term to look good. It’s basically just a good way to say that in the short-term, the stoc

By Yaser Anwar, CSC of Equity Investment IdeasThis week I take a look at 1) The biz cycle stage & how it relates to 1986 mid-cycle slowdown, a look at % of stocks trading at or below the 200-day MAs 2) Implications of housing on the Fed 3) Loss of interest in metals & a gold study 4) Increasing flows in International Funds, a look at foreign equities & their risks. Thanks in advance for reading.Are we headed for a 1986 Like Mid-Cycle Slowdown?To gauge where we are in the business cycle, I took a look at how cyclical industries have been faring. The economic booms and busts are caused by the huge cyclical swings in goods producers like manufacturing and construction alongside the cyclical parts of wholesale and retail trade.I believe we are in the midst of a slowdown similar to 1986 mid-cycle one, which was the only case where a decline in goods and trade payrolls did not accompany a US recession. That's where we are today, with the slumping US goods and trade employment. Investors

{mosgoogle right}TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese core machinery orders -- a key indicator of capital spending -- fell 12.7 percent in February from the previous month, the Cabinet Office said Thursday.The figure points to weaker spending amid the country's economic slowdown.Core orders, which exclude often volatile orders from electric power companies and those for ships, are considered a key yardstick of business investment in the future. Their decline bodes ill for the country' [...]

{mosgoogle right}TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's central bank decided Wednesday to keep a key interest rate unchanged amid lingering worries about a global slowdown.The Bank of Japan policy board meeting unanimously decided to the rate at 0.5 percent, the bank said in a statement.The decision was widely expected amid continued uncertainty over the U.S. economy and its impact on global markets.The market is now awaiting signs about the future direction of monetary policy [...]

{mosgoogle right}TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's central bank kept interest rates steady Tuesday as widely expected amid lingering worries about a global slowdown.The policy board was unanimous in keeping the benchmark overnight call rate unchanged at 0.5 percent at the end of a two-day meeting, according to the Bank of Japan.Soaring gas prices, rising material costs and signs of slower global growth are we