ASIA: Asian markets have a very volatile day today. The surge in Covid-19 numbers globally has raised concerns worldwide. Indian markets fell in line with other major Asian markets. Nikkei in Japan, Hang Seng in Hong Kong, and Shanghai Composite in China fell between 0.5 percent and 1 percent on Monday. The continuing rise in […]

ASIA: International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief economist Gita Gopinath has said its 2021 GDP numbers for India were locked on March 5, around the same time the country started seeing an upsurge in Covid-19 cases and that there could be a downward risk if the country goes for a nationwide lockdown. The IMF this week […]

ASIA: According to a study, some 75% of the world’s bitcoin mining is done in China. The reason given for this in the report is cheap electricity and relatively easy access to manufacturers who make specialized hardware. As a result, the nation’s bitcoin carbon footprint is as big as one of its ten largest cities, […]

ASIA: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its FY22 growth forecast for India to 12.5% from 11.5% estimated earlier in January, even as a resurgent Covid spread threatens to undermine the country’s economic recovery. The Washington-based global financial institution, in its annual World Economic Outlook ahead of the annual Spring meeting with the World Bank, […]

COMMENT: Hi Mr. Armstrong…..this is a surprising (to me) summary, on John Law. Every piece I ever read about him, cast him as a complete scoundrel, yet you obviously write with admiration. Just another example of history depending on someone’s perspective. You never cease to surprise. And that’s good. HS REPLY: John Law was actually […]

ASIA: Chinese government bonds will be added to the FTSE World Government Bond Index (WGBI) over three years from the end of October, FTSE Russell said in a statement. Chinese government bonds were previously included in index suites from JPMorgan and Bloomberg Barclays, but FTSE WGBI inclusion is expected to have a larger effect due […]

ASIA: Chinese officials on Monday said Sweden’s H&M and other foreign brands should not make rash moves or step into politics after the companies raised concerns about forced labor in Xinjiang, sparking a furious online backlash and boycotts. H&M, Burberry, Nike, Adidas, and other Western brands have been hit by consumer boycotts in China since […]

ASIA: India plans to offer fresh incentives to companies making electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a broad auto sector scheme it expects to attract $14 billion of investment over five years, Reuters reported. The plans envisage $8 billion of incentives for carmakers and suppliers over a five-year period to drive large investment in the […]

ASIA: India’s central bank may have to delay the start of monetary policy normalization by three months amid rising COVID-19 cases, but barring the return of stringent lockdowns, there is no significant threat to the economy’s recovery, analysts say. Though analysts are unlikely to rush to review their long-term growth forecasts, several believe policy normalization […]

QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong, you always paint the US market as outperforming everything else. There are some who are calling this the new Weimar Republic and the market is destined to crash. Where does the US market rank in your opinion? With interest rates rising, do you think the market can continue to move higher? Thank […]