Abu Dhabi and Jakarta implemented their free-trade agreement this month, harboring important implications for the Gulf nation. The UAE economy is about one-fifth the size of Indonesia. The announcement is also noteworthy because it emphasizes a type of South-South business…
We are intrigued by news out of Malaysia that the local asset-management arm of Nomura is now rolling out its Global Shariah Sustainable Equity Fund. Given that a new investment fund can take as long as a year to work…
Hidden behind the January 6 proceedings, something else extraordinary is happening on Capitol Hill. And many American businesses seem unaware of its implications. Congress is batting around legislation that would formalize an outbound foreign investment review process with sweeping implications…
Ken Griffin is a prominent financier. His estimated net worth is some $29 billion, according to Bloomberg. He is also a notable South Florida resident. In addition to a Palm Beach estate, he has committed some $100 million to assembling…
The Sicilian capital of Palermo came to a standstill in early June, when hackers shut down the municipal computer network in a ransomware attack. Aside from reporting the incident, local officials have offered scant details. They now suggest that it…
A quick scan of the trade press spotlights an aspirational outlook for business travel. Headlines read “Execs Choose (Real) Face Time Over Zoom” and “Business Travel Ignores Inflation.” But a less selective read offers more muted conclusions. “Business Travel Resumes,…
Customer retention is essential to business survival. It measures the underlying health of a firm. In April, Netflix announced it had lost some 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter, suggesting that consumers were abandoning the streaming company. The stock price…
A strange thing happened in Afghanistan this month. The Taliban outlawed poppy cultivation. On the surface, that decision would appear to be a bold, counter-narcotic move. Many argue that the policy will send the fragile Afghan economy further down the…
Legislation now in play in Washington aims to provide as much as $52 billion in loans, guarantees, and other incentives to technology companies for retrofitting US-based chip manufacturing. That seems logical, if not politically expedient, at a time when US…
The war in Ukraine has jolted Colombia, at least economically. We are struck by news that Bogota is trying to accelerate coal output, as well as identify mining surpluses, to fill at-hand and oversized shortfalls in Europe, including Ukraine. Colombia…