A
limping horse may still have a chance to win the race. How is that
possible, you may ask. The answer is Einstein's theory of relativity. In
a relative world, it does not matter if you are a bad horse as long as
the other horses are in an even worse shape. Think of the global
currencies and this analogy comes in pretty handy. With the limping
horse we were referring to the US dollar. The greenback had everything
going against it. Yet the US dollar has regained its safe haven status
in recent times. How come? Because the Euro is in an even worse shape.
Moreover, even China's growth has slowed down and many fear that the dragon economy is heading for a hard landing.
An economist by the name of Mr Gary Shilling even goes further to say that the US dollar would survive the global gloom and would continue to remain the primary international trading and reserve currency for decades. According to Mr Shilling, there are quite a many positives that the US economy has on its side such as its entrepreneurial bent, open economy, rapid productivity growth, superior technology and relatively open immigration. Besides these positives, the lack of alternatives to the greenback will aid its dominant global position.
Crouching Tiger Wounded Dragon', a modified title for the Academy Award winning Mandarin movie, has often been used to denote the one-upmanship of Indian economy to its Chinese counterpart. Although China has proven to be a difficult competitor in every aspect, investors often benchmark India's performance against the dragon economy. Of late reports about the Chinese GDP growth rate slowing down, banks accumulating huge NPAs and real estate bubble threatening to burst have diverted investor focus from the juggernaut.
The latest to catch their attention is accounting flaws in large Chinese firms. Auditors expressing concerns over the irregularities and falsification of financial records in Chinese firms have left a bad taste in investors' mouth. As a result, FIIs have turned to Indian markets for better returns than the near zero interest rates back home. That the Indian capital market regulator SEBI has adopted more stringent laws for accounting disclosure seem to have added to their confidence. Smaller Indian companies looking to get themselves listed on the exchanges are also keen to tap this opportunity. It is now for the government and India Inc to ensure that investors looking for long term opportunities here do not get disappointed. Else most of the BRIC story will be gone for good.
An economist by the name of Mr Gary Shilling even goes further to say that the US dollar would survive the global gloom and would continue to remain the primary international trading and reserve currency for decades. According to Mr Shilling, there are quite a many positives that the US economy has on its side such as its entrepreneurial bent, open economy, rapid productivity growth, superior technology and relatively open immigration. Besides these positives, the lack of alternatives to the greenback will aid its dominant global position.
Crouching Tiger Wounded Dragon', a modified title for the Academy Award winning Mandarin movie, has often been used to denote the one-upmanship of Indian economy to its Chinese counterpart. Although China has proven to be a difficult competitor in every aspect, investors often benchmark India's performance against the dragon economy. Of late reports about the Chinese GDP growth rate slowing down, banks accumulating huge NPAs and real estate bubble threatening to burst have diverted investor focus from the juggernaut.
The latest to catch their attention is accounting flaws in large Chinese firms. Auditors expressing concerns over the irregularities and falsification of financial records in Chinese firms have left a bad taste in investors' mouth. As a result, FIIs have turned to Indian markets for better returns than the near zero interest rates back home. That the Indian capital market regulator SEBI has adopted more stringent laws for accounting disclosure seem to have added to their confidence. Smaller Indian companies looking to get themselves listed on the exchanges are also keen to tap this opportunity. It is now for the government and India Inc to ensure that investors looking for long term opportunities here do not get disappointed. Else most of the BRIC story will be gone for good.
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