On Slack: America First, Art of Looking Stupid, Deceptions of Luck, Lost Big to Amazon, Prohibitive Change, Super Safe Spices, Variable Pay Slashed and more….
Slack is where the daily action happens. We take pride in our diverse and always helpful member community which includes value investors, fund managers, and professional traders. Here is a brief summary of some of the interesting things discussed there in the last few days. Find all older ones here.
#general: ‘Have money, can’t lend!’
“It’s been a pretty tough time (post demonetisation),” H.P. Singh, chairman and managing director of Satin Creditcare, said in an interview. “The cash supply position has been very bad in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab… in both rural and urban areas. People say there are no lines in Mumbai or in the south, but if you go to U.P., people are still only getting ₹500 per week. The Hindu
#general: The Deceptions of Luck
Nature makes chance, humans make luck. Nautil
#general: Government has disbursed Rs 6,000 crore as arrears under OROP scheme
The NDA government is committed to the welfare of military veterans, and has already disbursed Rs 6,285 crore as arrears under the ‘one rank, one pension’ (OROP) scheme till now, said minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre on Saturday. Times of India
#SEBITOTD Do not be misled by advertisements/ advices/ rumors promising unrealistic gains and windfall profits…
— Awareness (@SEBI_India) January 16, 2017
#general: How Netflix Lost Big to Amazon in India
The streaming company botched its chance to own India’s huge new video market. Back Channel
#general: Equipping people to stay ahead of technological change
It is easy to say that people need to keep learning throughout their careers. The practicalities are daunting. Economist
#general: Be afraid. But don’t be very afraid.
There is much change happening all around. Artificial intelligence is taking over. People are afraid. With good reason. But there is no reason to be very afraid. Livemint
ITC to launch ‘super safe’ spices under MasterChef brandhttps://t.co/uVgos9gsv4@sohinidastweets pic.twitter.com/ZO2UAl1yty
— Business Standard (@bsindia) January 15, 2017
#general: The Humans Working Behind the AI Curtain
Just how artificial is Artificial Intelligence? Facebook created a PR firestorm last summer when reporters discovered a human “editorial team” – rather than just unbiased algorithms – selecting stories for its trending topics section. Harvard Business Review
#stocks: TCS Slashes Variable Pay For Employees Citing “Muted” Third Quarter
In an email communication to all employees, Ajoy Mukherjee, executive vice president and global head, human resources at TCS, announced an upto 50 percent cut in QVA citing dull growth. Bloomberg Quint
#stocks: Infosys director Ravi Venkatesan violates company’s insider trading norms inadvertently
Infosys notified the US Securities and Exchange Commission that its independent director Ravi Venkatesan had inadvertently bought 50 shares of the company during the trading closure window violating its insider trading policy. Economic Times
Two revolutionary companies went public in the summer of 2004. These are their returns…
Google (Alphabet): +1,555%
Domino’s Pizza: +2,401% pic.twitter.com/lteHpxwvS3
— Charlie Bilello (@charliebilello) January 14, 2017
#general: The Art of Looking Stupid
#general: World’s eight richest people have same wealth as poorest 50%
A new report by Oxfam warns of the growing and dangerous concentration of wealth. The Guardian
#bonds: EPFO decides to invest Rs. 2,800 crore in CPSE ETF
Move marks the first time that EPFO is participating in the government’s divestment plans. Livemint
China’s banks are hiding more than $2 trillion in loans by repackaging them as “investment receivables” https://t.co/EVY2vcwJko pic.twitter.com/TOPjGSsFni
— Mark Constantine (@vexmark) December 9, 2016
#general: Silently, India’s supreme court has set off a chain of events that could torpedo Modi’s demonetisation move
It scrubbed out old meanings, unearthed new ones, and further garrisoned judges’ hold on the constitution. A prohibitive change has swept in. Ordinances now face constitutional fire in ways they never have. Quartz
#general: Indian Realty Expected to Grow by 30% in Next Decade, Will Remain a Good Investment
Globally, real estate is recognized as a sector which has the most economic linkages. In India, realty is the second largest employer after agriculture and is slated to grow at 30% over the next decade as the number of Indians living in urban areas is set to increase from 434 million in 2015 to 600 million by 2031, according to the India Brand Equity foundation. News18
3 major stocks bought by Mutual Funds in December 2016 pic.twitter.com/fpvJ3W5jOX
— Third Eye View (@BrainandMoney) January 16, 2017
#macronomics: “America First” and Global Conflict Next
Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States does not just represent a mounting populist backlash against globalization. It may also portend the end of Pax Americana – the international order of free exchange and shared security that the US and its allies built after World War II. Project Syndicate
#general: India’s crazy retrospective tax on foreign funds will tarnish country’s reputation
India wants to collect as much as 30% to 40% tax, even if an Asia fund in Hong Kong or Singapore redeemed, say, units in an India sub-fund to which it had only a 10% allocation. Livemint
#general: Forget job losses! Mid-sized financial firms on hiring spree now!
It may be a season of job losses and eroding businesses for many in these post-demonetization days but small and mid-sized financial services firms are on a hiring spree, pooling in precious human resource talent during these difficult times. They say this reverse trend is part of their talent investment for the future. Economic Times
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