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Advantages.us now well on its way to a Top 10K ranking in India, Watch out! India market oriented articles are more specifically indexed here and here. Why one can’t write on the dealmaking one is part of..well because it is a deal and then only some because one can’t disclose client and deal confidentiality. But then a person who evaluates a blog writer for an executive position is anyway starting on the wrong foot.. The blog is just building a information base and does not give away his character at work, his business models or his work content necessarily. There is no question to it. This one is a pretty successful business deal maker. He has the access. He could do wonders for an action-oriented organisation.

China formalises Private Equity forays | Bloomberg.com

zyakaira notes: With more than 400 funds already operating in China, the government is taking steps to formalize regulation as this may be the big ticket boost need for the Chinese economy to grow. Understandably, the first few funds are mostly equity focussed domestic funds.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc.(GS), also is planning to raise a domestic private-equity fund for his Beijing-based Hopu Investment Management Co., after raising $2.5 billion from overseas investors. Tax rate differences between Hongkong and China may not be addressed in one go in upcoming regulation

(Bloomberg) Blackstone Group LP’s(BX) joint venture with Shanghai’s government may be a first step in China’s effort to build its own private equity industry as the government seeks to foster corporate governance and strengthen capital markets.

Blackstone, the world’s biggest private equity firm, will set up a 5 billion yuan ($732 million fund), marking the first partnership between a global buyout firm and the Chinese government.

The Blackstone Zhonghua Development Investment Fund will be created with the newly formed government of Pudong New Area, Blackstone said in a statement Aug. 14.“The long-term goal is Chinese private equity,” said Adam Segal, a senior fellow of China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

“The Chinese don’t want their industry to be dominated by Blackstone and Carlyle.”The venture is part of China’s plans to establish itself as a major player in the global economy, said Doug Guthrie, a professor of management at New York University’s Stern School of Business. During the 1980s, China was aiming to be the world’s biggest manufacturer. In the 1990s, the country was seeking partnerships with multinational companies, including financial firms.

Now they want to develop their capital markets, he said.“This has nothing to do with needing capital and everything to do with gaining the institutional know-how to do it on their own,” Guthrie said.Targeting ShanghaiThe fund will target investments in Shanghai and neighboring areas. China and Blackstone didn’t disclose the structure of the fund. Blackstone spokesman Peter Rose declined to comment beyond the statement.

Blackstone will be the first global private-equity firm to secure investment from a tier-one city government in China.The agreement signifies China’s endorsement of private equity to bolster corporate governance and profit, said Vincent Chan, co-founder of China-focused fund Spring Capital Asia Ltd. TPG, Carlyle Group and KKR & Co. haven’t established domestic funds.

via Blackstone’s Shanghai Venture May Boost Chinese Private Equity – Bloomberg.com.

MF Assets zoom to $150 billion | Value Research

MF Assets zoom to Rs 7.22 Lakh Crore ($150 billion)

This is a monthly update with data from Valueresearchonline and amfiindia

This is a growth of 23.84 per cent or Rs 1.24 lakh crore ( over the assets during the end of June 2009. A closer look reveals that in June, funds went out from income and liquid schemes. But market trends made them come back again as one saw net inflows of Rs 95,764 crore ($19.95 bn) in income funds while the figures stood at Rs 24,698 crore ($5.15 bn) for liquid funds. This is being pushed largely by corporates and institutions.

Equity funds saw net inflows of only Rs 4,232 crore (<$1bn) in July. Two open-end equity schemes — Birla Sun Life Enhanced Arbitrage Fund and Reliance Infrastructure Fund garnered a total of Rs 2,394 crore or close to $498 million through their new fund offers.

Gilts had a bad month as yields ruled high at 6.97% Gold ETFs were also marginal as Rs 40 Crs inflow was reported in them

via MF Assets Set Record at Rs 7.22 Lakh Crore – Value Research: The Complete Guide to Mutual Funds.

AIG still on the precipice?

AIG will soon be a domestic insurer if the planned three way split comes through to let the company return Federal funds as it has already spun off its International insurer AIA. In related news, all top four investment bankers are involved in this break up and sale of AIG.

It’s part of AIG’s master plan, known as ‘Project Destiny,’ which aims to repay a big chunk of the $82 billion in loans owed to U.S. taxpayers.

AIG is breaking off three huge subsidiaries: Its property-casualty business, recently renamed Chartis; Southeast Asian life insurer AIA; and foreign life insurance unit ALICO. Chartis was spun off last week, but its shares will be not be sold to the government.

The current scrip (closing at $22.53 yesterday) is the result of a reverse split of 1:20 preventing a penny stock tag for a stock that was ‘once the pride of the nation’. AIG also does not have a very clear corp governance record till date, making short term arrangements with Liddy and Greenberg both regularly answering charges and stepping out

In June 2009, Revenue jumped 48% to $29.53 billion.

Operating income at AIG’s general-insurance business dropped 19% on a decline in underwriting profit, while net premiums written fell the same amount. Combined ratio, or the portion of premiums paid out on claims and expenses, rose six percentage points to 98.2%.(precarious, the true income stream as it may not dabble in other income enhancing trades now)

Meanwhile, the life-insurance and retirement-services segment’s loss narrowed sharply as the company said it had a difficult but improving operating environment. The investment assets as of Q1(Mar 2009) amounted to $560 billion and even a 10% loss on these largely policy liabilities, could wipe off the company

AIG now reports a profit of $2.57 per share at $4.57 billion, taking Equity up to $58 billion

On Monday, Robert Benmosche, the former chairman and chief executive of MetLife Inc. (MET), will step in as AIG’s new chief executive, and new director Harvey Golub, formerly chief executive of American Express Co. (AXP), takes over as non-executive chairman. Edward Liddy, who took both roles in September after AIG’s first bailout, will step down.

AIG’s maximum risk on a separate book of swaps sold to European banks narrowed to $177.5 billion as of June 30, compared with $192.6 billion at the end of March. The insurer said in June that declines in the value of assets tied to the swaps could have a “material adverse effect” on results and that the risk of losses on the derivatives may last “longer than anticipated.”

This risk can still wipe out equity in the next 4 quarters unless the bad assets are separated from the conglomerate. It also has had initial hiccups in selling off its Asian businesses though it will complete a couple of sales in Taiwan life insurance in the next few days The Government holds $8 billion equity in the newly formed AIA

European Swaps

The average weighted length of the swaps protecting residential loans is more than 24 years, while the span tied to corporate loans is about 7 years, the company said.

The government’s rescue includes a $60 billion credit line, $52.5 billion to buy mortgage-linked assets owned or insured by the company, and a Treasury investment of as much as $70 billion. AIG agreed to turn over a stake of almost 80 percent as part of the initial bailout, diluting private shareholders.

AIG – which is 80% owned by the U.S. government following its rescue of the company last September – posted income of $1.82 billion, or $2.30 a share, compared with a year-earlier loss of $5.36 billion, or $41.13 a share. Excluding capital losses and other items, earnings were $2.57 a share, compared with a prior-year loss of $10.15 a share.

Data courtesy Bloomberg, WSJ and other results announcements

Bank of England pumps extra billions | AFP

zyakaira notes: As markets get into their regular humdrum, such notes from Central Bankers continue to underline the cautious tone markets have acquired in 2009 and signify that the downturn will spring surprises into 2010 and more.

 

The Bank of England surprised markets on Thursday by agreeing to create an extra 50 billion pounds of new money even though it expected the recession to soon bottom out.

The BoE announced it would ramp up its so-called quantitative easing (QE) scheme — whereby it buys bonds from commercial institutions — from 125 billion pounds to 175 billion pounds after winning government approval.

In reaction, London stocks surged to a 2009 peak, with the FTSE 100 index of leading shares striking 4,711.51 points — the best level since October 6, 2008 — after the BoE also held interest rates at a record low 0.50 percent.

The no-change decision was in line with market expectations, but there had been considerable uncertainty about the outlook for the QE plan, which is effectively seen as creating new money.

“Financial market strains have eased and banks’ funding conditions have improved a little, although financial conditions remain fragile,” the BoE said in a statement announcing its move.

“Household and business confidence has picked up, albeit from the very low levels experienced in the wake of the financial crisis last autumn.”

The BoE had launched QE in March, when it also slashed borrowing costs to the current record-low 0.50 percent, in a bid to beat the credit crunch, boost lending and lift the economy out of a downturn.

In Frankfurt on Thursday,%

via AFP: Bank of England pumps extra billions.

State of the Insurance Market (India) | Midweek Dropzone

 

New players like Airtel and HSBC have been non-starters _TYY4 less than 10 seconds ago from web

Other players falling behind include quasi Asset management peddlers like ICICI Prudential and WL players like New York Life _TYY4 half a minute ago from web

Players like Max New York Life have designed Tech friendly products which are warehoused and delivered directly by handheld terminals for rural distribution  (Vijay)

HDFC Standard Life has made losses for the first five years which the bank attributes to its up front expense accounting (IFRS subject)

Investor money seems safe because of IRDA regulation in the area despite global cues for AIG, Aviva and metlife

LIC held 40% share in the new business in 2007 and 56% in 2009 _TYY42 minutes ago from web

Life Insurance Corpn alone holds a book of $64 billion in investments including double digit figures in unclaimed funds _TYY43 minutes ago from web

Additionally, 6 pvt Pension fund managers are mandated to run state owned and independent pension funds _TYY46 minutes ago from HootSuite

16 private players in Life and 11 in non life _TYY46 minutes ago from HootSuite

Motor and Health makes 50-60% of the non-life Insurance segment _TYY47 minutes ago from HootSuite

Insurance in India had last grown to $41 billion in 2007, Life marking $36 b7 minutes ago from HootSuite

Indian Insurance: Bajaj Allianz, Metlife and Aviva safe in India till now _TYY412 minutes ago from HootSuite

The Foreign partner can bring up to 49%? Insurance Reform stuck in the middle _TYY413 minutes ago from HootSuite

AIG wants to sell off Indian Life Insurance stake – We’re safe with IRDA watching _TYY415 minutes ago from HootSuite

RT @zyakaira: Indian Insurance Market: DLF to get out of Insurance when buyer is available- AIG, Prudential turned down _TYY418 minutes ago from Plaxo Pulse

AIG wants to sell off Indian Life Insurance stake – We’re safe with IRDA watching18 minutes ago from HootSuite

Indian Insurance Market: DLF to get out of Insurance when buyer is available- AIG, Prudential turned down _TYY421 minutes ago from HootSuite

Apna Bharat Mahaan – More India Trends:: Swine Flue catches Twitter http://tr.im/vIg0about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck

RT @mashable TWITTER PURGE: Top Twitter User Unfollows 106,000 People http://bit.ly/3IMizabout 1 hour ago from TweetMeme

Trends in apna bharat mahan – It happens for Twitterindia Bank strike – Twitter Search http://ow.ly/jfp1about 2 hours ago from HootSuite

Trends in “Apna Bharat Mahaan” Twitterindia speaks for Inflation down – Twitter Search http://ow.ly/jfoJ (DON’T TOUCH BIT.LY) about 2 hours ago from HootSuite

I think someone shd check the bit.ly bug: they don’t shorten the complete url on search.twitter about 2 hours ago from HootSuite

Last but not the least Twitter India speaks on the RIL RNRL gas dispute http://ow.ly/jfnJ about 2 hours ago from HootSuite

Depression has changed a few facts in Insurance

New players like Reliance and old alike like LIC and ICICI Prudential, Axis planning IPOs ( rules require 10 yrs of Operations) _TYY4 less than 10 seconds ago from web

 

Reliance Life will be looking for a Reliance Capital IPO as Insurance has only 5 years of Operations

 

New players like Airtel have been non-starters _TYY4 3 minutes ago from web

Other players falling behind include quasi Asset management peddlers like ICICI Prudential and WL players like New York Life _TYY4 4 minutes ago from web

LIC held 40% share in the new business in 2007 and 56% in 2009 _TYY4 5 minutes ago from web

Shikha Sharma has joined Axis Bank as MD and ICICI wants a unified holding company alongwith SBI to manage as part of the bank!!

The first tweets ‘after’ the crisis – Aug 05, 2009

  1. Up and Hangover are still competing with Harry Potter after 2 months with $300m each1 minute ago from HootSuite
  2. MMRDA’s prior land deals with Jet airways and Starlite have however been canceled as both could not pay up _TYY42 minutes ago from HootSuite
  3. MMRDA-Mumbai Urban Infra Plan received an addl $320 m from the state incl Bhiwandi-Dombivili-Mumbra, Vasai-Virar & Mira-Bhayendar roads_TYY44 minutes ago from HootSuite
  4. Mumbai has also planned 3000 million ltr water projects for $1b with the Konkan Irrigation Dev Corp _TYY48 minutes ago from HootSuite
  5. Meanwhile, MMRDA has awarded the Mumbai Metro Phase 2 to Reliance Infrastructure (Anil Ambani) for around $2.3 billion11 minutes ago from HootSuite
  6. Axis Bank plans to raise 71.4 m new shares or an addl 20% of its capital to boost Tier1 ratio, with SUUTI unlikely to subscribe more_TYY413 minutes ago from HootSuite
  7. Overseas contribution for Love Aajkal was a healthy $3 m across Pakistan, UK and Oz _TYY416 minutes ago from HootSuite
  8. Saif’s Love Aajkal grossed Rs 62 crore ( $13 m) on the opening weekend, a hefty figure for Indian Rupee denominated tickets. _TYY416 minutes ago from HootSuite
  9. Multiplex revival boosted July figures and mall footfalls are up 50% from a y-o-y drop of 20% and more in the first half _TYY420 minutes ago from HootSuite
  10. Cognizant manages 94% repeat business from existing customers, Indian outsourcing business wd corrrespondingly stay at $50 billion _TYY422 minutes ago from HootSuite
  11. Cognizant maintained a Q-o-Q revenue increase of 3% to $776 million and operating margins increased with rise in attrition to 11.3% _TYY424 minutes ago from HootSuite
  12. As GE business continues to fall at Genpact, it admitted slower growth could mar its prospects _TYY427 minutes ago from HootSuite
  13. Today on advantages: HSBC and Barclays ride out global storm – FT.Com Banks: Both Bar.. http://tr.im/vvOe28 minutes ago from Plaxo Pulse
  14. Today on advantages: UBS Posts $1.3 Billion Quarterly Loss – NYTimes.com: UBS posted a.. http://tr.im/vvOh28 minutes ago from Plaxo Pulse
  15. Today on advantages: ANZ to buy RBS Asian assets for $550m | FT.com Banks: ANZ will buy Roya.. http://tr.im/vsff28 minutes ago from Plaxo Pulse
  16. Genpact and Cognizant reported optimistic earnings with $29.7 m (up 20%) and $141.3 million ( up 36%) respectively _TYY428 minutes ago from HootSuite
  17. The NMDC sale could fetch the govt more than $2.5 billion _TYY433 minutes ago from HootSuite
  18. Following on after the NHPC issue of $1.3 b and OIL’s $1b in September, REC to open in March 2010 for $.75 billion _TYY434 minutes ago from HootSuite
  19. As deposit rates hit southward, Axis gets ready to woo customers with new Mutual Fund and Insurance ventures by October _TYY436 minutes ago from HootSuite
  20. Will Axis be able to compete with Citi, HSBC and Stanchart in India? _TYY438 minutes ago from HootSuite
  21. Stanchart can manage its relationship with RBI and the inclusive growth agenda. India contributed 19% to Stanchart profits _TYY440 minutes ago from HootSuite
  22. RBS has not planned a sale of the wealth management team and still wants to be rid of the liabilities’ book _TYY442 minutes ago from HootSuite
  23. Stanchart is unlikely to however bid for all Indian branches of RBS while RBS planned an exit from all India business in consumer and retail43 minutes ago from HootSuite
  24. Stanchart’s India operations have reported $526 m in operating profits with a $94 m increase in impairments44 minutes ago from HootSuite
  25. ANZ is unlikely to be of significant size to bother HSBC, Citi and Stanchart in Asiaabout 1 hour ago from HootSuite
  26. ANZ has grabbed RBS business worth $3.2 b in loans and $7.1 b in depositsabout 1 hour ago from HootSuite
  27. Stanchart will get RBS in India and China for a couple of $100 million, but like others has frozen personal lines in the area _TYY4about 1 hour ago from HootSuite
  28. In Banking stocks, Axis hope to raise $1 b from the market, but some of its promoters are unlikely to have ore resources _TYY4about 1 hour ago from HootSuite
  29. Harry Potter is growing strongly to $220 million in 2 weeksabout 1 hour ago from HootSuite
  30. @blrmoneytalkz : Should You Invest In Mortgage-Backed Securities? – WSJ.com: ZYAKAIRA(AMIT.. http://bit.ly/3tJYR4

BOTTOMLINE: Outsourcing in trouble, Infrastructure hungry for Ca$h, Retail Lifestyle businesses up on the move, Asian Banks will remain gems in the global portfolio and lots of IPOs

@blrmoneytalkz

  1. BOTTOMLINE: Invest in Axis Bank, exit RBS, sell the casino banks and sit and enjoy annuity income ;) _TYY4less than 20 seconds ago from TweetDeck
  2. BOTTOMLINE: Asian Banks will remain gems in the global portfolio and lots of IPOs _TYY41 minute ago from TweetDeck
  3. BOTTOMLINE: Outsourcing in trouble, Infrastructure hungry for Ca$h, Retail Lifestyle businesses up on the move _TYY41 minute ago from TweetDeck

Amit Mittal
amittal92@gmail.com
MD, Advantage Research Pvt Ltd
@Innovative Film City, Bidadi 562109
On the web Advantage ‘zyaada’ http://advantages.us/zya

http://astore.amazon.com/mmmzyaada-20

UBS Posts $1.3 Billion Quarterly Loss – NYTimes.com

UBS posted a $1.3 billion quarterly loss on Tuesday, the third in a row for Switzerland’s biggest bank, and blamed costs linked to its reorganization program.The loss widened to 1.4 billion Swiss francs in the second quarter from 395 million francs in the same period a year earlier. The company cited costs related to job cuts and charges to improve the bank’s debt position, and it said clients continued to withdraw money from its wealth management units even though the rate of net outflows slowed from the first quarter.The bank gave a bleak outlook, saying that a sustainable economic “recovery is not yet visible.”“Our outlook remains cautious, consistent with our view that economic recovery will be constrained by low credit creation and the structural weaknesses in consumers’ and governments’ balance sheets,” the bank said in a statement.Oswald Grübel, the bank’s chief executive, has cut about 7,500 jobs, reduced risk-weighted assets and sold a unit in Brazil in an effort to return the company to profitability. Credit Suisse and other UBS rivals have recently reported higher earnings as strong performances of their investment banking units outweighed rising bad loans at their retail operations. At UBS, the investment banking business had a pretax loss of 1.85 billion francs, down from 5.24 billion francs a year ago.

via UBS Posts $1.3 Billion Quarterly Loss – NYTimes.com.

Also, another 16.5 billion CHF have flown from the bank and the legal battles with US may be closed soon. But $UBS is not bankable anymore

HSBC and Barclays ride out global storm – FT.Com Banks

Both Barclays and HSBC have emerged as relative winners from the financial crisis.At the height of the crisis last October, both banks kept their distance from government money and are now in a position to exploit opportunities in sectors such as investment banking at the expense of weaker rivals.

Monday’s first-half results showed that both HSBC and Barclays have taken advantage of the frantic trading in bonds, interest rate products and currencies, and profits from investment banking are offseting rising bad debts from consumers and businesses.Barclays Capital’s first-half profits almost doubled to £1bn and HSBC’s global banking and markets business reported record first-half profits of $6.2bn £3.7bn against $2.7bn in the first half of last year – a seven-fold increase on the second half of 2008.But the contrasts between the banks are more striking than their similarities.Barclays used the banking crisis to expand its investment banking operations by buying part of Lehman Brothers last year. HSBC used it to wind down its US consumer finance operation and focus onrapidly-growing emerging markets

via FT.com / Companies / UK companies – HSBC and Barclays ride out global storm.

zyakaira notes: Despite the confident assertions, both banks have scraped by Barclays losing BGI and still depending on BarCap while HSBC forced to freeze all personal lines in markets like India and raise rights capital. Both are still suffering from rising bad debt and uncontrolled operational laxity while reiterating strengths in emerging markets in India incl more operational units transferred. Also Barclays is reportedly under tremendous underwriting losses in its bid to expand as NBFC in India

ANZ to buy RBS Asian assets for $550m | FT.com Banks

ANZ will buy Royal Bank of Scotland’s operations in six Asian countries for $550m A$687m in a deal that underlines the ability of Australia’s strongly capitalised banks to acquire assets for highly competitive prices from struggling international peers.

ANZ, which wants to generate a fifth of its earnings from Asian operations, will buy RBS’s retail, wealth management and commercial businesses in Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong, as well as the UK bank’s institutional banking businesses in Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The news sent ANZ shares up 1.5 per cent to A$19.28. RBS shares opened 1p or 47.47p in London.RBS, which reports first-half results on Friday, has been in talks with ANZ and the UK’s Standard Chartered for months over the sale of its retail assets in Asia as it tries to shrink its balance sheet.

The assets include 170 branches, with 28 in India and 13 in China. StanChart has been interested in acquiring RBS units being sold in China, India and Malaysia.In total, the assets were expected to fetch about $1bn-$1.5bn.

RBS said on Tuesday it was in “advanced discussions” with bidders for the remaining assets in Asia it had decided to sell. It said the sale to ANZ was at a $50m premium over book value.

Australian banks have completed a number of transactions with UK financial services groups over the last year, led by Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s purchase of HBOS’s Australian subsidiary Bankwest for A$2bn.

Mike Smith, ANZ chief executive, said the acquisition of the RBS businesses was a stepping stone in the bank’s “super regional strategy” and created a new platform for its retail and wealth operations in Asia.

via FT.com / Companies / Banks – ANZ to buy RBS Asian assets for $550m.

ANZ wd have had to divest the India China Malaysia assets later if Stanchart had not stepped forward. Now the middling Stanchart has 41 new branches in India and China. The private banking and corporate investment banking business has not been sold

Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank – the last of the everglades

Read this at seekingalpha (anonymous) ..

Goldman Sachs (GS) and Deutsche Bank (DB) got served by the US Senate which is investigating fraud in the mortgage meltdown last year. Several other financial institutions may also have received subpoenas from the sub-committee that is headed by Senator Carl Levin.

WSJ said the focus of the investigation is on whether internal communications show executives at the banks had private doubts on the soundness of the mortgage-related securities they were putting together.

While $GS and $DB have kept their wits about them throughout the crisis, they have been party to writing mortgage backed securities without due Verification and even dealt in resold paper as collateral on ‘freshly packaged’ stuff. seekingalpha also doubts if these may be paper sold by institutional side after the issuer side already sold them (short). This is where the niggly details of the crash are, and if these can be found, none of the other reforms might matter to those in trading houses and hedge funds that used these trades to catch up on their losses and ‘post Madoff,

Retail mortgages in fact come with a hefty price tag in terms f operational compliance shortcomings being as high as 40% from Basel data. Here’s hoping we catch the right crooks..