ISSUE - 107
8th FEBRUARY [TUESDAY]
EDITOR’S DESK
- TANIYA BANERJEE
The recent turmoil in the world politics has once again reinforced the fact that the ultimate power lies in the hands of the common man. The same common man who has been time and again trampled under dictatorship, autocratic rule etc. President Hosni Mubarak remains no exception, inspired by Tunisia‘s popular uprising the people of Egypt have taken on to the streets of Cairo to create a new page in history of world politics. The entire episode has been captured in our Cover Story. Our Opinion page covers the much talked about POSCO and its projects in Orissa. How after much deliberation and drama this much hyped and controversial topic finally seems to be on its way to get sorted out. Sony is one name which is synonymous with technology. It has time and again gifted various innovative products to the world and is going strong even after 60 odd years of its existence. Get to know about the smallest of details as we track the life story of this mega brand in our Brand Track section. And our Focus of the Week is Amr Khaled, a man who is bringing about radical changes in how the Muslim community is being currently perceived. Get to know more about him in this section and also understand how his views, thoughts and ideas might affect the times to come. And not only this. The 107th issue brings forth news around the globe in snapshots in the FastTrack and Quick Bites sections. Witness the upheavals in the stock markets around the globe in our Market Watch section and get to know about a lot new terms in our Jargons. I hope all of you have a great time reading this issue as well. Cheers Taniya Banerjee Editor.
EDITOR COVER
1 OPINION 2 BRAND
5 FOCUS 6 MARKET
FAST-TRACK
3 QUICK BITES
7
8 9
THE IBS TIMES
COVER STORY– HOSNI MUBARAK:THE MAN WHO RULED FOR 30 YEARS
- ADHIRAJ SOOD
He once prided himself on being Egypt's great survivor and in spite of what has unfolded on Cairo's streets since January 25, 82 year old Hosni Mubarak who presided over Egypt for 30 long years, seems in no mood to leave without a fight. It was during October 1973, under Anwar Sadat‘s presidency; that he was the Air Chief and was not only credited for winning the war that changed the course of Arab Israeli relations but also brought personal glory to him. He became the president of Egypt in 1981(was vice president since 1975) after Anwar el-Sadat was slain by right wing Arab groups during a military parade before the world‘s eyes, as Mubarak stood besides him.
It was during October 1973, under Anwar Sadat’s presidency; that he was the Air Chief and was not only credited for winning the war that changed the course of Arab Israeli relations but also brought personal glory to him.
Mr. Mubarak has always been referred to as Egypt‘s modern pharaoh and has survived six assassination attempts including a number of outbursts due to public anger. But the recent demonstrations have surpassed any public outcry that he might remember. He has lost support of two pillars of his regime: first on January 31 st, when the army announced it would not fire on peaceful protestors and second, on February 1st, when President Obama sent a message via an envoy asking Mr. Mubarak not to seek re-election, thus withdrawing support from the man who had been America‘s closest Arab ally. Thus, bringing the curtains down on the longest tenure of an Egyptian president since the ouster of the king in the 1950s and even longer than the pioneer of Arab Nationalism, Mr. Gamal Abdel Nasser‘s tenure. But Mr. Mubarak's concession (not to run for elections scheduled for the fall but would instead oversee a ‗peaceful transfer of power‘) was rejected by the protesters, who had vehemently called for Mr. Mubarak's ouster. In fact US president Barrack Obama too suggested that it was not enough, declaring that an “orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now”. On February 2nd, pro-Mubarak demonstrators clashed with the antigovernment protesters at the Tahir Square, and soldiers stood by as the military called for the president‘s opponents to ‗restore normal life‘. The change has been pushed by the younger generation which refuses to accept the rationalizations of their parents. With the economy beginning to sour two years ago, the younger generation discovered that a system built on nepotism and bribery was shutting them out of university slots and jobs. Thus, their grievances mounted, and then spilled out on the streets, with demands for an end to Mubarak's authoritarian rule. These protesters were mobilized and energized largely on the internet because of the recent events in Tunisia, where a popular uprising last month ended the 23-year-reign of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, who, like Mr. Mubarak was a former military man turned autocratic ruler. The protesters in Egypt shared the same deep frustrations of an enduring, repressive government that drove Tunisians to revolt: rampant corruption, injustice, high unemployment and the simple lack of dignity accorded by the state.
Omar Suleiman, Egypt’s military intelligence chief, was named as the country’s new Vice President. It is a post which was once occupied by Mr. Mubarak and not filled since he took power.
Omar Suleiman, Egypt‘s military intelligence chief, was named as the country‘s new Vice President. It is a post which was once occupied by Mr. Mubarak and not filled since he took power. State media also claimed that the country‘s new Prime Minister would be the then Air Force Chief, Ahmed Shafik. Mr. Suleiman said that the president has authorized him to open a dialogue on political reform, but the protesters‘ leader, Mohamed El Baradei, said that talks could only begin after Mr. Mubarak left. Mubarak savvy about keeping himself in power still attracts great loyalty of course. His followers call him their father and protector. Interwoven with the passion and faith of those on his side, there are new feelings of sympathy. After he addressed the nation on Tuesday night, in his pleasant baritone, supporters on the streets of Cairo argued that he is an old man, and at 82 should be allowed his dignity.
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FAST-TRACK NEWS
THE IBS TIMES -SHILPA MALHOTRA
Former telecom minister A. Raja finally arrested
DMK leader and former communications minister A. Raja was arrested after CBI questioned him for hours together in connection with the 2G spectrum scam for the second time this week. Along with him, CBI also arrested his aides RK Chandolia and Siddharth Behuria. Raja has been arrested under sections 120B, 13(2), 13 (1D) of Prevention of Corruption Act on the charges of criminal misconduct, violation of policies and favouring some specific companies during the grant of 2G spectrum licences.
A lethal combination of money and religion reflected in Karmapa case
The arrest of an aide to the Tibetan spiritual leader Karmapa Lama caught in the middle of a foreign money controversy has stolen the limelight. He is presently being questioned by Himachal Pradesh police on the possession of cash amounting to Rs 7 crores found in the Gyuto monastery. The foreign currency seized in the raid is Chinese Yuan linking Karmapa's apparent clandestine relationship with China. The sinister connection between Karmapa and China is still under investigation.
PM asks for strengthening retail sector to contain inflation
With Budget 2011-12 barely weeks away, PM Manmohan Singh has outlined the government‘s intention to strengthen the retail sector to control the food inflation. ―There is a need for a paradigm shift in our institutional arrangements for improving the availability of various commodities to meet the higher levels of domestic consumption,‖ he said. He also underlined the need to revamp administrative practices and procedures that would reduce the opportunities for corruption.
Egypt crises hits Indian firms- fear of Suez Canal blockade
The on-going political turmoil in Egypt has forced many Indian consumer companies to temporarily suspend operations. Firms such as Marico, Dabur and Asian Paints have shut down their Egyptian units. Suez Canal is important as it accounts for 9% of global trade and is a major trade link between Asia and Europe. The crisis in Egypt will have an impact on oil and commodity prices. The worst affected so far is hospitality major Oberoi Group, which has two hotels in Egypt and operates two Nile cruises.
UK Sinha appointed as SEBI’s head
UK Sinha, chairman of UTI Asset Management Company, has been appointed as the chairman of stock market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). Sinha, who served as joint secretary of capital markets has helped draft several key laws including the Sebi (Amendment) Act, 2002, UTI (Repeal) Act, 2002, Securities Law Amendment Act, 2004 and the PFRDA Bill 2005. He has served on the boards of several financial institutions and also heads the mutual funds body, AMFI.
NIPPON to buy Sumitomo to become no.2 steel maker
Japan‘s Nippon Steel Corp and Sumitomo Metal Industries plan to merge to create the world‘s second-largest steel maker as they battle tough competition from Asian rivals and shrinking demand from domestic automakers. The deal, which would most likely see Japan‘s top steelmaker Nippon Steel acquiring Sumitomo Metal, valued at $11 billion, comes as the industry grapples with surging prices for steelmaking ingredients iron ore and cooking coal.
Rupert Murdoch uncovers digital age paper
Rupert Murdoch will unveil ‗The Daily‘ - an iPad digital news publication. The iPad application is a digital platform which can be monetised in a more traditional way in which the users will pay for each issue (at a rate of about 60 pence a week, according to the Wall Street Journal). It's a model which will appeal to Murdoch, who has referred to the iPad as the ‗potential savior of newspapers in a digital age‘ - offering pay-per-issue without 'the costs of paper, ink, printing and trucks'.
Pink Quote – Informally known as the Pink Sheets, is an electronic quotation system operated by Pink OTC Markets that displays quotes from broker-dealers for many over-the-counter (OTC) securities.
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THE IBS TIMES $9.6 bn Cairn-Vedanta deal under PMO lens
All eyes are now on the $9.6-billion (Rs 43,500-crore) Cairn-Vedanta deal that is currently stuck over the issue of royalty payments on oil produced from Cairn India‘s Rajasthan oil fields. Prime Minister‘s Office (PMO) will yet again review the status of this mega billion dollar deal. Cairn India has 10 oil and gas properties including the Rajasthan field, which is capable of producing more oil than what India‘s largest oil field at Mumbai High is currently producing.
African burden hits Bharti Airtel net profit
India‘s largest telecom service provider Bharti Airtel announced a 41% year-on-year decline in net profit at Rs 1,303.3 crore for the quarter ended December against Rs 2,194.9 crore in the year-ago period. The decline is mainly on account of huge rebranding cost and foreign exchange losses. Currency movements in India and Africa resulting in restatement losses of Rs 151 crore and one-time rebranding costs of Rs 341 crore are important factors responsible for bringing down net profit, said Manik Jhangiani, CFO, Bharti group.
ITC plans Rs.3000 crore paper unit in India
ITC plans to set up a new Rs 3,000-crore manufacturing facility at Khammam district in Andhra Pradesh as a part of its efforts to boost its hold in the fast-growing paper and paperboards business. The conglomerate has already received in-principle approval from the state government for the unit and is awaiting the nod from the environment ministry. The project will be funded by internal accruals. In paperboards, ITC commands 22% of India‘s estimated Rs.5,000 crore market.
Audi opens up largest Indian showroom
German luxury carmaker Audi India opened up its largest showroom in India, a sprawling 30,000 sq ft structure on Delhi‘s Mathura Road, targeting a minimum 50% growth in sales in 2011. Audi sold over 3,000 cars in 2010, a growth of 81% over 2009. With a target of selling 4,500 cars this year, it has begun the year well with sales of 480 units in January, its highest ever in a month. Audi has also launched its flagship A8 sedan priced at Rs 89 lakhs recently.
SAIL bids for Mongolian coal fields, plans to set up plants
SAIL is in talks to set up a 3 million tonne steel plant in Mongolia with an investment of atleast Rs 13,500 crore. SAIL is bidding for the mines through the government special purpose vehicle— International Coal Ventures Ltd (ICVL), and is competing with two Japanese consortia led by Mitsui and Itochu groups. The world's largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal and Brazilian mining giant Vale, US coal miner Peabody and Xstrata are also in the race.
Players shocked at the IPL contract clause that links their fees to team performance
Top Indian cricketers have objected to a clause in their IPL contract that denies them 20% of their fees in case their team fails to finish among the top three and thus qualify for the Champions League. At the meeting, the players said that the clause was unfair but the team owners insisted that the new clause was legitimate. ―When we buy a player at the auction we are paying for him to be with us for both IPL and Champions League. And if the team doesn't make it to the Champions League, the player shouldn't be paid‖, said the coowner of a team.
Gary Neville announces his retirement
Gary Neville called an end to a glittering career of devoted service to his beloved Manchester United and England by announcing his immediate retirement. The 35-year-old player spent 20 years at United, playing over 600 matches for the Old Trafford club and helping them win a raft of trophies including the Champions League and eight Premier League titles. Neville broke into the united first team in 1992.
Shell Corporation - It is a company which serves as a vehicle for business transactions without itself having any significant assets or operations.
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THE IBS TIMES
OPINION FORUM– POSCO WARZONE FINALLY COMES TO A DECISION
- NITIKA THAKUR
Pohang Steel Company (POSCO) is not a new name in Indian industrial market. POSCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Orissa government in June 2005 to set up a 12 MTPA green field steel plant in Jagatsinghpur, Orissa with an investment of $12 billion. The company has already spent six good years without a single leap of development, all thanks to government policies, land acquisitions and environmental hurdles that the fate of India‘s biggest foreign direct investment (FDI) is lingering and is undefined. Recently POSCO is again making headlines. Jairam Ramesh, Minister of state for Environment and Forest, with his pro-environmental policy has given a green signal to POSCO with not ten but sixty good conditions. The conditional clearance story began in 2007, when POSCO received the first clearance (environmental) followed by another clearance (forest) in 2009. This signaled land acquisition until last year when Jairam Ramesh issued stop-work order and constituted Meena Gupta Committee for greater examination.
Recently POSCO is again making headlines. Jairam ramesh, Minister of state for Environment and Forest, with his Pro-environmental There are three players in this game: Orissa government, policy has given a green who cannot afford to miss this big FDI for its state‘s indussignal to POSCO with not trial growth, Mr. Prime Minister, who is committed to ten but sixty good conditions.
strengthening India‘s relationship with South Korea and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, who has maintained a strict pro-environment stand. So eventually it is a tug of war within the government, and each one is trying hard not to keep the ball in its court and pass on the buck.
It will also boost FDI’s in India which is certainly required to mushroom industrial growth in the country.
Though the sixty conditions, dictated by Jairam Ramesh, are not enough but there is indeed some relief due to come out of them if we see the broader picture of environment and industrial growth. Two factors beyond land acquisition are water and port. Conditional to voluntary sacrifice, water from Cuttack is a relief for people whose major life line was proposed to be diverted to the steel plant. Another condition imposed is construction of Port in Paradip citing violation of Coastal regulation zone notification. Paradip is already the site of one of the largest port in our country and another port within 12 km radius is itself suicidal due to construction and waste dumping in the high erosion areas. The port also endangers the world‘s largest nesting ground of Olive Riddley turtle. The ministry had asked POSCO to comply with state government‘s rehabilitation package and allot two percent of net profit for social responsibility. It directs POSCO to assess the impact of the project on the fishing community and identify beneficiaries. Certainly some measures justify Ramesh‘s strict stand. It develops a light of hope and faith that we are moving ahead with industrial growth but cautiously. It will also boost FDIs in India, which is certainly required to mushroom industrial growth in the country. But irrespective of the supposed benefits of such measures the fact remains that conditional clearance by Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) has actually passed on the buck to POSCO. Moreover all these conditions are still on paper. So the big question which still remains unanswered is; who will ensure that these conditions are complied with?
Dummy Corporation– It is an entity created to serve as a front or cover for one or more companies. It can have the appearance of being real (logo, website, public relations) but lacks the capacity to function independently.
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THE IBS TIMES
BRAND TRACK— A UNITED VISION
-NITIN ARORA
“Believe that curiosity is the key to creativity. Believe that anything that you can Imagine, You can make real.” Make. believe the dot that links, make and believe is the place where imagination and reality collide. It is the point of ignition that transcends reality. The dot is the role of SONY. Today, the Sony brand ranges from electronics to entertainment; it reaches continent and cultures, and touches the lives of more people in more places and in more ways than ever before. United by a common vision, Sony continues to change how people experience the world.
Today, the Sony brand ranges from electronics to entertainment; it reaches continent and cultures, and touches the lives of more people in more places and more ways than ever before.
May 7th, 1946 Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita founded Sony on the shared believe that if they worked together they could make their ideas a reality. From the initial spark followed decades of innovation that have transformed lives everywhere. Sony is known for its innovation and creativity and has developed some great masterpieces, the list is long, and vivid. In 1979 the Walkman brand was introduced, in the form of the world's first portable music player. 1982 saw the launch of Sony's professional Betacam videotape format and the collaborative Compact Disk format. In 1983 Sony introduced 90 mm micro diskettes [better known as 3.5-inch (89 mm) floppy disks], which it had developed at a time when there were 4" floppy disks and a lot of variations from different companies to replace the then ongoing 5.25" floppy disks. Sony had great success and the format became dominant; 3.5" floppy disks gradually became obsolete as they were replaced by current media formats. In 1983 Sony launched the MSX, a home computer system, and introduced to the world (with their counterpart Philips) the Compact Disk or CD. Sony launched the Discman series which extended their Walkman brand to portable CD products. In 1985 Sony launched their Handycam products and the Video8 format. In addition to developing consumer-based recording media, after the launch of the CD, Sony began development of commercially based recording media. In 1993, Sony challenged the industry standard Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound format with a newer and more advanced proprietary motion picture digital audio format called SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound). This format employed eight channels (7.1) of audio opposed to just six used in Dolby Digital 5.1 at the time. In 1998, Sony launched their Memory Stick format; flash memory cards for use in Sony lines of digital cameras and portable music players. Sony was one of the leading developers and remains one of the strongest proponents of the Blue-ray Disc optical disc format, which eventually emerged as the market leader over the competing standard,Toshiba‘s HD DVD, after a 2 year-long format war. The first Blu-ray players became commercially available in June 2006, and Sony's first Blu-ray player, the Sony BDP-S1, debuted in December 2006. Sony offers a number of products in a variety of product lines around the world. Sony has developed PlayStation 3, a music playing robot called Rolly, dog-shaped robots called AIBO, humanoids, and QRIO.
October 2010, Sony was ranked 6th (jointly with Panasonic and Motorola) in Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics that assesses the policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change of 18 leading electronics manufacturers.
October 2010, Sony was ranked 6th (jointly with Panasonic and Motorola) in Greenpeace‘s Guide to Greener Electronics that assesses the policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change of 18 leading electronics manufacturers. Sony‘s models in the market are partially free of PVC and BFRs, including all models of the VAIO PC, and many models of video recorder, Walkman, camcorder and digital camera. Sony publishes on its website a list of products, for which the company had (as of February 2010) or intended to replace PVC and BFR with alternative substances by the end of FY 2010 (April 2011). Since 1976, Sony has had an Environmental Conference. Sony's policies address their effects on global warming, the environment, and resources. They are taking steps to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that they put out as well as regulating the products they get from their suppliers in a process that they call ‗green procurement‘. Sony has said that they have signed on to have about 75% of their Sony Building running on geothermal power. The ‗Sony Take Back Recycling Program‘ allow consumers to recycle the electronics products that they buy from Sony by taking them to eCycle (Recycling) drop-off points around the U.S. The company has also developed a biobattery that runs on sugars and carbohydrates that works similarly to the way living creatures work. This is the most powerful small biobattery to date. Only time will tell, and there is no question but that Sony faces an uphill struggle that will require a lot of time, effort and cash in the coming years. The prize, however, is a tempting one - a dominant position as the go-to place on a platform that is likely to power a healthy majority of the world's high-end population within a few years.
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THE IBS TIMES
QUICK BITES- NEWS THAT CAN’T BE MISSED !
- SUPRIYA MAMGAIN
Big Shots… India to be world‘s largest AC market for LG in 2012. Nivea India appoints Rakshit Hargave as MD. HCL wins Rs 250 crore BSNL‘s billing deal. Android topples Symbian as most widely used smartphone operating system. IBM to hand out $1000 esops to Indians.
Company Talks… Arvind Lifestyle to ink licensing agreement with Elle Garments. Pernod Ricard wins Spain trademark fight with Bacardi. Heineken named official lager supplier of 2012 Olympics in London. Unitech promoters repay Rs 178 crore debt. Maruti introduces Kizashi, the most expensive car in the Indian market at Rs 16.5lakhs. Hitachi targets 10% of AC market share in 2011. Aegis plans to hire 11,000 globally next fiscal. Vedanta to call off deal if Cairn India tweaks royalty pact. SLH bets big on India, to add 10 hotels this year. Bharti-Walmart to start operations in Uttar Pradesh by the year-end. Hindustan Motors gearing up for small car launch in July. M&M lines up 10 launches by March 2012. Hilton Worldwide plans 19 hotels in India. Philips plans to tap Indian street lighting market. AVB buys Columbian Chemicals for $875 million. CAG to question Government nod to let RIL raise D-6 capex. Siemens open offer at Rs 930 a share sends stock soaring.
Economy Speaks… Gold premiums high on tight supplies, heavy buying from China ahead of lunar year festival pushes prices up. Sensex sees worst monthly fall of almost 441 points. Economy to grow at 8.6% this fiscal. India may have to go through mid-cycle blues in ‘11: BoA Merill. Coffee surges to 13 years high on supply worries. Copper at $10000 per tonne and sugar at 30 year peak. Middle-East crisis sends oil over $100 per barrel.
The Captains of the Ships.. Country Head of Sun Life Fin India- Sandeep Asthana Secretary of Ministry of Corporate Affairs- D K Mittal Chairman of Indiabulls Financial Services- Sameer Gehlaut Vice President of Luigi Lavazza- Giuseppe Lavazza Managing Director of CAIRN India- Rahul Dhir
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THE IBS TIMES
FOCUS OF THE WEEK–AMR KHALED: KPMG TO MUSLIM TELEVANGELIST
- SANYA DHAWAN
Amr Khaled has recently been chosen as the 13th most influential person of the world by the Time Magazine. He is a sharp-suited, smooth-talking whirlwind of progressive Islam, preaching co-existence with the West while telling Muslims how to mix their faith with the modern world. He is not an imam with a white beard, with complex thoughts and big philosophies. He has a simple ‗message of moderation‘ by promoting the teachings of the Koran, by shaping these the teachings to suit the modern day environment and expelling extremist behavior. He is traditional- he still believes women should wear a head scarf- and at the same time he believes in having a good time- he does not believe that drinking, dancing, freely consorting with the other sex, freedom of speech, democracy-are bad.
He was, till recently, working as an accountant with KPMG before he took onto becoming a full time
He was, till recently, working as an accountant with KPMG before he took onto becoming a full time preacher. He has taken the entire Muslim community by storm. Informally, in the community he is known as the ‗rockstar‘. He is trying to pump oxygen into the arid lives of Muslim youth. He is world's first Islamic tele-evangelist who has fashioned himself into the anti-Bin Laden, using the barrier-breaking power of satellite TV and the internet to turn around a generation of lost Muslim youth. He has got over 2 million friends on Facebook and a TV show modeled on the apprentice with contestants pitching charity projects. He is sermonizing people against the extremist rule of alQaeda. Recently he addressed an audience of fifty thousand people inside the mosque, several thousand more outside, and millions more Yemenis watching live on TV. His message was uncompromising, simple and clear - it is your religious duty to safeguard moderation."Every father, every mother, must shield their children from the creeping reach of extremism," he urged. When asked by a BBC journalist what he was doing for removing al-Qaeda, Amr Khaled replied that he was motivating people, showing them a dream, showing them a bright future. And that is exactly what is required as it is a well known fact that the al-Qaeda draws people who are ordinarily from poor backgrounds with no job, no money and no future. And that is not all. He is using local activists to set up a micro-finance project to extend credit to the poorest in Yemen, whom he sees as being most susceptible to al-Qaeda's draw. Yemen is at the moment miserably affected with unemployment, dwindling oil resources and no water. There was a time when tourism was flourishing in Yemen, but now due to the scare of al-Qaeda, tourism industry is badly affected too.
He is an inspiration for many Muslims. He believes in mixing fun with work. He’s usually seen in styleHugo Boss shirts and designer suits.
The monarchial rule, corrupt economies and bad state of people desperately required a makeover. So where does this leader come from who has taken the entire world by a storm in the past five odd years? Amr Khaled was born in Alexandria, Egypt. He graduated from Cairo University in 1988 with a degree in Accounting. He started preaching in Egypt against extremism but it did not work out well and he went on a self imposed exile to London. While there, he sent an open-ended question to all the Muslims asking ‗what is your dream?‘ and he got millions of replies. Most of the replies were simple and straight forward- a good education, removal of poverty, unemployment etc. But what was striking was that the 30% of the responses came from Yemen. So these responses made him reach Yemen on a battle to remove al-Qaeda and extremism. He is an inspiration for many Muslims. He believes in mixing fun with work. He is usually seen in styleHugo Boss shirts and designer suits. But at the same time he maintains some traditional view and is a much needed voice for moderation from within the Muslim world. "[Osama] bin Laden is saying he is talking on behalf of Muslims," he says. "Who asked him to talk on behalf of us? Nobody!‖
Solidarity lending- It is a lending practice where small groups borrow collectively and group members encourage one another to repay. It is an important building block of microfinance.
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THE IBS TIMES MARKET WATCH
- SAINYAM KUMAR
The heat of increasing interest rates and tightening monetary policy seems to be making it worse for the Indian markets. The news that the RBI might increase the rates further during its meeting in mid-March sent such signals to the market that Sensex shed more than 300 points during the week while Nifty slid below the psychological mark of 5400. The rise in the inflation continued as the food inflation for the week ending January 22, 2011 rose to 17.05% as against 15.57% in the previous week and fuel inflation rose to 11.61% (against 10.87%). Other macro news includes the annual rise in exports in December by 36.4% while the fall in imports by 11.1% leading to narrowing of trade deficit to $2.6 billion (from $8.9 billion in November). The fact that Egypt accounts for about 7-10% of the revenues of FMCG companies and the drop in sales in the country is obvious due to the unrest, led to BSE-FMCG losing a whopping 6.4% during the week. BSE-Metal gained the maximum as the falling markets are increasing the perceived value of the precious metals. The news that Siemens AG Ltd (parent company of Siemens India) is going to increase its stake in the subsidiary by making an open offer of Rs. 930, which is much more than the 52 week high of the company (Rs. 885) resulted in the stock being the pick of the investors during the week.
The Movers & Shakers of the Week
SURGES
%Change
DOWNFALLS
%Change
SEIMENS FORTIS HEALTHCARE
13.8 7.9
UNITECH VOLTAS
-19.4 -18.3
NALCO
7.9
KOUTONS RETAIL
-17.7
Global Cues: The receding worries over the double dip recession in the U.S. coupled with a fall in the unemployment figures has led to increased investor confidence and that resulted in the U.S. markets gaining 2.3% during the week. The political unrest in Egypt has affected the developing economies the most as oil prices are expected to follow a spiraling trend as Egypt has a strong hold in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region.
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THE IBS TIMES MARKET WATCH Sensex
31 January 2011 18,327.76
1 February 2011 18,022.22
2 February 2011 18,090.62
3 February 2011 18,449.31
4 February 2011 18,008.15
Nifty
5,505.90
5,417.20
5,432.00
5,526.75
5,395.75
DJIA
11,891.93
12,040.16
12,041.97
12,062.26
12,092.15
HangSeng
23,447.34
23,482.95
23,908.96
*
*
FTSE100
5,862.94
5,957.82
6,000.07
5,983.34
5,997.38
Gold ($/oz.)
1,333.00
1,341.90
1,335.00
1,355.60
1,348.60
Crude($/bl)
95.53
96.39
97.66
97.71
-
INR v/s USD
46.7900
46.4816
46.2160
45.9859
45.9771
INR v/s EURO
63.6962
63.4153
63.5372
63.5372
63.2116
* FIGURES NOT AVAILABLE Chop Stock– It is an equity, usually trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market, OTC Bulletin Board or Pink Sheets listing services, that is purchased at pennies per share and sold by unscrupulous stock brokers to unsuspecting retail customers at several dollars per share. BUSINESS JARGONS BY– SANDEEP ASRANI
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SourcesThe Economics Times, The Hindu Business Line, Times of India, Business Standard, Financial Ex-press, Financial Times, Business Week, Business World, The Economist, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters, Moneycontrol.com, Vccircle.com, yahoofinance.com, Business Today, India Today, Investopedia.com, Wikipedia.com, DNA, The Deccan Chronicle, The Hindu, The Tele-graph.
EDITORIAL TEAMADHIRAJ SOOD, NITIKA THAKUR, NITIN ARORA, SAINYAM KUMAR, SANDEEP ASRANI, SANYA DHAWAN, SHILPA MALHOTRA, SUPRIYA MAMGAIN, TANIYA BANERJEE, VASUNDHARA ARORA
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