How an artist seeks to spread positive energy through her works
In Vivian Ching’s view, art is something that should not be constrained by technique or definition of right and wrong. By all accounts, she is a rare breed in the art world. During weekdays, Ching...
View ArticleWhat does the future hold for wealth managers in Asia?
Asia Pacific is vastly outpacing the rest of the world in accumulation of personal wealth, but that doesn’t mean that private bankers in the region are having an easy ride in boosting their business....
View ArticleWhy Chinese fund managers are having a tough time
Running an investment fund is getting much harder these days in China. Two major asset segments — stocks, bonds — are in trouble, making it a challenging proposition for market professionals to secure...
View ArticleArtificial Intelligence the next big investment theme
Game lovers are likely to be familiar with Nvidia’s graphics processors. The US tech firm continues to derive the bulk of its revenue from gaming-related semiconductors, but there is now a new growth...
View ArticleUp next for Chinese couriers: Smarter, bigger operation
Whether e-commerce is doing more good than harm to China’s economy is hard to judge at this point. While online shopping is booming, many retailers, big and small, are being pushed to downsize or cease...
View ArticleWhy a paleontologist is warning about ‘sixth extinction’
Given the already extensive research and decades of excavation activities by paleontologists around the world, the chance for someone to discover a new species of dinosaur is very small. Paleontologist...
View ArticleWhy the new taxi app will not make the service better
The taxi industry aims to improve service quality through the newly launched TAXI app by allowing passengers to rate the drivers, who will be rewarded or penalized accordingly. But Keith Li, co-founder...
View ArticleCracks emerging in China stock markets
Although the stock markets in mainland China have been rangebound in recent days, a large number of stocks have already fallen below their previous bottoms in January. About one-fifth (551) of the...
View ArticleWhy cutting steel capacity is suicide for China
China’s steel is famous for just one thing — excess supply. Top officials have been promising to cut capacity ad nauseam but progress has been slow. The simple reason is many steel mills are state-run...
View ArticleHow physical stores are learning from their e-rivals
As Hong Kong’s retail industry suffers from a sales slowdown, some traditional brick-and-mortar players are determined not to let the situation get worse. Some are revamping their product strategies in...
View ArticleIs diamond a good investment?
Dubbed by some marketers as the slogan of the century, “A diamond is forever” from De Beers has certainly helped the company a lot in boosting demand for the sparkling precious stone. While these...
View ArticleWhy SOEs find it hard to answer Li’s call for reform
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is making use of every chance to remind state-owned enterprises to be steadfast in eliminating obsolete and excess capacity. The repeated message itself is a sign that the...
View ArticleWould you pay US$20 for toothpaste?
I pay between HK$15 (US$1.93) and HK$20 for a tube of toothpaste, and I guess that would be the average amount most people spend on the stuff. But Oral B is betting that mainland Chinese are willing to...
View ArticleHow China stock brokers are suffering from slow market
A couple of years back, mainland Chinese who worked for banks were envious of their counterparts in the securities business. At the time, banks were grappling with falling margins, rising bad debts and...
View ArticleWhat does the collapse of a medicine delivery app tell us?
Overcapacity is not limited to China’s old-economy sectors such as steel and coal. The collapse of a medicine delivery app tells us the same problem is bugging the digital economy on which Beijing...
View ArticleThe trader equivalent of AlphaGo is coming
Combining big data technology with artificial intelligence (AI), machines should one day be able to learn to invest on their own, according to experts. Some recently-launched hedge funds already depend...
View ArticleWhat investors can learn from pro gamblers
Investing, it is said, is part serious analysis and part gambling. Traits of a successful pro gambler can hence be of reference value to those aspiring to become a good investor. For starters, good...
View ArticleSuccession challenges add to woes of HK manufacturers in China
Some small and medium-sized Hong Kong firms operating out of the Pearl River Delta region are said to be contemplating a closure of their factories as the businesses have dipped into the red for the...
View ArticleHow parents can make learning less stressful
A slew of student suicides recently has highlighted the issue of study-related stress in Hong Kong. While teachers and social workers can do more to ease the problem, a change in Hong Kong-style...
View ArticleWhy China won’t find it easy to curb its zombie enterprises
Sometimes it takes years for the real impact to surface from a major economic policy. At the height of the 2008-09 global financial turmoil, China’s 4 trillion yuan stimulus plan was considered as a...
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