Bapcha's Stocks.

U.S. Trade Spat with China Escalates, But is Unlikely to Cause a Significant Rift

Posted on September 22nd, 2009 in Bloomberg, China, ITC, NUE, NY Times, Nucor, Tariff, Tires, US Steel, USA, WTO, X Bloomberg, China, ITC, Nucor, NUE, NY Times, Tariff, Tires, US Steel, USA, WTO, X

Shortly after U.S. President Barack Obama announced hefty import duties on Chinese-made tires, China’s Ministry of Commerce over the weekend said it would explore possible sanctions against U.S. automobile and chicken imports.

The dispute has caused some concern over an escalation in protectionist measures between the two nations, but few analysts believe the dispute will spiral out of control and threaten a global recovery.

President Obama on Friday signed an order that imposes a 35% tariff on tires imported from China on top of the existing 4% duty. The order came mainly at the behest of the United Steelworkers union, which says 5,000 union jobs have been lost since 2004 because low-cost Chinese tires flooding the market. From 2004 to 2008, the number of tire imports from China has tripled.

How Japan’s Unlikely Shareholder Rebellion Could Lead to Profit Plays for Western Investors

Posted on July 1st, 2009 in Akio, Akio Toyoda, Aso, Bloomberg, Brandes, Chrysler Group, Chrysler LLC, Japan, Katsuaki Watanabe, Koito, Koito Manufacturing, Nagoya, Nipponkoa, Nipponkoa Insurance, Nomura, Nomura Securities, Rohm, Shareholder revolt, Shoichiro Toyoda, T. Boone Pickens, Taro Aso, Toyoda, Toyota, Watanabe, samurai Akio, Akio Toyoda, Aso, Bloomberg, Brandes, Chrysler Group, Chrysler LLC, Japan, Katsuaki Watanabe, Koito, Koito Manufacturing, Nagoya, Nipponkoa, Nipponkoa Insurance, Nomura, Nomura Securities, Rohm, samurai, Shareholder revolt, Shoichiro Toyoda, T. Boone Pickens, Taro Aso, Toyoda, Toyota, Watanabe

The normally reticent Japanese investors – long accustomed, or even resigned, to public subtlety and backroom wheeling and dealing – are becoming fed up with this system and are becoming quite brazen in their protests. And very direct, as well.

According to a Nomura Securities Co. Ltd. research report cited here by several news media outlets, more than 70% of individual shareholders intend to vote against management in upcoming elections and on specific issues. Normally, shareholder votes are essentially “rubber-stamp” affairs, pretty much signing off on whatever management wants, so this is an earth-shattering change.

Will Week of Controversy Undermine Financial System Overhaul That Calls for Broad Expansion of Central Bank’s Power?

Posted on June 29th, 2009 in Apple, BAC, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ben Bernanke, Bernanke, Bloomberg, Boeing, BofA, Congress, Federal Reserve, Merrill, Merrill Lynch, Obama, Oracle, Sinopec, US Congress Apple, BAC, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ben Bernanke, Bernanke, Bloomberg, Boeing, BofA, Congress, Federal Reserve, Merrill, Merrill Lynch, Obama, Oracle, Sinopec, US Congress

Documents brought to light by key by congressional investigators hightlight real disagreement between top-level U.S. Federal Reserve officials about how it should address the Bank of America Corp.(NYSE: BAC) acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. are almost certain to fuel the ongoing congressional debate over the central bank’s push to expand its authority over the U.S. financial system.