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China is booming and private equity firms intend 10 prosper alongside the country.As opportunistic investors, the funds typically prefer plays on the growth of the consumer market - from finance companies to auto retailers and service providers such as in
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解析：中国正在变得繁荣，私募股权公司在国内正逐渐变多，作为机会主义投资者，基金主要投资于消费者市场—从金融公司到自动零售服务提供者，如网络旅行代理机构。 投资者普遍认为国家的经济增长使得与中国相关的股份变得有吸引力，但也有很多挑战，“宏观经济增长并不一定能转换为利润”，KKR亚洲公司的联合董事在最近的一次会议上如是说。 而且，竞争正在变得激烈，新一代当地中国的精英，已经离开了收购公司而转向了新型的基金。
更多 “China is booming and private equity firms intend 10 prosper alongside the country.As opportunistic investors, the funds typically prefer plays on the growth of the consumer market - from finance companies to auto retailers and service providers such as in” 相关考题
考题
The method of accounting for investments in equity securities in which the investor records its share of periodic net income of the investee is the ( )
A、cost methodB、market methodC、income methodD、equity method
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Which of the following statements about a money market is NOT true according to this passage?A．Money market does not exist in planned economies.B．Money market has been established in some socialist countries.C．Money market encourages open competition among bulk suppliers of funds.D．Money market relies upon market processes to distribute funds to final users.
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(d) Calculate the ex dividend share price predicted by the dividend growth model and discuss the company’sview that share price growth of at least 8% per year would result from expanding into the retail cameramarket. Assume a cost of equity capital of 11% per year. (6 marks)
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4 (a) A company may choose to finance its activities mainly by equity capital, with low borrowings (low gearing) or byrelying on high borrowings with relatively low equity capital (high gearing).Required:Explain why a highly geared company is generally more risky from an investor’s point of view than a companywith low gearing. (3 marks)
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(ii) State the taxation implications of both equity and loan finance from the point of view of a company.(3 marks)
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______ refer to the common shares issued by the companies registered in China's mainland and traded by domestic entities or retail investors (excluding investors from Taiwan region, Hong Kong and Macau SARs) in Chinese currency.A．A-sharesB．B-sharesC．H-sharesD．T-bonds
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The money market is a dealer market where, over the telephone or through electronic systems, ______.A．a broker receives commission to act as an agentB．the investors are trading on a central trading floorC．firms buy and sell securities in their own accounts, at their own riskD．individual investors can trade on the exchange
考题
阅读短文，判断句子正误，正确的写T，错误的写F 。In recent years, the Chinese auto industry has seen rapid growth, with the demand on private cars rising sharply in Chinese cities since 2002.By 2009, China has replaced the U.S. to become the worlds largest auto market. As an important part of the world car industry, the global auto industry will shift further to China. This brings historical opportunity to Chinas auto market.Currently, both the development of Chinas auto market and the changes in consumer demand for vehicles are ever -increasing. Chinas auto industry will continue to grow in the next decade. It means there is still huge room for its development. China has an urban population of more than 600million. It also has a huge agricultural vehicle market in the rural areas. Hence, there is no doubt for Chinas development of auto industry. That is also the reason why the worlds auto producers are paying more attention to the Chinese market.()26. The demand on private cars increased greatly in Chinese cities since 2002.()27. China has become the worlds largest auto market.()28. Chinas auto industry tends to decrease in the next decade.()29. China has an urban population of less than 600 million.()30. The reason why the worlds auto producers are paying more attention to the Chinese market is that Chinas auto industry developed very quickly.
考题
___are typically found in businesses such as law firms, accounting firms, and dental clinics which provide professional services in specialized areas. Insurance firms.
A.PartnershipsB.sole proprietorshipC.corporationD.franchising
考题
Moonstar Co is a property development company which is planning to undertake a $200 million commercial property development. Moonstar Co has had some difficulties over the last few years, with some developments not generating the expected returns and the company has at times struggled to pay its finance costs. As a result Moonstar Co’s credit rating has been lowered, affecting the terms it can obtain for bank finance. Although Moonstar Co is listed on its local stock exchange, 75% of the share capital is held by members of the family who founded the company. The family members who are shareholders do not wish to subscribe for a rights issue and are unwilling to dilute their control over the company by authorising a new issue of equity shares. Moonstar Co’s board is therefore considering other methods of financing the development, which the directors believe will generate higher returns than other recent investments, as the country where Moonstar Co is based appears to be emerging from recession.Securitisation proposalsOne of the non-executive directors of Moonstar Co has proposed that it should raise funds by means of a securitisation process, transferring the rights to the rental income from the commercial property development to a special purpose vehicle. Her proposals assume that the leases will generate an income of 11% per annum to Moonstar Co over a ten-year period. She proposes that Moonstar Co should use 90% of the value of the investment for a collateralised loan obligation which should be structured as follows:– 60% of the collateral value to support a tranche of A-rated floating rate loan notes offering investors LIBOR plus 150 basis points– 15% of the collateral value to support a tranche of B-rated fixed rate loan notes offering investors 12%– 15% of the collateral value to support a tranche of C-rated fixed rate loan notes offering investors 13%– 10% of the collateral value to support a tranche as subordinated certificates, with the return being the excess of receipts over payments from the securitisation processThe non-executive director believes that there will be sufficient demand for all tranches of the loan notes from investors. Investors will expect that the income stream from the development to be low risk, as they will expect the property market to improve with the recession coming to an end and enough potential lessees to be attracted by the new development.The non-executive director predicts that there would be annual costs of $200,000 in administering the loan. She acknowledges that there would be interest rate risks associated with the proposal, and proposes a fixed for variable interest rate swap on the A-rated floating rate notes, exchanging LIBOR for 9·5%.However the finance director believes that the prediction of the income from the development that the non-executive director has made is over-optimistic. He believes that it is most likely that the total value of the rental income will be 5% lower than the non-executive director has forecast. He believes that there is some risk that the returns could be so low as to jeopardise the income for the C-rated fixed rate loan note holders.Islamic financeMoonstar Co’s chief executive has wondered whether Sukuk finance would be a better way of funding the development than the securitisation.Moonstar Co’s chairman has pointed out that a major bank in the country where Moonstar Co is located has begun to offer a range of Islamic financial products. The chairman has suggested that a Mudaraba contract would be the most appropriate method of providing the funds required for the investment.Required:(a) Calculate the amounts in $ which each of the tranches can expect to receive from the securitisation arrangement proposed by the non-executive director and discuss how the variability in rental income affects the returns from the securitisation. (11 marks)(b) Discuss the benefits and risks for Moonstar Co associated with the securitisation arrangement that the non-executive director has proposed. (6 marks)(c) (i) Discuss the suitability of Sukuk finance to fund the investment, including an assessment of its appeal to potential investors. (4 marks)(ii) Discuss whether a Mudaraba contract would be an appropriate method of financing the investment and discuss why the bank may have concerns about providing finance by this method. (4 marks)
考题
资料：According to our research, Best Buy in China was perceived as being too expensive, with many of their products priced higher than in local markets. Why buy a Sony DVD player or Nokia phone at Best Buy when you can pay less for the exact same product at a local store？Consumers will only be willing to pay more, like at the Apple stores, if they are buying something they cannot get elsewhere.
While scales of economy have allowed big China stores in America to offer cheaper prices than niche players, local retailers in China are able to undercut prices because they pay less in salaries, benefits, rent, and electricity. Rampant piracy in China also means local computers shops are willing to install counterfeit Microsoft software in products, which makes it more appealing for customers.
Apart from failing to differentiate its product lines, Best Buy also made the mistake of focusing on building large flagship stores, like in the U.S, rather than smaller, conveniently located retail outlets. China may have one of the highest car adoption rates in the world, but its perennial traffic congestions and lack of parking mean consumers often prefer to shop closer to their homes. A government ban on free shopping bags have also resulted in consumers shopping more often, but buying less each time, further fueling the popularity of neighborhood stores.
Which of the following statement is not true？A.Chinese market needs more regulations.
B.Western retailers cannot succeed in Chinese market.
C.In China owing a car does not necessarily mean efficient travel.
D.To start a successful business, a better understanding of consumer preference is important.
考题
资料：Rahul Chadha, co-chief investment officer for Hong Kong-based Mirae Asset Global Investments, has a few charts he is particularly fond of when it comes to telling a story about investing in China.
One shows income growth in China. Based on the current rate of expansion, he expects the world's second-biggest economy will achieve high income status — defined as income of almost $12,500 per capita — in eight years.The second shows a ratio of household debt to gross domestic product for a number of countries. For thrifty mainland China households, the ratio is 28 per cent. That compares to India at one end of the scale at 15 per cent and the UK at the other with 90 per cent.
So, based on their income and potential to borrow, the Chinese have spending power and the potential to increase it. The growing muscle of Chinese consumers is not, of course, a new investment theme when it comes to Asia. But at a time when wage growth is muted in other large economies, such as the US and the Eurozone, the situation in China is surprisingly overlooked rather than celebrated. Disposable income per household in China rose 7.3 per cent in real terms in the first half of this year. That surpasses the 6.9 per cent pace at which the economy expanded in the period. Moreover, the number of jobs created in urban areas came in at 8.55m in the first seven months of 2017, according to data from JPMorgan, not too far from the year-end target of 11m. In sharp contrast, India is generating roughly 1m jobs a year at a time when it needs to fashion 10 times more to absorb the youth streaming in from the countryside in search of a better living.
It's not just the level of income that is improving in China. Its distribution is too. The government is spending more on a social safety net, and provides more by way of pensions and medicines, including medical care and education.“In a way this is catch up,” Haibin Zhu, chief China economist at JPMorgan, says of the income growth in China. “In a way it reflects the fact that the working age population is declining. But for the past 10 years income is going up for the majority of people steadily and gradually.”
It's an especially notable achievement given that some of the other forces at work in the Chines economy are far from helpful. The expansion of the sharing economy and ever growing role of technology across most sectors is ultimately deflationary. Automation is increasingly displacing manufacturing jobs. At the same time, sophisticated computers are now eliminating low end service jobs.
As investors survey the effects of income growth, it is the new economy, with its emphasis on services and consumption, and private companies in it, that are the beneficiaries as they cater to the appetites of a growing middle class. Mr Chadha, for example, is a fan of companies such as Ctrip, an online travel app, healthcare, insurers such as Ping An, （rather than the state owned behemoths） and internet and e-commerce firms. Ctrip for example has 75 per cent market share in online travel.
What dose the underlined sentence mean?A.We should resist the trend of automation
B.The growth of the economy and technology brings prosperity
C.Technology is double-edged since some jobs will be eliminated
D.The development of technology is devastating
考题
资料：Rahul Chadha, co-chief investment officer for Hong Kong-based Mirae Asset Global Investments, has a few charts he is particularly fond of when it comes to telling a story about investing in China.
One shows income growth in China. Based on the current rate of expansion, he expects the world's second-biggest economy will achieve high income status — defined as income of almost $12,500 per capita — in eight years.The second shows a ratio of household debt to gross domestic product for a number of countries. For thrifty mainland China households, the ratio is 28 per cent. That compares to India at one end of the scale at 15 per cent and the UK at the other with 90 per cent.
So, based on their income and potential to borrow, the Chinese have spending power and the potential to increase it. The growing muscle of Chinese consumers is not, of course, a new investment theme when it comes to Asia. But at a time when wage growth is muted in other large economies, such as the US and the Eurozone, the situation in China is surprisingly overlooked rather than celebrated. Disposable income per household in China rose 7.3 per cent in real terms in the first half of this year. That surpasses the 6.9 per cent pace at which the economy expanded in the period. Moreover, the number of jobs created in urban areas came in at 8.55m in the first seven months of 2017, according to data from JPMorgan, not too far from the year-end target of 11m. In sharp contrast, India is generating roughly 1m jobs a year at a time when it needs to fashion 10 times more to absorb the youth streaming in from the countryside in search of a better living.
It's not just the level of income that is improving in China. Its distribution is too. The government is spending more on a social safety net, and provides more by way of pensions and medicines, including medical care and education.“In a way this is catch up,” Haibin Zhu, chief China economist at JPMorgan, says of the income growth in China. “In a way it reflects the fact that the working age population is declining. But for the past 10 years income is going up for the majority of people steadily and gradually.”
It's an especially notable achievement given that some of the other forces at work in the Chines economy are far from helpful. The expansion of the sharing economy and ever growing role of technology across most sectors is ultimately deflationary. Automation is increasingly displacing manufacturing jobs. At the same time, sophisticated computers are now eliminating low end service jobs.
As investors survey the effects of income growth, it is the new economy, with its emphasis on services and consumption, and private companies in it, that are the beneficiaries as they cater to the appetites of a growing middle class. Mr Chadha, for example, is a fan of companies such as Ctrip, an online travel app, healthcare, insurers such as Ping An, （rather than the state owned behemoths） and internet and e-commerce firms. Ctrip for example has 75 per cent market share in online travel.
The third paragraph tells that （ ）
A.It’s not difficult for China to achieve its target of creating 11 million jobs
B.there are enough vacancies for young people from the rural areas in India
C.the developed economies enjoys a better income growth
D.more Chinese will borrow to increase their spending power
考题
资料：Rahul Chadha, co-chief investment officer for Hong Kong-based Mirae Asset Global Investments, has a few charts he is particularly fond of when it comes to telling a story about investing in China.
One shows income growth in China. Based on the current rate of expansion, he expects the world's second-biggest economy will achieve high income status — defined as income of almost $12,500 per capita — in eight years.The second shows a ratio of household debt to gross domestic product for a number of countries. For thrifty mainland China households, the ratio is 28 per cent. That compares to India at one end of the scale at 15 per cent and the UK at the other with 90 per cent.
So, based on their income and potential to borrow, the Chinese have spending power and the potential to increase it. The growing muscle of Chinese consumers is not, of course, a new investment theme when it comes to Asia. But at a time when wage growth is muted in other large economies, such as the US and the Eurozone, the situation in China is surprisingly overlooked rather than celebrated. Disposable income per household in China rose 7.3 per cent in real terms in the first half of this year. That surpasses the 6.9 per cent pace at which the economy expanded in the period. Moreover, the number of jobs created in urban areas came in at 8.55m in the first seven months of 2017, according to data from JPMorgan, not too far from the year-end target of 11m. In sharp contrast, India is generating roughly 1m jobs a year at a time when it needs to fashion 10 times more to absorb the youth streaming in from the countryside in search of a better living.
It's not just the level of income that is improving in China. Its distribution is too. The government is spending more on a social safety net, and provides more by way of pensions and medicines, including medical care and education.“In a way this is catch up,” Haibin Zhu, chief China economist at JPMorgan, says of the income growth in China. “In a way it reflects the fact that the working age population is declining. But for the past 10 years income is going up for the majority of people steadily and gradually.”
It's an especially notable achievement given that some of the other forces at work in the Chines economy are far from helpful. The expansion of the sharing economy and ever growing role of technology across most sectors is ultimately deflationary. Automation is increasingly displacing manufacturing jobs. At the same time, sophisticated computers are now eliminating low end service jobs.
As investors survey the effects of income growth, it is the new economy, with its emphasis on services and consumption, and private companies in it, that are the beneficiaries as they cater to the appetites of a growing middle class. Mr Chadha, for example, is a fan of companies such as Ctrip, an online travel app, healthcare, insurers such as Ping An, （rather than the state owned behemoths） and internet and e-commerce firms. Ctrip for example has 75 per cent market share in online travel.
According to the passage，which country is home to the highest ratio of household debt to GDP？A.India
B.China
C.UK
D.US
考题
资料：Rahul Chadha, co-chief investment officer for Hong Kong-based Mirae Asset Global Investments, has a few charts he is particularly fond of when it comes to telling a story about investing in China.
One shows income growth in China. Based on the current rate of expansion, he expects the world's second-biggest economy will achieve high income status — defined as income of almost $12,500 per capita — in eight years.The second shows a ratio of household debt to gross domestic product for a number of countries. For thrifty mainland China households, the ratio is 28 per cent. That compares to India at one end of the scale at 15 per cent and the UK at the other with 90 per cent.
So, based on their income and potential to borrow, the Chinese have spending power and the potential to increase it. The growing muscle of Chinese consumers is not, of course, a new investment theme when it comes to Asia. But at a time when wage growth is muted in other large economies, such as the US and the Eurozone, the situation in China is surprisingly overlooked rather than celebrated. Disposable income per household in China rose 7.3 per cent in real terms in the first half of this year. That surpasses the 6.9 per cent pace at which the economy expanded in the period. Moreover, the number of jobs created in urban areas came in at 8.55m in the first seven months of 2017, according to data from JPMorgan, not too far from the year-end target of 11m. In sharp contrast, India is generating roughly 1m jobs a year at a time when it needs to fashion 10 times more to absorb the youth streaming in from the countryside in search of a better living.
It's not just the level of income that is improving in China. Its distribution is too. The government is spending more on a social safety net, and provides more by way of pensions and medicines, including medical care and education.“In a way this is catch up,” Haibin Zhu, chief China economist at JPMorgan, says of the income growth in China. “In a way it reflects the fact that the working age population is declining. But for the past 10 years income is going up for the majority of people steadily and gradually.”
It's an especially notable achievement given that some of the other forces at work in the Chines economy are far from helpful. The expansion of the sharing economy and ever growing role of technology across most sectors is ultimately deflationary. Automation is increasingly displacing manufacturing jobs. At the same time, sophisticated computers are now eliminating low end service jobs.
As investors survey the effects of income growth, it is the new economy, with its emphasis on services and consumption, and private companies in it, that are the beneficiaries as they cater to the appetites of a growing middle class. Mr Chadha, for example, is a fan of companies such as Ctrip, an online travel app, healthcare, insurers such as Ping An, （rather than the state owned behemoths） and internet and e-commerce firms. Ctrip for example has 75 per cent market share in online travel.
What is the main idea of this passage?A.The world economy relies on China 's economy
B.Chinese consumers have great potential
C.Other countries should learn from China by developing a sharing economy
D.Chinese government is improving people’s lives
考题
资料：Rahul Chadha, co-chief investment officer for Hong Kong-based Mirae Asset Global Investments, has a few charts he is particularly fond of when it comes to telling a story about investing in China.
One shows income growth in China. Based on the current rate of expansion, he expects the world's second-biggest economy will achieve high income status — defined as income of almost $12,500 per capita — in eight years.The second shows a ratio of household debt to gross domestic product for a number of countries. For thrifty mainland China households, the ratio is 28 per cent. That compares to India at one end of the scale at 15 per cent and the UK at the other with 90 per cent.
So, based on their income and potential to borrow, the Chinese have spending power and the potential to increase it. The growing muscle of Chinese consumers is not, of course, a new investment theme when it comes to Asia. But at a time when wage growth is muted in other large economies, such as the US and the Eurozone, the situation in China is surprisingly overlooked rather than celebrated. Disposable income per household in China rose 7.3 per cent in real terms in the first half of this year. That surpasses the 6.9 per cent pace at which the economy expanded in the period. Moreover, the number of jobs created in urban areas came in at 8.55m in the first seven months of 2017, according to data from JPMorgan, not too far from the year-end target of 11m. In sharp contrast, India is generating roughly 1m jobs a year at a time when it needs to fashion 10 times more to absorb the youth streaming in from the countryside in search of a better living.
It's not just the level of income that is improving in China. Its distribution is too. The government is spending more on a social safety net, and provides more by way of pensions and medicines, including medical care and education.“In a way this is catch up,” Haibin Zhu, chief China economist at JPMorgan, says of the income growth in China. “In a way it reflects the fact that the working age population is declining. But for the past 10 years income is going up for the majority of people steadily and gradually.”
It's an especially notable achievement given that some of the other forces at work in the Chines economy are far from helpful. The expansion of the sharing economy and ever growing role of technology across most sectors is ultimately deflationary. Automation is increasingly displacing manufacturing jobs. At the same time, sophisticated computers are now eliminating low end service jobs.
As investors survey the effects of income growth, it is the new economy, with its emphasis on services and consumption, and private companies in it, that are the beneficiaries as they cater to the appetites of a growing middle class. Mr Chadha, for example, is a fan of companies such as Ctrip, an online travel app, healthcare, insurers such as Ping An, （rather than the state owned behemoths） and internet and e-commerce firms. Ctrip for example has 75 per cent market share in online travel.
Which of the following statement is false?
A.The work force in China has increased in past ten years
B.internet firms benefit a lot from the income growth
C.The Chinese government is improving the social welfare for people
D.the per capita income in China is expected to $12,500 in eight years
考题
单选题It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following is true for most consumer-goods markets?A
The program target and the program audience are not usually identical.B
The program audience and the market segment are usually identical.C
The market segment and the program target are usually identical.D
The program target is larger than the market segment.
考题
单选题Which of the following is an example of pure auction market?A
The primary Treasury bill market.B
The secondary Treasury bill market.C
The corporate equity market.
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问答题Most U.S. businesses, large or small, belong to what is called the private enterprise system. 1)This means simply that firms operate in a dynamic environment where success or failure is determined by how well they match and counter the offerings of competitors. Competition is the battle among businesses for consumer acceptance. 2)Sales and profits are the yardsticks by which such acceptance is measured.3)The business world has abundant examples of firms that were once successful but that failed to continue satisfying consumer demands.Competition assures that, over the long run, firms that satisfy consumer demands will be successful and those that do not will be replaced. The private enterprise system requires that firms continually adjust their strategies, product offerings, service standards, operating procedures, and the like. 4)Otherwise the competition will gain higher shares of an industry’s sales and profits.Consider the following cases. A P was long the largest supermarket chain. Now Safeway is the largest, and A P is attempting a recovery. Ford once was the dominant automaker. Today, it is second to General Motors, among domestic producers. These events suggest the dynamic environment of the private enterprise system. 5)Competition is a critical mechanism for guaranteeing that the private enterprise system will continue to provide the goods and services that make for high living standards and sophisticated life styles.Few organizations that offer a product or service can escape the influence of competition. The American Cancer Society competes for contributions with the American Heart Association, your own college, and other nonprofit enterprises. The armed forces compete in the labor market with private employers. Even the U.S. Postal Service faces competition. United Parcel Service competes for package shipments. Express Mail faces competition from Western Union’s mailgrams. And firms like The Mailbox, which rents post office boxes in the Seattle area, compete for the post-office-box business.
考题
单选题What was the impact of the currency crisis that broke out in Thailand in 1997?A
Emerging markets had no confidence in their economic growth.B
Foreign capital continued to flow into emerging markets at a slower rate.C
International investors profited a lot from emerging markets.D
There was a sudden outflow of foreign capital from emerging markets.
考题
单选题股权投资基金的全称为私人股权投资基金（Private Equity funds），其中私人股权的含义是（ ）A
非公开发行和交易的股权B
个人持有的股权C
通过收购获得的股权D
上市公司流通股
考题
单选题Western food can hardly ______ these young athletes from China who prefer instant noodles.A
appeal toB
adhere toC
keep toD
adapt to
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问答题Passage 7U. S consumer prices climbed faster than expected in May, further fanning investor fears over inflation. Stock markets around the world have cracked sharply lower the past few weeks, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing all the ground it had gained so far this year. Japan’s stock market is down 11% on the year; gold has had its biggest slide in a decade and a half; and many emerging markets are wobbling. After Wednesday’s Consumer Price Index report from the Labor Department, which showed a 0.4 percent increase in prices for May (core inflation, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.3 percent), the stock market made a comeback. But with future interest rate hikes now starting to be priced into the market, investor fears that central bankers around the world will go overboard and continue to drive rates higher is set to further spook markets. This is no trading correction that investors have to absorb. The real risk of a jarring bear market has emerged. But while the trauma that inflation created for investors in the 1970s is still close to the surface, the sudden frenzy is misplaced. Powerful forces in the world economy continue to keep prices largely in check. Over the past decade, inflation has been a minor threat compared with brutal deflationary shocks. They started with the collapse of the Mexican peso in the mid-1990s. In 1997, much of eastern Asia’s flourishing economy was leveled. Next were Russia, Turkey and Argentina; Brazil teetered on the brink. By early 2001, Silicon Valley, the pride of the U. S. economy, was crashing, while entire sectors of the so-called New Economy disintegrated. The tech wreck may be over, but it has left a legacy of low prices. Tech companies had to dump on the market everything from fiberoptic networks to computer chips, as desperate investors struggled to raise cash. That slashed telecommunication costs at the very moment that emerging markets were producing a skilled and hungry generation of information workers. Result? The offshore outsourcing revolution and downward pressure on global production costs that keeps inflation under control. Equally powerful are the ultra-low-cost emerging-market manufacturing bases, led by China. With more than 1 billion people set to enter the urban labor markets of China, India, Brazil and Indonesia in the next 20 years, all those pressures on prices will only intensify. More immediate forces are also at work to keep prices from surging. Despite some wishful thinking, growth in Europe is slowing, not accelerating. A large part of U. S. growth has been driven by booming real estate prices. But in the past two years, the Fed has increased rates 16 times, so real estate-driven consumption is yesterday’s news. Tomorrow’s story will be the sharp fall in U. S. growth as consumers face higher mortgage costs. That dynamic could become particularly nasty, given the record level of U. S. household debt, government deficit and unequaled current-account shortfall. Investors are often caught flat-footed when markets slide. In 2001-02, deflation was the fear of the day, but few investors at the time saw the opportunity in commodities, which were going for a fraction of today’s prices. Today investors are obsessed with inflation, while government and top- tier corporate bonds are shunned. That should be telling us something. What is it? In the past few years, the central banks of Japan, the U. S. and Europe have cut interest rates so aggressively that the real cost of borrowing fell to, effectively, below zero. That spurred extraordinary amounts of debt financing by governments and corporations. But now, as the global credit cycle tightens, some of the marginal investments will quickly become unsustainable. If central bankers keep raising interest rates, deeper cracks would open in the world economy. What is really troubling markets is not inflation. It is the fear that central banks may have tightened too much, and will tighten further. If that happens, the recent market shock would be merely the precursor to a still more dramatic quake. 1. What is the situation of the world financial markets recently? What is the situation expected to be in the near future? 2. What does the author mean by “the tech wreck may be over, but it has left a legacy of low prices”? (Para.4) 3. What is the relationship between real estate market and economic growth in US in the past and in the near future? 4. According to the author, what are the “powerful forces” that can keep inflation “largely in check”?
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