THE ONLOOKER

Indian sunrise sector, IT industry was reeling under pressure to keep its profit margin throughout the last year. The reason was Indian Rupee was gaining strength against Dollars. Results, the imports became cheaper and exports were less remunerative. This is obvious every time Rupee appreciates in terms of Dollars. Dollars being till date the major currency for international trade, the fluctuation of exchange rate affects the profit margin of any industry that either import raw materials, capital goods, labor or anything and so with the industry that exports similar goods or service. Major IT companies like Infosys, TCS, Wipro, Satyam and all other that sell their products or services, suffered loss in comparison to their profit margin for previous couple of years. Their share price shot up and market capitalization grew to a level, never seen ever, it touched its zenith in late 2007. The prolonged euphoria lasted so longer than expected in Indian stock market is truly nerve wrecking ...

The world economy is “ teetering on the brink” of a severe downturn that is how it is observed by UN in their mid-year economic projection. The global economy is expected to grow only 1.8% in 2008 as against 3.8% in 2007. This downturn is likely to continue with only little respite in 2009 with 2.1% growth, as the UN report said. The developing countries are likely to suffer badly, since they would grow at the rate of 5% this year and 4.8% next year, compared to a growth rate of 7.3% last year i.e 2007. UN economists observe that credit crisis deepening due to US led housing price slump, weakening of dollars, oil price sky rocketing and commodity price following the trail, are causing major imbalance in global economy. Thus it is impeding the growth all around the world. However, the UN report said the final figure will largely depend on developments in the US. Even the global growth may fall to 0.8% if the US sub-prime mortgage market turmoil has a more serious impact on developing c...

I still remember the name of an old movie “For a few Dollars more”, because of it`s title music. For years it lingered in my years. Perhaps the movie was made in early 70s, when gulf crisis and Breton Wood formula both emerged, to stay till to-day. The gulf crisis pushed the petrol price higher than ever imaginable and the fixed currency exchange rate, what was is vogue, switched to market driven force to determine the exchange rate of all the currencies. Off course the Soviet Bloc excluded them to be penalized later. It is all history now. However, for the second half of the last century, after the world war, dollar gradually reached to a height what can be called a safe heaven. The US economy, the Federal Bank`s apt guidance and the unmatchable technological innovation in US helped the dollar to its current position. The new mantra, consumerism, what US economy has been advocating and what rest of the world is following till now , appears to be at stake. The dollar waning sheen is ...

The overwhelming enthusiasm for bio-fuel to counter the demand of fossil fuel and use something environment friendly, is not all that going well. Last month British Prime Minister Mr Gordon Brown changed the rule that in UK 2.55 % bio-fuel to be sold in Britain for petrol and diesel. There is a report the Greenpeace activists staged a protest dressing orangutans to protect the tropical rain forests and drying out the peat lands in Malaysia. Where to augment the cultivation of palm oil the rain forests are being devastated. As per Greenpeace this harming the environment by releasing carbon dioxide. Palm oil was introduced in Malaysia in 1910 by a Scotsman. This oil even few years ago use to be major edible oil specially for the poor, it was very cheap in comparison to other edible oils. It is also used to make soap and finally found fit for biofuel. As it promised a clean , green and alternative to petrol. This caused a price hike to near about 70% over the last year. The price hike ...

The whole sale price index in India has increased by 7.4% or exceeded it within a very short span of time. What does it mean? Is it due to inflation or there is something else. The price of rice, wheat, edible oil , vegetables, chicken , mutton besides steel and cement have touched the sky. Rein the spiraling price seems difficult for the government. Though some measures like hiking the cash reserve ratio that means withdrawing the liquid funds from the market through banking system by central bank at the behest of the government is being taken. How far they are going to check the price rise? Or allowing imports of essential commodities like edible oil, banning export of rice to check the short fall; are certain to bring some cooling effect in the market. But it is not likely to take back the price as were a before six months ago. Let us consider these facts. The price rise of food stuffs is currently plaguing the world. The Wall Mart in US , for the first time rationing the sale of ri...