Investment/Trends

New York fails Common Core tests; more states to follow

"The political fight over the Common Core academic standards rolling out in schools nationwide this fall is sure to intensify after New York reported Wednesday that students across the state failed miserably on new reading and math tests meant to reflect the more rigorous standards. Fewer than a third of students in public schools passed the new tests, officials reported. And, in a twist that could roil education policy, some highly touted charter schools flopped particularly badly. Critics fumed that the state was setting kids up to fail — and failing to acknowledge that crimped budgets, crowded classrooms and high student poverty rates have all played a role." Continue reading →

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Meshnet activists rebuilding the internet from scratch

"Across the US, from Maryland to Seattle, work is underway to construct user-owned wireless networks that will permit secure communication without surveillance or any centralised organisation. They are known as meshnets and ultimately, if their designers get their way, they will span the country. The Seattle Meshnet has just completed a successful crowdfunding campaign for meshboxes – routers that come preloaded with the cjdns software needed to join Hyperboria. Users will just plug the routers into their existing internet connection and be ready to go on the virtual meshnet – or a local physical meshnet when one becomes available." Continue reading →

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Fears of NSA surveillance hurting the U.S. cloud computing industry

"American technology businesses fear they could lose between $21.5bn and $35bn in cloud computing contracts worldwide over the next three years, as part of the fallout from the NSA revelations. Some US companies said they have already lost business, while UK rivals said that UK and European businesses are increasingly wary of trusting their data to American organisations, which might have to turn it over secretly to the National Security Agency. The ITIF survey found that of those outside the US, 10% had cancelled a project with a US-based cloud computing provider, and 56% would be 'less likely' to use a US-based cloud computing service." Continue reading →

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Myanmar Foreign Investment Reaches $42 Billion From 32 Countries; $423 Million In June

"Foreign investment in Myanmar has now reached more than $42 billion from 32 countries. In June alone, the up-and-coming investment hotspot received $423 million in foreign investment. June’s investment went into production and hotel sectors, according to the Myanmar Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration (Dica). With the lifting of Western sanctions against the country, international giants such as Coca-Cola and Unilever have opened manufacturing operations in Myanmar, with other companies establishing sales outlets in the country, all with an eye on targeting the native Myanmar market." Continue reading →

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Myanmar Stock Exchange Launch Moved Up To 2013 After Security Exchange Law Passed

"Myanmar will have its own stock exchange soon, according to the country’s deputy minister for finance and revenue, Maung Maung Thein. Preparations and implementations for the market are already underway. To establish the stock exchange, the Central Bank of Myanmar is cooperating with the Daiwa Institute of Research Group, a leading Japanese think tank with expertise in economics and financial capital markets, and Japan’s Tokyo Stock Exchange. Later this month, there will be a demonstration of the operation of the stock exchange with the help of a Myanmar information technology company, Thein said." Continue reading →

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Why And How To Invest With Brokerages In Mongolia (2011)

"You can open a brokerage account in Mongolia without going there. I met with six different brokerage firms while in Mongolia and opened multiple accounts. Transaction fees for stock trades I was quoted ranged from 2% to 3.5%, while for bonds I was quoted rates from 5 to 20 basis points. Required fees to open an account ranged from 5,000 Togrog (about $4) to 40,000 Togrog (about $32). Some account opening procedures may request having your signature notarized to have a power of attorney to trade stocks on your behalf, but this can be done in your home country as well with minimal effort." Continue reading →

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Mongolian Stock Exchange reforms unlock potential of 45 billion USD

"The Mongolian Revised Securities Market Law will come into effect on January 1, 2014 and legal organizations are currently working to reform related laws and regulations before its arrival. The law’s initiators stress that the Mongolian stock exchange market, valued at 1.4 trillion MNT as of July 2, will be able to grow, as well as its convertibility, by introducing reformed and revised regulations in Mongolia’s securities market. Representative of the Mongolian Stock Exchange thus stressed that Mongolia’s stock market range, which tripled in the last four years, will be able to expand up to 30 times." Continue reading →

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1990 Democratic Revolution in Mongolia – Wikipedia

"The 1990 Democratic Revolution in Mongolia was a democratic revolution that started with demonstrations and hunger strikes to overthrow the Mongolian People's Republic and eventually moved towards the democratic present day Mongolia and the writing of the new constitution. It was spearheaded by mostly younger people demonstrating on Sükhbaatar Square in the capital Ulaanbaatar. It ended with the authoritarian government resigning without bloodshed. The Democratic Party stemming from the pro-democracy activists has been on the power of Mongolia's presidency, parliament and government since 2012." Continue reading →

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How Fortunes Are Made In Frontier Markets: Interview With Harris Kupperman Part II

"Getting your boots muddy in a frontier market can be immensely profitable. That is, if you get to a boomtown before boom times, there’s plenty of money to be made. As we learned yesterday, there’s huge profit potential in Mongolia — home to the recently started, world-class Oyu Tolgoi copper mine. 'The way I’m thinking of playing this resource boom' says Harris Kupperman, CEO of Mongolia Growth Group (MNGGF) 'is through the consumer, and the best way to access the consumer is retail space on the main streets'. Today we’ll continue our talk with Harris. He’ll explain how his group could make 9-18 times their money in Mongolian real estate." Continue reading →

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Mining the Gobi: The Battle for Mongolia’s Resources

"The country, whose economy has been growing faster than almost any other, is almost entirely dependent on the export of raw materials. Mongolia has things everyone wants -- coal, copper, gold, uranium, rare earth minerals -- and that potential wealth is reflected in the high-ranking visitors it draws. Donald Rumsfeld has been to Ulan Bator, as have Angela Merkel and several Japanese prime ministers. Beijing especially is making an effort to reach out to its northern neighbor. This July the first flat-bed trucks set out from Oyu Tolgoi to China, each bearing 36 tons of a brown, cement-like powder, from which copper and gold would be extracted." Continue reading →

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