Business News, Financial News, Analysis, Commentary, Views, Opinion
The economic value of cutting prices should not be underestimated. In March 2004, Procter & Gamble cut prices of Tide by 47% and Ariel by 28%, challenging Hindustan Lever’s pole position in this market. HLL responded in like and a furious battle ensued. How this ended is another story. What’s relevant is this: P&G’s volume […]
Continue ReadingUS-based Johnson Controls and Japan’s Hitachi Appliances have formalised their agreement to form a joint venture that will acquire Hitachi Appliances’ global air-conditioning business. The deal was announced in December 2013 and was to have started operations in 2014, but its closure has stretched all the way till 2015. This transaction has a local effect, […]
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The RBI is in no hurry to cut interest rates despite inflation trending low for several months now and there being no obvious immediate reason why it should move up sharply. Raghuram Rajan, the RBI governor, may have good reasons to be cautious though, considering what happened during the previous governor D. Subbarao’s tenure. He […]
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Fulford (India)’s parent Dashtag, a subsidiary of Merck & Co. has postponed its delisting plans, a decision it has attributed to a sharp rise in Fulford’s share. But a reference to Sebi’s decision to amend the delisting regulations indicates some influence from that side as well. Shareholders reacted with dismay, sending the stock down by 20%on […]
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The relationship between Diageo-controlled United Spirits and the UB group has taken a curious turn. A company meeting called last week to put to vote a number of related material party transactions, saw minority shareholders vote against all UB group-related transactions except for one. Link. In another development, shareholders rejected a postal ballot for a related […]
Continue ReadingThe new Bharatiya Janata Party government in Rajasthan was first off the reform block. Its move to liberalise the state’s labour laws is targeted at attracting more investments by projecting an employer-friendly image. Of course, labour is just one of the factors for investing in a state, along with others such as ease of doing business and getting approvals, transparent policies and infrastructure.
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UB Engineering does not have a board any more as the company announced that its two remaining directors have resigned too. On Thursday, the Vijay Mallya-group engineering company said that Alfred Tuinman, executive director (commercial), had resigned with effect from April 3, 2014. That leaves only one director on board, the managing director JK Sardana. “Under these exceptional circumstances, when there is no Board the Company is unable to convene a Board Meeting…”
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State Bank of India has got government approval to raise equity capital Rs 11,576 crore in equity capital. SBI said that it will raise Rs 2,000 crore by way of a preferential equity issue to the government, which is its main shareholder, and also raise Rs 9,576 through a qualified institutional placement. The government’s approval is subject to its stake in the company not falling below 58%, from the current level of 62.3%.
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Bharti Airtel is seeking permission from its shareholders to transfer its data center and managed services (DCMS) business to a subsidiary company. The company’s board had given its permission for the transfer in July.
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In the previous article, the main problems facing the government and the RBI were listed –a falling rupee, slowing growth and rising inflation. What is needed at this stage is confidence-building measures rather than the fear-inducing steps taken, such as the one imposing capital controls. Foreign investors have been caught on the wrong foot in many countries, where they were prevented from taking their dollars out. They need to be reassured that option is not on the table.
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