Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

How I learnt to stop worrying about China’s surplus

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 6d

Outstanding Piece!

Martin Sandbu @martinsandbu.ft.com · 6d

You worry too much about China's overcapacity. on.ft.com/4hbvCPD

[FREE TO READ] Lessons from economic history point to the benign effects of ‘overcapacity’

on.ft.com

India Insider: U.S Credit Crunch vs. Indian Banking Paralysis

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 7d

www.angrymetatraders.com/post/india-i...

India Insider: Past U.S credit crunch compared to Indian banking situation. Liquidity problems and fixing systems.

#India #IndiaBanking #USDINR #ReserveBankofIndia #AMTinsights #realestate #BankingSolutions #BankingForAll #Modi #borrowing

When the U.S suffered a severe credit crunch in the early 1990s, the triggers were clear: the collapse of the leveraged buyout (LBO) boom, commercial real estate price corrections, and the failure of ...

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 10d

The same that was seen with Some Banks in France as their yields fell below French government debt

Trending Finance @trending-finance.bsky.social · 10d

Microsoft borrows cheaper than America. #econsky

Mohamed A. El-Erian @elerianm.bsky.social · 10d

From the @wsj article, “Why Microsoft Has Lower Borrowing Costs Than the U.S.”

#economy #markets #bonds

Reposted by Ben Ezra

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 13d

As Professor Michael Pettis points out, Beijing cannot fix its debt problem by refinancing liabilities alone — the asset side of LGFV balance sheets must also be marked to reality.

open.substack.com/pub/emerging...

1 2

Reposted by Ben Ezra

China Biz Buzz @china-biz-buzz.bsky.social · 12d

Global debt has surged to $337.7T — three times world GDP 🌍💸 Biggest jumps in China, US, UK, Japan & Germany; debt-to-GDP ratios rose fastest in Canada, China, Saudi Arabia & Poland.

Household income growth holds key to Chinese consumption hopes: ex-official

Reposted by Ben Ezra

Jo Michell @jomichell.bsky.social · 12d

magnificent: it turns out there is no productivity crisis, it's just that the tech sector is wildly unproductive and is dragging everything else down with it.

NBER @nber.org · 12d

Examining the recent slow growth in manufacturing productivity, from Enghin Atalay, Ali Hortaçsu, Nicole Kimmel, and Chad Syverson https://www.nber.org/papers/w34264

5 48 180

Reposted by Ben Ezra

Michael Pettis @michaelpettis.bsky.social · 12d

1/9
Yang Weimin, former deputy head of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Financial and Economic Affairs: “The main reason for weak consumer demand in China is fundamentally a matter of income.”

He's right, of course.
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...

Yang Weimin says ‘gradually narrowing’ income gap will provide momentum for economic growth, reiterates need for ‘common prosperity’.

www.scmp.com

1 6 26

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 12d

2/2

www.angrymetatraders.com/post/india-i...

According to a recent report by the World Gold Council, Indian households are believed to hold around 25,000 tonnes of gold with a combined value of around $3 trillion USD.

India Insider: Why is Gold Frequently Accumulated by Indians?

In a society like India in which I live gold hoarding is a fact of life. According to a recent report by the World Gold Council, Indian households are believed to hold around 25,000 tonnes of gold wit...

India’s Festive Gold Demand Set to Decline on Record Prices

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 12d

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

1/2

Bloomberg: " India bought 17% less jewelry between April and June than a year earlier, with total purchases of the precious metal seen dropping in 2025 to the lowest level in five years, according to a World Gold Council report in July."

Gold jewelry sales in India are set to drop during the upcoming festival season, as record bullion prices push buyers toward less costly alternatives in one of the world’s largest markets.

www.bloomberg.com

South Korea says U.S. projects unlikely to progress until visa issue resolution

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 13d

As Professor Michael Pettis points out, Beijing cannot fix its debt problem by refinancing liabilities alone — the asset side of LGFV balance sheets must also be marked to reality.

open.substack.com/pub/emerging...

1 2

Reposted by Ben Ezra

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 13d

Investment projects in the U.S. will remain in limbo until visa issues are resolved, South Korea’s prime minister has said, urging Washington to act quickly to reassure workers concerned about detention risks.

Images of shackled workers have circulated widely and fueled public anger, casting a cloud over hefty investment plans by South Korean conglomerates.

ebx.sh

1 11 29

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 14d

We can expect another rate cut from Bank of Korea as the central bank now looks forward to stimulating growth.

Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 14d

South Korea’s consumer confidence dropped for the first time since March, as concerns over higher US tariffs on the export-dependent economy and persistent weakness in construction weighed on sentiment, the central bank said

Korea Consumer Confidence Dips First Time Since March on Tariffs

South Korea’s consumer confidence dropped for the first time since March, as concerns over higher US tariffs on the export-dependent economy and persistent weakness in construction weighed on sentiment, the central bank said.

bloom.bg

When the going gets tough, investors are struggling to find a place to hide

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 14d

2/2

“ We thought the US Treasury was a safe haven and we have seen that the volatility has been quite high and liquidity has been an issue. The only safe haven is diversification — that’s the best insurance,” he said.

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 14d

www.ft.com/content/2ad5...

1/2

The only safe haven in financial markets is diversification

There is no safe haven any more today because you can blow up anywhere,” Buberl told . Axa feels this keenly, as it is a large investor seeking to meet insurance liabilities.

RIP to safe havens

www.ft.com

India Insider: Why is Gold Frequently Accumulated by Indians?

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 14d

www.angrymetatraders.com/post/india-i...

Gold in India is not just a metal, it is memory, tradition, and security. From wedding dowries to festival purchases on Akshayatritiyai and Dhanteras , the glitter of gold runs through every layer of Indian life. Yet, behind the shine lies a paradox!

In a society like India in which I live gold hoarding is a fact of life. According to a recent report by the World Gold Council, Indian households are believed to hold around 25,000 tonnes of gold wit...

India Insider: Working with the West as it Deals with Others

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 17d

www.angrymetatraders.com/post/india-i...

India's overall trade deficit stood at minus $94.26 billion USD in 2025. Without service exports (predominately from the software services sector), India’s CAD would be much larger and the Indian Rupee would face greater depreciation pressures

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tianjin, China for the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in early September, which was attended by over twenty nations. Before India visited th...

India Insider: Working with the West as it Deals with Others

Reposted by Ben Ezra

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 17d

2/2

www.angrymetatraders.com/post/india-i...

India's overall trade deficit stood at minus $94.26 billion USD in 2025. Without service exports (predominately from the software services sector), India’s CAD would be much larger and the Indian Rupee would face greater depreciation pressures

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tianjin, China for the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in early September, which was attended by over twenty nations. Before India visited th...

India Insider: Working with the West as it Deals with Others

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 17d

2/2

www.angrymetatraders.com/post/india-i...

India's overall trade deficit stood at minus $94.26 billion USD in 2025. Without service exports (predominately from the software services sector), India’s CAD would be much larger and the Indian Rupee would face greater depreciation pressures

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tianjin, China for the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in early September, which was attended by over twenty nations. Before India visited th...

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 17d

1/2

Bloomberg: The US president’s order on Friday — which requires a $100,000 fee for H-1B applications — will hurt margins of Indian outsourcers who use the program to deploy engineers to client sites. That’s a blow to India’s $280 billion IT services sector

Russia leverages Kirk shooting for propaganda as false claims surge

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 20d

The Kremlin has no credibility. It can be easily found out by anyone.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 20d

Russian state-controlled media outlets and allied social media accounts have seized on the killing of Charlie Kirk to push narratives that favor the Kremlin and aim to divide Americans, researchers say.

Researchers say state-controlled media outlets in Russia and elsewhere have sought to use the conservative influencer’s killing to amplify divisions in the U.S.

www.washingtonpost.com

India Insider: Speculation, IPO Mania, and Capital Erosion

Ben Ezra @benbusi18.bsky.social · 20d

www.angrymetatraders.com/post/india-i...

In this week's India Insider Article, We look at how Speculation in Yes Bank and Ola Electric Mobility created Euphoria among Investors and how they destroyed shareholders wealth.

A speculative frenzy is reflected nowadays via India social media around quarterly results and IPOs. Animated talk about investment potential in India can be compared in some respects to the Dot-com b...