Daily Briefing: Decision day for Noble shareholders; Asset bubbles may be avoidable after all
And here’s the deal on buying a $1.5m condo.
Noble Group Ltd. shareholders are expected to approve the sale of the company’s stake in its agricultural unit on Thursday as the commodity trader seeks to revive its fortunes by cutting debt, bolstering investor confidence and regaining its investment-grade credit rating. Stockholders will attend a special general meeting in Singapore to vote on the sale of the 49 percent holding in Noble Agri Ltd. to Cofco Corp. for at least $750 million. China’s top food company already owned the other 51 percent, bought for $1.5 billion in 2014. Read more here.
Years after the biggest global financial meltdown since the Great Depression spurred debate over how policy makers can head off asset bubbles, tentative evidence is emerging from Asia-Pacific economies that prudent regulation can prove effective. From Singapore to Sydney to Seoul, regulators have implemented prudential rules that target house-price inflation at the same time as they deliver stimulus to their economies through monetary policy. As the list of countries dropping rates toward zero lengthens, macroprudential measures, once out of favor in the developed world, are staging a comeback. Find out more here.
Property is likely to be your most important asset in your adult life. While most of us would choose to buy a government subsidized HDB flat, there are some who have the means and preference to buy condominium properties. For example, you've done your sums and decided on the famous The Sail Marina Bay condo listed for a cool $1.5 million. Read more here.