Asia Economist and CEO, Centennial Asia Advisors

Manu Bhaskaran

Asia Economist and CEO

Centennial Asia Advisors

At Centennial Asia Advisors, we tell it like it is. We have no vested interests, no need for a China wall, and no reason to skew our outlook any other way. With over 30 years experience covering Asia’s political economy, you can be sure our conclusions and analyses are based on the unadulterated facts. Through years of fine-tuning our research methodologies, we deliver a quality of macroeconomic analysis few other houses can match.

Centennial Asia Advisors is an independent research and advisory firm that works with governments, multilateral institutions, financial firms and leading MNCs.

Economic Policy and Strategic Advisors

Macroeconomics

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Indian “surgical strikes” against Pakistan-based terrorists: Indian forces hit alleged terror “launch-pads” across the border, killing 38 militants. Firing across the border continued for several days, with some casualties on both sides. The situation remains tense even though the Pakistani military has tried to downplay the scale of the strike by India, calling it an “illusion”.</li>
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India’s action a retaliation for a terrorist attack it blamed on Pakistan: Seventeen Indian Army soldiers had been…</li>
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Indian “surgical strikes” against Pakistan-based terrorists: Indian forces hit alleged terror “launch-pads” across the border, killing 38 militants. Firing across the border continued for several days, with some casualties on both sides. The situation remains tense even though the Pakistani military has tried to downplay the scale of the strike by India, calling it an “illusion”.

India’s action a retaliation for a terrorist attack it blamed on Pakistan: Seventeen Indian Army soldiers had been…


India-Pakistan: Conflict Could Easily Escalate Against Leaders' Expectations

Asia focused research insights & advisory, Asia Advisors

Vinay Patel

Asia focused research insights & advisory

Asia Advisors

Asia Advisors is an independent financial advisory and research firm working closely with corporates and institutions to provide consulting solutions & research insights. We provide advisory services including capital solutions, business strategy and investment insights.
Firm is headed by Vinay Patel who has close to two decades of experience in research and business development at large, international investment banks such as HSBC and ICICI Securities. Led research efforts in areas of Macroeconomics, Asset Allocation & Investment Strategy for close to a decade in global & domestic research teams. As a business head in Singapore, advised top global investment management firms & Portfolio managers in Asia for India related investments.
Vinay was recently joined by Swapnil Manish, an investment banker and ex-ecommerce entrepreneur with more than 12 years of experience. Swapnil was the TMT banker at BNP Paribas and was part of several large M&A and ECM transactions (Bharti-Zain, Bharti Infratel IPO, Schneider-Zicom among several others). He's also had a stint as an ecommerce entrepreneur having launched & led Mumbai's first online grocery player.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

Geopolitical tensions in the sub-continent, already running high, have taken a turn for the worst as India carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) into Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. This is a first time that India has actually crossed the LoC to send a strong signal to Pakistan and this action, unfortunately, increases the risk of confrontation well into the future. Historically any tensions between India and Pakistan were defused by back channel intervention of global powers…

Geopolitical tensions in the sub-continent, already running high, have taken a turn for the worst as India carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) into Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. This is a first time that India has actually crossed the LoC to send a strong signal to Pakistan and this action, unfortunately, increases the risk of confrontation well into the future. Historically any tensions between India and Pakistan were defused by back channel intervention of global powers…

Rising Geopolitical Risks in Indian Sub-Continent: Towards a Worse-Off Sub-Optimal Nash Equilibrium

EM PM, Ecstrat

Emad Mostaque

EM PM

Ecstrat

Ecstrat is a consultancy advising on asset allocation between global equity markets, with a focus on the intersection of governments, geopolitics, governance and markets.
 
Over the past few years and more especially since the Great Financial Crisis (GFC), investors have become more focused on short-term market movements and real-time returns and have consequently neglected the analysis of the underlying structural themes that underpin longer term performance.
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More specifically we believe that the evolution of governance-based relationships between investors, controlling shareholders, labour and the state is one of the primary determinants of both relative and absolute performance between individual equity markets.
 
We will endeavour to provide investors with some of the context surrounding governance-related issues which encompass many different disciplines including history, economics and political science, as well as the financial metrics which are the most obvious manifestation of the structural characteristics of each market.
 
We will pay particular attention to the shifts and potential inflection points for governance in individual markets as these are often the best lead indicators for both economic and market performance.

Senate and Congress have overridden President Obama's veto on the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism (JASTA) legislation, designed to allow families of victims of terror attacks on US soil to sue any member of foreign governments (specifically the Saudi government) for support of these acts.The stripping of sovereign immunity will have profound implications for global geopolitics and the increasingly strained relationship of Gulf states and their traditional Western allies, particularly at a time when the USA is pivoting away from the Middle East towards the perceived increasing threat in Asia.

Senate and Congress have overridden President Obama's veto on the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism (JASTA) legislation, designed to allow families of victims of terror attacks on US soil to sue any member of foreign governments (specifically the Saudi government) for support of these acts.The stripping of sovereign immunity will have profound implications for global geopolitics and the increasingly strained relationship of Gulf states and their traditional Western allies, particularly at a time when the USA is pivoting away from the Middle East towards the perceived increasing threat in Asia.

<ul><li>Asian economies are more likely to be resilient to the Fed’s rate increases if global demand is growing. Indeed, in light of a brighter trade outlook, the Fed could intensify the pace of rate hikes.</li><li>World trade remains in the doldrums but there are very early signs that US import demand is picking up and forward-looking indicators reflect a nascent uptick in the works.</li><li>Our take is that the world economy is finally coming out of a dark period of successive major shocks. What we are probably seeing is the natural healing process that occurs in economies as the worst effects of these shocks wears off. This is forming a base for a more resilient recovery around the world – so long as there are no more new shocks.</li></ul>

Asian economies are more likely to be resilient to the Fed’s rate increases if global demand is growing. Indeed, in light of a brighter trade outlook, the Fed could intensify the pace of rate hikes.World trade remains in the doldrums but there are very early signs that US import demand is picking up and forward-looking indicators reflect a nascent uptick in the works.Our take is that the world economy is finally coming out of a dark period of successive major shocks. What we are probably seeing is the natural healing process that occurs in economies as the worst effects of these shocks wears off. This is forming a base for a more resilient recovery around the world – so long as there are no more new shocks.

Looking Beyond the Fed: Is Demand for Asian Exports Picking Up?

Managing Partner, Ampersand Investment Advisors

Rahul Singh

Managing Partner

Ampersand Investment Advisors

In what has been a range bound market, the element which stood out in recent times is increased participation of small/micro caps with relatively unknown names or proven track record. Even as foreign inflows through ETFs chased the large caps, domestic flows have led to a surge in midcap valuations and growth expectations in several names are bordering on the unrealistic now. This has to be a concern and could be a lead indicator of market volatility and imminent correction.Since the overriding sentiment in this newsletter is that the markets will correct, the most prudent course of action would be to partially book profits wherever valuations don't support fundamentals. Meanwhile, we would continually scout for new ideas as well as consolidate existing position in stocks/sectors we strongly believe can generate absolute returns i.e. Cement, NBFCs, Speciality Chemicals. Beneficiaries of rising construction equipment demand is in focus in this edition.

In what has been a range bound market, the element which stood out in recent times is increased participation of small/micro caps with relatively unknown names or proven track record. Even as foreign inflows through ETFs chased the large caps, domestic flows have led to a surge in midcap valuations and growth expectations in several names are bordering on the unrealistic now. This has to be a concern and could be a lead indicator of market volatility and imminent correction.Since the overriding sentiment in this newsletter is that the markets will correct, the most prudent course of action would be to partially book profits wherever valuations don't support fundamentals. Meanwhile, we would continually scout for new ideas as well as consolidate existing position in stocks/sectors we strongly believe can generate absolute returns i.e. Cement, NBFCs, Speciality Chemicals. Beneficiaries of rising construction equipment demand is in focus in this edition.

Big Money, Small Ideas - Sep 16 Newsletter

India

iShares MSCI India ETF is an exchange-traded fund incorporated in the USA. The ETF seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI India Index.

iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA US)

India-Pakistan: Conflict Could Easily Escalate Against Leaders' Expectations

Indian “surgical strikes” against Pakistan-based terrorists: Indian forces hit alleged terror “launch-pads” across the border, killing 38...

Manu Bhaskaran

Rising Geopolitical Risks in Indian Sub-Continent: Towards a Worse-Off Sub-Optimal Nash Equilibrium

Geopolitical tensions in the sub-continent, already running high, have taken a turn for the worst as India carried out surgical strikes across the...

Asia Advisors

JASTA Will Push Saudi East

Senate and Congress have overridden President Obama's veto on the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism (JASTA) legislation, designed to allow...

Emad Mostaque

Looking Beyond the Fed: Is Demand for Asian Exports Picking Up?

Asian economies are more likely to be resilient to the Fed’s rate increases if global demand is growing. Indeed, in light of a brighter trade...

Manu Bhaskaran

India-Pakistan: Conflict Could Easily Escalate Against Leaders' Expectations

Indian “surgical strikes” against Pakistan-based terrorists: Indian forces hit alleged terror “launch-pads” across the border, killing 38...

Manu Bhaskaran

Rising Geopolitical Risks in Indian Sub-Continent: Towards a Worse-Off Sub-Optimal Nash Equilibrium

Geopolitical tensions in the sub-continent, already running high, have taken a turn for the worst as India carried out surgical strikes across the...

Asia Advisors

JASTA Will Push Saudi East

Senate and Congress have overridden President Obama's veto on the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism (JASTA) legislation, designed to allow...

Emad Mostaque

Looking Beyond the Fed: Is Demand for Asian Exports Picking Up?

Asian economies are more likely to be resilient to the Fed’s rate increases if global demand is growing. Indeed, in light of a brighter trade...

Manu Bhaskaran

Big Money, Small Ideas - Sep 16 Newsletter

In what has been a range bound market, the element which stood out in recent times is increased participation of small/micro caps with relatively...

Ampersand Investment Advisors