Saturday, June 5, 2010

Market shows signs of uptrend

The share market fluctuated throughout the week and gained a minimal 0.61 percent in the index value to close at 482.34 points. Despite volatile performance of Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index, investor confidence rose as compared with previous week as investors traded freely without skepticism, which is reflected by the overall market turnover.
The market volume, excluding the bulk trade of Sanima Bikash Bank´s promoter shares, increased by 88.4 percent as compared with last week.
The Development Banking sector (+4.11 percent) posted the highest gain among the sub indices as share price of Ace Development Bank (+Rs 55), and Clean Energy Development Bank (+93) surged. The Insurance sector (+2.42 percent) followed the rise as share prices of Life Insurance Company Nepal (+ Rs 136) topped the gainers´ list.
The Commercial Banking sector (+1.02 percent) continued to boost the overall market with increases in share price of Kumari Bank (+Rs 29), and Nepal Industrial & Commercial Bank (+Rs 39). However, the ´Others´ sub-sector (-1.7 percent) slid because the share value of Nepal Doorsanchar Company´s (-Rs.8) tumbled for the second consecutive week.
The Finance sector (-0.81 percent) was another sector to decline, primarily due to Butwal Finance Company (-Rs.252) that resumed its transactions after a long interval with a substantial drop in its price.
The Hydropower sector (-0.69 percent) also shed points as share prices of Arun Valley Hydropower (-Rs 14), and National Hydropower Company (-Rs 1) declined.
Amongst other highlights, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a loan disbursement of US$ 42.05 million under its Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) to ease the current Balance of Payment (BOP) deficit which in turn has eased the current liquidity crisis prevailing in the banking sector.
Likewise, the inter-bank lending rate has decreased from an alarming 15 percent to around 7 percent. No review on need to disclose source of income for bank deposits over Rs 1 million will be possible before the next budget.
On the declaration front, Sahayogi Bikas Bank is closing its book on June 8 for 3:1 right shares while Sunrise Bank is closing its book on June 11 for 10:3 right shares. Purwanchal Grameen Bikas Bank has declared 20 percent cash dividend.
On the IPO side, application for Unique Financial Institution starts on June 6 and IPOs of Alpine Development Bank and Diyalo Bikas Bank IPO have been oversubscribed.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Economy of Nepal

Nepal ranks among the world's poorest countries, with a per capita income of around $470 in 2009. Based on national calorie/GNP criteria, an estimated 31% of the population is below the poverty line. An isolated, agrarian society until the mid-20th century, Nepal entered the modern era in 1951 without schools, hospitals, roads, telecommunications, electric power, industry, or a civil service. The country has, however, made progress toward sustainable economic growth since the 1950s and is committed to a program of economic liberalization.
Nepal launched its 10th five-year economic development plan in 2002; its currency has been made convertible; and fourteen state enterprises have been privatized, seven liquidated, and two dissolved. Foreign aid accounts for more than half the development budget. The Government of Nepal has shown an increasing commitment to fiscal transparency, good governance, and accountability. Also in 2002, the government began to prioritize development projects and eliminate wasteful spending. In consultation with civil society and donors, the government cut 160 development projects that were driven by political patronage.
Agriculture remains Nepal's principal economic activity, employing over 71% of the population and providing 32.12% of GDP. Only about 25% of the total area is cultivable; another 33% is forested; most of the rest is mountainous. Rice and wheat are the main food crops. The lowland Terai region produces an agricultural surplus, part of which supplies the food-deficient hill areas. Because of Nepal's dependence on agriculture, the magnitude of the annual monsoon rain strongly influences economic growth.
In FY 2007/2008 Nepal's exports increased by 2.4%, compared to a decrease of 1.4% in FY 2006/2007. Imports grew by 16.1% in FY 2007/2008 as compared to 12% in FY 2006/2007. Exports constrained by political turmoil and a poor investment climate in the last fiscal year grew marginally owing to improvement in the political situation. The trade deficit for FY 2006/2007 was $1.9 billion, which widened to $2.5 billion in FY 2007/2008. Real GDP growth during 1996-2002 averaged less than 5%. According to the revised estimates of the Central Bureau of Statistics, GDP grew 4.68% in FY 2003/2004 and slipped to 3.12% in FY 2004/2005, but again increased marginally to 3.72% in 2005/2006 and slipped to 3.19% in FY 2006/2007.

Despite its growing trade deficit, Nepal traditionally has a balance of payments (BOP) surplus due to remittances from Nepalese working abroad. In FY 2007/2008, Nepal recorded a balance of payments surplus of $452.9 million (0.4% of GDP), as compared to $83.58 million in FY 2006/2007 (0.01% of GDP). Significant rise in workers' remittances and grants assistance contributed to a record level of BOP surplus in FY 2007/2008, however, the BOP surplus covered import trade credit amounting to $232 million in 2007/08, reflecting a rather fragile base. In the previous year, import trade credit was at a lower level of $ 25.95 million. Nepal receives substantial amounts of external assistance from India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries. Several multilateral organizations--including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the UN Development Program--also provide significant assistance. On April 23, 2004, Nepal became the 147th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
With eight of the world's ten highest mountain peaks--including Mt. Everest at 8,848 m (29,000 ft)--Nepal is a tourist destination for hikers and mountain climbers. However, the decade-long insurgency and a global economic slowdown threatened the tourism industry. But 2007 witnessed a renewed wave of tourism. Figures from the Department of Immigration showed a 37.2% increase in arrivals in 2007, which surpassed the numbers of tourist arrivals during 1999, the peak tourism year prior to 2006. Since the political parties and Maoists brokered a comprehensive peace agreement in November 2006, renewed tourist arrivals have given relief to the tourism-based hotel, trekking, mountaineering, and aviation industries.
Swift rivers flowing south through the Himalayas have massive hydroelectric potential to service domestic power needs and growing demand from India. Only about 1% of Nepal's hydroelectric potential is currently tapped. Several hydroelectric projects, at Kulekhani and Marsyangdi, were completed in the early to late 1980s. In the early 1990s, one large public-sector project, the Kali Gandaki A (144 megawatts--MW), and a number of private projects were planned; some have been completed. Kali Gandaki A started commercial operation in August 2002. The most significant privately financed hydroelectric projects currently in operation are the Khimti Khola (60 MW) and Bhote Koshi (36 MW) projects.



The environmental impact of Nepal's hydroelectric projects has been limited by the fact that most are "run-of-river," with only one storage project undertaken to date. The planned private-sector West Seti (750 MW) storage project is dedicated to electricity exports. An Australian company signed a power purchase agreement with the Indian Power Trading Corporation in September 2002 and has the lead on the project. Negotiations with India for a power purchase agreement have been underway for several years, but agreement on pricing and capital financing remains a problem. The Government of Nepal has taken up the issue of project financing for the West Seti project with the EXIM Bank of China. Starting in December 2006, the Department of Electricity Development obtained proposals from 14 foreign companies for survey licenses of three projects--600 MW Budhi Gandaki, 402 MW Arun III, and 300 MW Upper Karnali. The Ministry of Water Resources, after delaying the evaluation process for more than a year, finally awarded the 300 MW Upper Karnali to Indian private sector developer GMR Energy Ltd. In March 2008, the 402 MW Arun III was awarded to India's state-owned Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN). The Department of Electricity Development had invited fresh global tenders for the 600 MW Budhi Gandi project in December 2007, but it failed to attract investors. Currently, domestic demand for electricity is increasing at 8%-10% a year.



Population pressure on natural resources is increasing. Overpopulation is already straining the "carrying capacity" of the middle hill areas, particularly the Kathmandu Valley, resulting in the depletion of forest cover for crops, fuel and fodder, and contributing to erosion and flooding. Additionally, water supplies within the Kathmandu Valley are not considered safe for consumption, and disease outbreaks are not uncommon. Although steep mountain terrain makes exploitation difficult, mineral surveys have found small deposits of limestone, magnesite, zinc, copper, iron, mica, lead, and cobalt.



Progress has been achieved in education, health, and infrastructure. A countrywide primary education system is under development, and Tribhuvan University has several campuses. Although eradication efforts continue, malaria has been controlled in the fertile but previously uninhabitable Terai region in the south. Kathmandu is linked to India and nearby hill regions by an expanding highway network.

GDP (2007/2008): $12.69 billion.

Annual growth rate of real GDP (FY 2007/2008): 4.7%.

Per capita income (gross national product, FY 2007/2008): $470.

Avg. inflation rate (Consumer Price Index, mid-October 2008 est.): 14.1%.

Natural resources: Water, hydropower, limited but fertile agricultural land, timber.

Agriculture (32.12% of GDP): Products--rice, wheat, maize, sugarcane, oilseed, jute, millet, potatoes. Cultivated land--25%.

Industry (7.6% of GDP): Types--carpets, pashmina, garments, cement, cigarettes, bricks, sugar, soap, matches, jute, manufactured goods, hydroelectric power.

Trade (2007/2008): Exports--$892 million: carpets, pashmina, garments. Major markets--Germany and the U.S. Imports--$2.79 billion: manufactured goods. Major supplier--India.

Central government budget (FY 2008/2009): $3.14 billion; military allocation $163.43 million.

Official exchange rate (as of September 19, 2008): NPR 75.00 = US$1.00.

Fiscal year: July 16-July 15.
 
courtesy: Nepal economy

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Non-Farm Payrolls Disappoint!


The US Non-Farm Payrolls Report (NFP) is usually one of the biggest market moving numbers in the currency markets. Today’s number is no exception. The report came in for December at -85K, a very disappointing figure. Estimates were expecting this number to be flat, that we neither gained or lost jobs for the month. Although I had seen some pretty wild numbers tossed around, anywhere from +/- 200K. The revisions for the prior two months showed a net loss of 1K jobs, a negligible but encouraging figure.


So what does this all mean? Well in a word: trouble.
The US economy is not adding jobs nearly as quickly as the government had hoped. With all of the enormous amounts of stimulus spending, we have little to show for it. As a result of this figure, the US dollar reversed course and immediately began to weaken. If anyone had any delusions about a US rate hike in the first quarter of the year, they can pretty much forget about it as its now off of the table. Unless the dollar tanks so badly that Bernanke HAS to do something.



Close to 100 pips in a few minutes!

This could make an interesting year for the US dollar. There are 2 basic ways that we will see dollar strength this year; either through interest rate hikes or risk aversion plays. So while this logic may be a bit counter-intuitive to some, it’s going to be very important to take our clues from the other markets to see which theme is playing out.
And of course don’t forget that the dollar can continue to weaken well into this year, the question is going to be that if things don’t get better on the employment front, at what point does that filter through to the other markets?


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