Scotiabank's Asia-Pacific Presence

Scotiabank has been in the Asia-Pacific for 50 years,according to Rod Reynolds,President of Asia-Pacific and Middle East for Scotiabank.We have been in China for 30 years and have three branches there.We are focused on organic growth, but have a 19% stake in the Bank of Xi'an,as well as a stake in China Everbright bank.We are really encouraged by reforms that will increase the opportunity for Chinese companies to grow.We are well-positioned in China.
The company also has a Bank of Beijing/Scotia Asset Management joint venture.*
The ASEAN countries are a particular focus for us:Singapore,Malaysia,Vietnam and Thailand.All of our 700 Thai branches are open despite the recent unrest.We have an active business continuity plan in place.We have a very diverse asset list in Thailand.The country's been remarkably resilient to such events.We are growing rapidly in Thailand,at a rate of 20% per annum.
Thai protestors have been blockading intersections in Bangkok,demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and an unelected council to oversee reforms.*
Scotiabank,the largest overseas bank in Canada,is now focused on integrating the acquisitions we made during the global financial crisis,but open to opportunities that may arise,Mr.Reynolds said.
Scotiabank(BNS)

Private Bank Views-plus Middle East Moment

This is a quiet period,according to Mark Matthews,Head of Research for Asia at Bank Julius Baer;September will be D-Day.The MSCI World Index is up 10% this year;the US is up 14%,overshadowed by all this volatility.The markets will go down if Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke doesn't express some kind of positive policy action.It's unclear how the Fed makes decisions.
The US is not doing very badly.China's probably the big problem in the world right now.It's slowing down in a way the leaders are comfortable with.
I like the quality US blue chips;quality high yield bonds;Southeast Asian equities such as those from Thailand and the Philippines.
The Julius Baer Group says it is the leading Swiss private banking group,serving sophisticated private clients,family offices and external asset managers from all over the globe.With its headquarters in Zurich,it has more than 40 offices in over 20 countries.The group was founded in 1890.
Middle East Moment:Any Middle East military action will push oil prices significantly higher,says Helma Croft,a geopolitical strategist at Barclays Capital.Drought and its higher food prices will hurt Middle East fiscal positions.None of these governments can afford to put off subsidies to their people.
Barclays(BCS)

Author Lays Out China's Best Case Scenario

Commodities exhibit a one decade up,two decades down cycle,notes Ruchir Sharma,Managing Director,Portfolio Manager and Head of Global Emerging Markets Equity Team at Morgan Stanley Investment Funds.China is the 100 pound gorilla in the commodity marketplace.
A China slowdown is a principal part of the commodity slowdown thesis.The best case for China is 6-7% growth.It's quite a shock for those who are used to 7-8% growth.It's a very natural slowdown.At a per capita income of 6,000 dollars a year,all developing economies slow down.
China is systematically deploying its wealth,but their debt to GDP is close to 200%.The reason for their slowdown is,the number of people entering the labor force and moving to cities is slowing down.It's demographics.It's like Japan in the 1970s.
We are now in a post-China world.Look to the Philippines,Indonesia and Thailand.For the first time,the Philippines now have a stable political leadership intent on increasing the country's wealth,Mr.Sharma pointed out.
Ruchir Sharma,CFA,is the author of the book "Breakout Nations."A Newsweek columnist and contributor to The Wall Street Journal,he has a BA in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi.
Morgan Stanley(MS)

Dow Chemical's Broad Solutions Network

Dow Chemical is a company that has long embraced globalism at every turn in its corporate life.
We're using Thailand as an operations hub these days,said Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris.There are 160 Korean scientists at our R&D facility there.
The reception in China for global businesses is powerful.China is a red carpet;there are a lot of other economies that are red tape,the industry leader candidly observed.Dow is in 150 countries in terms of sales.
Obviously,Saudi Arabia is very important to a company like ours that is resource intensive,Mr.Liveris noted.
The firm employs about 52,000 workers worldwide.From Mexico to the Middle East,they produce more than 5,000 specialty chemical,advanced materials and other products at some 197 facilities in 36 countries.
Andrew N. Liveris,who turns 58 next month,is a native of Darwin,Australia.He graduated from the University of Queensland with a chemical engineering degree.Mr.Liveris was formerly general manager of Dow's Thailand operations.The Midland,Michigan resident also serves on the Board of Directors of IBM.
Dow Chemical(DOW)

CFO:Intel's 2012 Story

We had an extraordinary year in 2011,says Intel Chief Financial Officer Stacy Smith.We saw growth across every line of business.The story for us in 2012 is a refurbished product line.I'm very excited about the Ultrabook.It will move into a more mainstream price point.
In terms of demand,2011 saw growth as expected,with good growth in the emerging markets.We had a strong enterprise segment,and the data center group was very strong.
The mature market consumer was sluggish,especially in Europe.The supply chain impact from the Thailand flooding was no hard disk drives,so inventory levels were brought down.We expect the impact to ease by Q2 2012.
This is a product story for us.We can build better products for our customers.The growth drivers in 2012 will be the same as in 2011,Mr.Smith predicted.
Intel employs about 90,000 workers at some 200 facilities worldwide.The company has locations in the Americas and Asia,as well as Europe,Africa and the Middle East.
Intel(INTC)

CNBC Asia:2012 Outlook

CNBC Asia's Karen Tso offered a number of points for investors to consider in 2012:I don't think we're gonna be worried about China anymore.People are being defensive.
Thailand and Indonesia are consumption stories.Thailand's main policy is to increase the minimum wage.
The Shanghai Composite is down more than 20% this year.From a valuation perspective,it's one of the cheapest markets in Asia.There could be a big upside in early 2012.
In Asia,central banks loosening monetary policy could be potentially positive for stocks,Ms.Tso observed.
Karen Tso,based in Singapore,is co-host of CNBC Asia's "Squawk Box" programme.She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Griffiths University in Queensland,Australia.A business journalist for more than 10 years,Ms.Tso came to CNBC from Australia's News Nine.
Extra:Recent data suggests the growing influence of China's middle and upper classes.China's grain companies have bought 18 million tonnes of new grain,according to the Xinhua news agency.Chinese pork prices rose up to 0.3% in mid-December trading,and China just overtook India in jewelry sales.

Investing in Emerging Markets

According to Nicholas Smithie,emerging markets strategist at UBS,the emerging markets have had a splendid decade.We know there is an overhang about sovereign debt.They are trading lower than 75% off other periods,pricing at distressed valuations.We think investors go for them for their high rate of domestic growth.
In the emerging markets,domestic consumption and infrastructure are really starting to take off in Thailand,Indonesia and the Philippines.Investor holding periods have become very short:they want all their returns all at once.Those in it for the long haul will benefit.
We think that Chinese equities have fallen to very low valuations,pricing in a hard landing.In the second half of the year,Chinese growth will come through.We'd be buying,Mr.Smithie advised.
China has just raised interest rates for the third time this year,a sign that growth is still so strong,even with the tightening measures already taken,the government is afraid of the economy overheating into more inflation.
UBS offers wealth management,asset management and investment banking globally,as well as retail banking in Switzerland.Founded in 1854,it is based in Zurich and Basel,Switzerland.UBS has offices in more than 50 countries.
UBS AG(UBS)

Indonesia Earns High Marks

Indonesia has been called the next Brazil,the next BRIC nation.As trade minister Mari Pangestu points out,they've seen a robust export growth,increasingly with Asia-up 30% this year.There is much more trade with Vietnam,Thailand and Korea.
Indonesia could grow at 8%,once they address infrastructure bottlenecks.They are growing at 6.5% now.Medium term,many infrastructure projects are coming on stream.
Indonesia has become a lot more prudent since the financial crisis.It is on the right path to weed out corruption.People are getting it,as far as becoming more hospitable,Ms.Pangestu believes.
President Barack Obama spent four years of his childhood in Indonesia.He is regarded by the Indonesian people in a special way,as being one of them.Mr.Obama visited Indonesia in November 2010,after a two year delay.
Indonesia's students are actively recruited by U.S. colleges and universities.They are seen as intellectual assets who add diversity to the campus environment.
iShares MSCI Indonesia Investable Market Index Fund(EIDO)