Just a day after Apple announced that CEO Steve Jobs was off on his third medical leave since 2004, the stock's already on the rebound. The company smashed its first-quarter earnings expectations, thanks to soaring Asia-Pacific sales.
Oil prices fell Friday in Asia after the U.S. Labor Department reported that more unemployed workers applied for aid last week. Fears that the U.S. economic recovery could be slow is keeping oil investors wary.
If you want to know how the rural developing world could get cheap, easy wireless Internet access, just follow the money: Remittances to those regions total tens of billions each year, and the money flow isn't very efficient. The profits from micro-telcos taking over the business could prime the pump for an information revolution in the hinterlands.
Since the mad cow scare of 2003, South Korea has been a tough market for U.S. beef: The country first banned it, then severely limited imports. But a pending new trade agreement could mark the resumption of normal trade and the start of a more prosperous era for American beef exports.
President Obama's trip to Asia has turned global attention towards opportunities in India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan. But would investors be wise to follow in the President's footsteps?
As the G-20 meets in South Korea, many world leaders have stepped up their complaints about the Fed's $600 billion quantitative easing program, as well as the rapid flow of capital into emerging markets. Some countries are installing capital controls in response, but those won't be enough, says global finance expert Peter Cohan.
How can investors earn double-digit returns? According to bond guru Bill Gross, they probably can't: "A future of low investment returns, and a heap of trouble for those expecting more, is what lies ahead," Gross warns in his latest investment outlook.
