The Indian Stock Market is consistently making new highs as Foreign Money Surges into India it its hunger for yield.FIIs this year have invested almost $15 Billion into the Stock Markets as Indian Economy grows at a rapid 8%+ growth.Along with Thailand,Malaysia,Indonesia and other emerging markets,Indian Stock Markets are approaching Bubble Territory of the late 2007 and early 2008 days.Substantial Risks are being ignored by the Herd Mentality of Portfolio Managers who are lapping up India’s Growth Story.Domestic Money on the other hand has been very circumspect during the last 1 year.Domestic Mutual Funds have become aggressive sellers in the last leg of this rally while Retail Investors are Bailing out Enmasse.

Retail Investors have sold around $2.5 Billion of Stocks in the last 1 year when the Stock Market has catapulted by almost 25%.This is one of the strangest bull markets as Indian investors remain largely skeptical of this rally.

India has started a Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Scheme recently to boost the share of Clean Energy Sources in India’s Electricity Mix.India’s Electricity Regulator (CERC) has come out with a notification making it mandatory for Electricity Utilities to buy 6% of their requirements from Green Energy Sources.However the REC Scheme still faces teething problems in […]

While Solar Energy is a new kid on the block,Wind Energy has been growing very strongly in the past Decade.Italy was rethinking its Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Scheme to remove price guarantees but at the last minute it changed its mind.Wind is being installed at a rate of 1 GW per year in the last few years.The Italian Mafia has latched onto this lucrative business muscling their way in.The Sicilian Mafia is said to own a large portion of the country Wind Farm Assets and the $1.9 Billion Seizure of assets from a high flying businessman is proof of this.43 Companies mainly operating in the Solar and Wind Segments were seized by the state in one of the biggest swoops against Organized Crime.Wind Turbines involve acquisition of land,local permits and subsidy grants which require a lot of organization and local clout.The Sicilian Mafia is uniquely place to control and organize the setting up of Wind Farms.With a government guaranteed return of Euro 18c/KwH,the Wind Subsidy in Italy is one of the highest in the world.Compare this to the Rest of the World where Wind Subsidies get around $0.10/KwH.Note Criminals have not only been involved in Italy,but there are also reports of nefarious activity in Renewable Energy in Bulgaria,Spain,Canary Islands etc.

With Every Country wanting to Use Exports to get out of their Tough Fiscal Situations,it does seem that Currency Manipulation will become a mainstream activity.Gold and Silver are already touching new highs and with countries hell bent on competitively devaluing their currencies,expect the precious metals to go even higher.

Czech is a Poster Boy of how not to implement a Feed in Tariff Scheme.While other countries like Spain,Greece have also faced Solar Booms,the Czech Bubble compared to the size of its Economy has been spectacular.The removal of Tax Benefits will further lower the returns for Green Investors which should probably eliminate the make the Czech Renewable Market next year.

Global Imbalances back to pre-Lehman Days Global Imbalances are growing deeper by  the day as the world returns to its unsustainable pre-Lehman days of Unbalanced Trade.Trade Surplus countries like Germany,Japan and China are again Exporting much more than they are Importing.The US has again become the world’s punching boy in terms of Trade Deficits running […]