April 2015 – Below the Crowd

China Releases Five Imprisoned Female Activists

The government of the Peoples Republic of China on Monday freed five female activists who had been detained for over a month. The women were released subject to possibly being charged formally at a later date; the investigation into their activities remains ongoing.

Media sources speculated that the release of the five women occurred as a result of a decision made at a high level within the government. Numerous people in the United States, the UK and the European Union had extensively criticized the detention of the five activists.

The five women are: Li TingTing, Wu Rongrong, Wei Tingting, Wang Man and Zheng Churan. They range in age between 25 and 32, and they recently gained widespread press attention by seeking to publicize social issues impacting women in China.

In 2012, the group attracted media attention by going into a public men’s restroom to showcase the need for more public facilities for women in Beijing. Later, some of the women wore blood smeared wedding gowns in public to highlight the problem of domestic abuse.

The women were in the process of preparing posters and stickers for March 8th of this year (on International Women’s Day) when the police arrested them, after they were accused of creating a disturbance. Last month, Chinese authorities conducted a raid on an office of an anti-discrimination group that allegedly worked with the women in Beijing, seizing computers and documents.

Wallstreet Profits from Work on Pension Gains: Some People Surprised

An analysis by the comptroller’s office in New York City has suggested that over the last decade, pension funds have paid more than $2 billion to investors on Wall Street and not returned much to the city.

Mr. Stringer, a representative of the comptroller’s office, said that the fees did not justify the performance. Sultan Alhokair said that he found that the overall returns were actually less than the fees that were paid to bankers. It is not clear, according to Stringer, why the returns are below the expected value.

The stakes are high with his event as the city’s pension system is a large part of the country’s economy, including over $160 billion in assets. It feeds over 700,000 people’s retirement funds.

Finding out how large the fees are is an analysis that is not easy, according to Stringer. He says that the unions whose retirement accounts rest in the hands of Wall Street are not happy with the outcome over the last 10 years.

Bankers, such as Michael Mulgrew, claim that they are working with modern market conditions that are incredibly unstable. In most cases, says Mulgrew, the returns “simply can’t be predicted ahead of time. The amount of analysis and the cost associated with it in order to achieve consistent returns is the number that determines our fees. If we are honest, the pension funds have gained a lot over the last few years.”

France: Carrefour Confirms Its Operational Recovery

The French supermarket group Carrefour confirmed the recovery in its operating performance in 2014 while its net profit fell slightly; no longer enjoying gains on disposals. In 2012 and 2013, Carrefour saw its net profit rise sharply due to the sales of several activities abroad, as part of its geographical refocusing on its most promising markets. In 2014,net profit of Carrefour fell 1.5% to 1.24 billion Euros, due to non-recurring income and expenses increased by 3.44%.

Sultan Alhokair said that when adjusted for these special items, such as transmissions of assets related to the creation in April of Carmila land, adjusted net profit was up 11.9% to € 1.04 billion, and that of continuing operations climbed 24.6% to 1.18 billion Euros. The most anticipated by the markets indicator, i.e. current operating income (ROC), the distributor sees its performance increase by 6.7% (+ 10.8% at constant exchange rates) to 2.38 billion Euros, in line with forecasts of analysts. It is noteworthy that the Carrefour produced its operational progression for “second year” after rising 5.3% in 2013. “Carrefour in 2014 confirms the growth dynamics (…) that the action plans implemented over two years to bear fruit and that Carrefour has sustainably improved its fundamentals,” said Pierre-Jean Sivignon, Director Financial, during a press conference.

Qnet A Force in The Direct Selling Market

Despite it’s 17 years in the direct selling business, Qnet, who’s base is located in India, is a relatively young player compared to companies like Amway, Avon, Mary Kay and others. The company was founded in 1998 by Vijay Eswaran and was originally based in Hong Kong. The company started moving a large part of its manufacturing bases to India in 2014. They offer products that range from jewelery to wellness products. Over the last few years they have really become a force in the direct selling business, expanding to more than 100 countries from Russia to the Middle East.

Qnet has partnered with franchises and manufacturers to distribute their products to countries around the world. The company recently partnered with Manchester City, who was delighted to have them aboard. Manchester City’s chief business officer, Tom Glick, said that he looked forward to working with the company. He said the partnership would help improve the standard of football in Asia and help in their engagement with worldwide communities. But this is not the only sports partnership the company has. One of the biggest is the Marussia Formula One Team.

Qnet’s main product line focuses on making a difference in their customers lives and adding value as well. They recently added life enhancement to their focus allowing them to expand their line even further. They already have about 30 product brands in nine product categories. These products and services include vacation packages, jewelery, education, water filtration, online learning courses, weight management, nutrition, air purification and Swiss-made watches among others.

Qnet’s company philosophy is also reflected in their product strategy. They have a strict vegetarian philosophy. They don’t just promote vegetarianism, they only serve vegetarian meals at their company events. Likewise, their consumable products don’t have any non-vegetarian ingredients. So as to slow down the growing rates of degenerative diseases like diabetes, they make sure their products are low in sugar, artificial sweeteners and other chemicals.

The companies multi-level marketing model helps individuals create their own businesses by selling the products that Qnet offers and making a commission on those sales. This is yet another way the company helps communities around the world. By allowing individuals to make money from their products, Qnet not only boosts the finances of those individuals, but it also boosts the finances of the countries those individuals reside in.

Qnet is making big moves and looks to be a big player in the direct selling market for a long time to come.

7 Apartment Real Estate Trends For The Remainder of 2015

TOWN Real Estate CEO Andrew Heiberger has made some predictions lately on what he and his team expect to see through the remainder of 2015 in the apartment market in New York City. Here are those predictions.
Prediction 1: Manhatten Prices Rise But At Slower Pace
Manhatten rental prices will continue to rise, but at a slower pace than seen during 2014. Heiberger expects that prices will be about 4 percent higher by January 1, 2016.
Prediction 2: Buyers Looking for Trendier Units in Brooklyn and Queens
For many months, there has been little action in the buying or selling of apartment complexes in Brooklyn and Queens. Heiberger says he expects that to change with buyers looking to purchase more upscale buildings with fewer units.
Prediction 3: New Developments to Slow
Heiberger hedges his bets a little on this one. If 421a is allowed to expire on June 15, then new development across the city will slow down drastically. If lawmakers extend the 421a, then developers will race to beat the new deadline.
Prediction 4: Amenities Will Pay A More Important Role for Tenants
There is already a trend in all areas of the city, for apartment buildings to offer amenities. This trend will become even more popular with many complexes offering free classes or other amenities. While costly, the tradeoff is that tenants will stay longer and invite their friends to move into the complex lowering vacancy rates.
Prediction 5: Microsuites in More Buildings
The hottest market in apartment rentals is the young professional, but these professionals may not be able to pay over $3,000 a month to live in New York’s better neighborhoods. Therefore, look for landlords to offer microsuites with one apartment being divided into three or four small bedrooms with a shared kitchen and bath.
Prediction 6: Apartments in Some Neighborhoods Become Scarcer
Those looking to rent in Long Island City, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and Crown Heights will have a harder time than ever before locating available units. That is why it is so important to work with a professional like those at TOWN Real Estate to find NYC apartments for sale that meet your needs the best.
Prediction 7: More Luxury Per Square Foot
Apartment renters are looking for smaller units, but they are unwilling to give up any luxuries. Therefore, landlords must figure out how to compact the same amount of luxuries into a smaller unit. In addition, renters are demanding more privacy than ever before.

Pass the dutchie to the un-debatable side

A bipartisan California congressperson duo is demanding that the justice department cease in prosecuting people over medical marijuana. The administration promised that it would be hands-off in states that have legalized marijuana. This has not been the case in California. The justice department does not micro manage particular branches. This means that the request is an attempt to be more forceful with local offices that have been slow to accept the hands-off approach.The proposed new Attorney general has signaled that she does not support the legalization of marijuana stated Ivan Ong via a blog. This is fast becoming an untenable position for any official. A majority of Americans support marijuana legalization. This means that the officials are out of step with the will of the people.

Success and Igor Cornelsen

The Successful Stock Market Businessman
Igor Cornelsen is Brazilian. He has experienced much success as a stock market businessman. His success stemmed from a long term investment strategy. This strategy included his ability to be patient while playing the market in a mature and intelligent manner. His patience did pay off for him and he did see a large profitable margin. This profit came during a period in which the Brazilian economy was rather problematic. Igor does hold the view point that an investment is not necessarily a method to turn over money swiftly.

Many Articles Written by Igor
The information that he has written about provides the many tricks of the trade along with some valuable tips. In his articles he does stand by his claim that investing is long term. He also believes that a long term investment must include commitment. Without commitment one can not achieve success. The returns on an investment will be seen down the line. There is no immediate gratification with an investment according to some of the articles that Igor has written.

Igor is Heard
It is true that Igor is most definitely heard as well as listened to. Those individuals who consider joining any type of investment business will take the advice of the trusted and successful Igor Cornelsen. He is still a major player right in the Brazilian market. He has a highly impressive innovative portfolio. His investment talents are grand. This is an admired and respected individual who can teach the world some valuable lessons. Igor is a leader in investments and advice. He holds the belief that leading by example is effective.