Asia Centric by Bloomberg Intelligence

Projesh Banerjea, Director of Infrastructure at KKR and a leading expert in Asian data centers, joins the discussion on the burgeoning demand for data centers driven by AI in Asia. He highlights how capacity is set to double in four years. The conversation dives into strategic growth opportunities, challenges in building efficient centers, and the impacts of cloud computing and geopolitical factors. Banerjea also addresses the intricate balance between investment needs and the technological evolution reshaping the industry.

Taiwan's president Lai Ching-te gave his first National Day address last week, vowing he'd stand up to mainland China while maintaining the status quo of peace and stability. The speech elicited a swift response from Beijing, reminding investors of the ongoing geopolitical risks in the region. David Sacks, Asia Studies Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, speaks with John Lee from Bloomberg Intelligence and Katia Dmitrieva from Bloomberg News about key takeaways from the speech and what it means for Taiwan's red hot equity market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ada Li, Senior Consumer Goods Analyst for Asia Pacific at Bloomberg Intelligence, and Diana Rosero-Pena, North American Consumer Staples Analyst, explore the booming pet economy, forecasted to exceed $500 billion by 2030. They discuss the trend of pet owners upgrading food and embracing premium services, including healthcare and elderly care for pets. The conversation touches on spending patterns, the rise of e-commerce in pet care, and emerging wellness trends, while highlighting the cultural shifts driving these changes.

The world's population is likely to peak in the next 60 years and nowhere is this trend felt more than Asia, with countries such as South Korea and Japan registering some of the lowest birth rates and oldest populations. Wei Li, Global Chief Investment Strategist at BlackRock, discusses the role demographics plays in investing and why it may be the most important megatrend. She joins John Lee of Bloomberg Intelligence and Katia Dmitrieva of Bloomberg News on the Asia Centric podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Central banks got the green light to begin easing policy last week after the US Federal Reserve cut interest rates by more than expected. Officials across Asia have perhaps been the most eager to move lower, but in this new era, each country faces a different path forward for monetary policy. John Lee from Bloomberg Intelligence and Katia Dmitrieva from Bloomberg News speak with Alicia Garcia-Herrero, Chief Economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis SA, about what the Fed cut means for the region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI has been hailed as a transformative technology with McKinsey estimating it could add $26 trillion to the global economy. While many investors have already jumped on the AI bandwagon, not everyone agrees. Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor at MIT and author of books including Why Nations Fail, takes a critical look at AI and explains why the economic and social benefits may have been overstated. He joins John Lee of Bloomberg Intelligence and Katia Dmitrieva of Bloomberg News on the Asia Centric podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shareholder activism is gaining traction in Japan, with the number of new campaigns surging by 70% in the first half of 2024. At the same time, homegrown activist funds are becoming more prominent in Japan’s corporate circles. Shuhei Furukawa, managing director and portfolio manager at Misaki Capital, and James Han, managing partner at Prodigies Group, join John Lee of Bloomberg Intelligence to discuss this growing trend and how it differs to what’s happening in the US.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Miguel Chanco, Chief Emerging Asia Economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, shares a critical perspective on India's celebrated economic growth. He discusses alarming discrepancies in growth figures and the impact of reduced government spending and manufacturing slowdowns. Chanco highlights the challenges in accurately measuring post-COVID growth and contrasts India's narrative with China's, stressing potential vulnerabilities in key sectors. The conversation also touches on the Reserve Bank of India's policy responses amid these economic pressures.

Hong Kong's wealth management is booming as rich mainland Chinese investors pour in funds. The city’s offshore wealth-under-management industry now amounts to more than $2.2 trillion, the second largest in the world, and is approaching Switzerland's level. What's driving these rich Chinese to invest overseas, and how will China's economic slump impact future flows? Lemuel Lee, Head of Wealth Management Hong Kong at BNP Paribas, and Sharnie Wong, Senior Financials Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, discuss these issues with host John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rate hike from the Bank of Japan combined with weak US economic data coalesced to cause the biggest one-day sell off in stocks since 1987. What does this mean for monetary policy in Japan and the US? And how could investors position themselves for the uncertainty ahead? Gareth Nicholson, Chief Investment Officer and Head of Managed Investments at Nomura International Wealth Management, joins co-hosts John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva on the Asia Centric podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.