William Pesek

William Pesek: Two big winners from China's slowdown

South Korea and the Philippines are proof that strong fundamentals can limit the threat of contagion

William Pesek: Emerging Asia can't just rely on China

For far too long, China's neighbours had been riding its coat-tails of high growth. But the country's slowdown, currency devaluation and stock crash have exposed inherent weaknesses in the region's f

William Pesek: Another family feud threatens Korea's economy

After Samsung, it's the Shin brothers of Lotte, who are fighting a succession war. Instead of curbing the influence of family-owned businesses, President Park has offered them a quid pro quo: speed up

William Pesek: A few more pennies won't perk up Japan

When it comes to important structural reforms needed to boost growth - loosening labour markets, relaxing norms - Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has been hesitant. It's time he put companies and the labour ma

William Pesek: Lessons for Europe from Asia's crisis

Things will end badly for the euro zone if Greece doesn't address its underlying problems. The country cannot hope to remain competitive or relevant by defending the status quo. Asia's experience is p

William Pesek: Samsung has Korean investors in its pocket

South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS) is already in a deep relationship with the Lee family. It would be a heartening surprise if NPS said 'no' to Samsung. Sadly, it has 18 billion reasons to s

William Pesek: Chinese investors swimming in a bubble

The sudden sell-off suggests China's stimulate-growth-via-stocks plan may be approaching an endgame. The govt will surely try to backstop the market but there will come a time when the tide turns and

William Pesek: Stock boom chokes China's reform plan

China has played host to financial bubbles before. But the stock surge is arguably the most dangerous one yet, as hundreds of millions of mainland investors leave the country's most pressing economic

William Pesek: Hong Kong embraces China's bubble

In its haste to win more mainland money, Hong Kong is risking its reputation for sound and dispassionate management. Introducing the mainland's high-frequency-trading dynamic could open it to all kind

William Pesek: Toyota panders to grandma

The Japanese automaker's 'Model AA' shares are likely to attract individual Japanese investors, rather than hedge funds managers. That's where Japan's elderly population comes in

William Pesek: China's middle class can finally afford the iPhone

The spending power of Chinese consumers will eventually catch up with the country's industrial capacity - and when it does, the global marketplace will be changed forever

Is it time to rethink forward guidance?

The unprecedented waves of liquidity sloshing around the globe - not the tactics of policy makers - may be dampening the effect of any individual rate cuts

William Pesek: Honda's bumpy road to recovery

The weak yen has been a godsend for companies like Toyota that have maintained their massive domestic production base. But Honda may find it harder to bounce back given how its local production operat

William Pesek: Japan Inc gets moving

As Japan's media shies away from speaking truth to power, corporate chiefs play a role in setting national priorities

William Pesek: What happened to the Chinese shopper?

A 19.9 per cent year-on-year plunge in January imports may be an omen of things to come

Is China getting ready for a currency war?

If global conditions worsen, China's one-year lending rate, now at 5.6%, could head toward zero

William Pesek: Alibaba's hollow victory over China

China's economic uncertainty and unpredictable regulators make it hard to keep score on where China's splashiest company is headed

William Pesek: Japan's hope may be its hinterlands

Japan Inc has changed too much for traditional monetary and fiscal incentives to work on their own. So the ripest targets for the Bank of Japan could well lie outside Tokyo and the headquarters of the

William Pesek: The Swiss just made Japan's job harder

The Swiss National Bank's move to abandon the franc's cap against the euro may have blown a hole in Haruhiko Kuroda's strategy

William Pesek: China needs its Lehman moment

To avoid Japan-like stagnation, China's president will have to let some well-connected but highly indebted firms default