Financial Coffee

(Please click on the Newspaper link to read the full article)   INDIAN ECONOMY India further trims US treasury holdings to $57.9 billion Expenditure on Development, Social Schemes may Rise by just 6% Union Budget 2013 will largely be non-event for markets Mauritius offers zero customs duty regime for Indian companies  RBI sees inflation risks, limited space to ease policy INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY Obama Ready to Propose $1.5 Trillion Plan: McDonough Israel Economy Posts Slowest Growth Since 2009 on Exports China New Year Retail Sales Growth Slows on Frugal Drive G-20 Signals Support for Japan Stimulus Without Yen Talk EQUITY MARKET No expectation from Budget, says pharma industry Market to Stay Range-bound till the Budget India Inc hit by Poor Sales Show, Rising Interest Costs Buyouts to Deepen IT’s European Links String of Steps to Raise FM’s Stock in Market DEBT MARKET Traded Rates, not Poll, may Fix Mibor, Post Libor Scam German Yields Fall Most in Two Weeks as Recession Deepens Libor fallout: RBI takes a re-look at Mibor COMMODITIES Gold Cheapest in 6 Mths But You Still Can’t invest It Oil Heads for Ninth Gain in 10 Weeks  Gold Bears Braced for U.S. to China Growth Recovery: Commodities   FOREX Yen Weakens After G-20 Refrains From Censuring Japan N.Z. Dollar at 2 1/2-Year High Against Aussie on Sales Pound Falls for Second Day Versus Dollar Before Gilt Sale  MUTUAL FUNDS Sebi allows mutual funds to lend idle gold Assets of tax-saving MFs show lower erosion than equity funds INSURANCE Insurance sector looking for remunerative tax incentives Health insurance firms must settle claims directly with policyholders, rules court Life insurers’ profits to be muted, says Goldman Sachs report  REAL ESTATE Should you invest in  property now? Housing Boom’s All They Want! ‘Demand for Office Space Picking Up’ OPINION Future tense for India Inc Growth versus inflation: We may have to risk one: Uday Kotak Complacency in a Leaderless World The Paradox of Fiscal Tightening KNOWLEDGE CENTER Should you opt for home saver loan? How to Shield Yourself from Credit Card Fraud Look beyond Section 80 C for tax-saving instruments Guarding against a weak rupee How the rupee’s movements can wreck your portfolio