Investment Videolica

The hit of the global economic crisis coupled with the harsh and extended drought has transformed the once-vulnerable Paraguay, with its rich agricultural industry and extensive hydro-electricity resources, into an attraction for foreign investors

Canadian entrepreneurs and investors Neal De Florio and Daniel Wang, Principals of Monarca Capital, are smitten with Paraguays stable economy, high incentives, low taxes and abundance of water, extensive arable land and clean electricity, oil and gas. The strategic geographic location of Paraguay, nicknamed the Heart of South America is at the heart of the highest income region of the continent, which accounts for almost 50% of South America`s GDP, say the investors.

Wang and De Florio are in for the long run. They have worked diligently to identify a number of investment opportunities in Paraguay in the banking, agricultural, real estate ,and infrastructure sectors. De Florio says, Our first priority is to find the right partners in Paraguay, then we focus on the opportunities that are available to us in each of the specific sectors we have earmarked. Doing business with honest and ethical people is paramount to long-term success in foreign markets.

Monarcas long-term aim is to develop funds for multiple sectors with foreign equity combined with traditional debt and/or fixed income securities. According to Wang, investments into Paraguay would be best suited for the mid-sized institutional investor or high net worth private investors. He says, You wont necessarily find deep discount opportunities as you would in the United States after the financial crisis, but you will find exceptional opportunities below their intrinsic value and at discounts compared to its neighbouring countries of Argentina and Brazil.

The stigma of corruption in its banking sector cant be easily dismissed, but Wang believes the Paraguayan banking sector is solid due to much improved and notably stricter regulations under the direction of the Central Bank. The development of inter-banking systems has resulted in increased interest from international banks such as Banco Regional, which is 40% owned by Rabobank, HSBC, and Citbank, he says. The entrepreneurs are also encouraged by a recent press release announcing Paraguays two largest banksInterBanco, a unit of Brazils Ita Unibanco (NYSE: ITUB), and the local subsidiary of Spains BBVA (NYSE: BBV)both posting the biggest profits in the system from January to August of this year.

While Paraguay enjoys the backing of its international banking partners, it cannot be denied that only 20% of its population has access to financial services due to its extensive rural areas. De Florio and Wang have identified an opportunity in the very need to shift banking from the current 75% dominant sight deposits (similar to that of chequing accounts) to medium- to long-term financing and broaden banking participation. There are plenty of development opportunities to fill that gap. Paraguayan banks and the government are committed to achieving widespread access to financial services in the country, says De Florio.

In the real estate sector, De Florio and Wang strongly believe developing low- to middle-income housing is an opportunity to cash in on a strong demand to alleviate the housing shortage.

Nothing could be more surprising than Paraguays recent historical milestone. After a decade, Brazil decided to increase Paraguays compensation from $120 million to $360 million for its share in operating the worlds largest energy-generating plant, the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant, jointly owned by Paraguay and Brazil on the Parana River. Paraguay will soon enter into the Brazilian energy market as the agreement will allow Paraguay to sell its unused power in Brazil. Investors can look forward to infrastructural developments with the replacement of obsolete electric transmission lines by 2012. The powerful lines will increase Paraguays current 10% generating capacity to correspond with its industrial growth. While other emerging agricultural sectors could account for a deficit because of inadequate water supply, Paraguays advantage of having extensive water reserves and arable land together with low energy costs will continue to boost agricultural investment incentives.

For Monarca, Paraguay is a country with unlimited growth potential and unrivaled benefits. With Paraguays equidistance to Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean and to Chile and the Pacific Ocean, and with Rio Paranas natural borders to Brazil and Argentina, Paraguay enjoys access to main commercial centres, free ports, regional ports, barges and transatlantic ships.. It is a land where the VAT is, at 10%, the lowest of all South American countries; a land where 0% is applied to import tariffs on capital goods, capital transfer for investments of more than $5 million, and payments of interest on foreign loans. And, Paraguay is the ideal country for a business platform for logistics and distribution centres, IT, call centres, financial services, light manufacturing, vehicle and machinery yards and tourism offices.

For other foreign investors, Paraguay awakens an anxious attraction. Moving in the direction of greater investment transparency, stricter guidelines and minimized risks and costs, Paraguay is positioned to break down its barriers and could prove to be among the first in Latin America to emerge as paradise found.

Priti Ramjee is the President of Stratagem North, Ltd., a Canadian company. Priti has been specializing in global opportunities for asset based lending for eight years.

For undergrads and MBA students, the news that they have been selected for an interview at an investment bank comes with both excitement and dread. A position as an analyst or associate in corporate finance can be the first step towards a highly successful and highly lucrative career. Investment banking interviews, however, can be some of the most intimidating interviews out there, so let’s take a look at how to get prepared.

Before we jump into interview practice mode, we should take a step back and think about how we want to come across in the interview. In short, investment banking candidates should come off as bright, confident and likable.

In the final cut of selecting a hire, investment banks have already determined which candidates are smart and capable, so the decision comes down to who they like the best. So in addition to knowing a thing or two, candidates must remember to come across as a fun person to work with as well.

Know Your Story

Like any interview, candidates should have stories prepared about their lives that discuss their past, present and future. These are great answers for the standard questions:

“Tell me about yourself.” Or “Walk me through your rsum.” “Why are you interested in investment banking or this firm?” “Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?”

Candidates are highly likely to receive these or similar questions in any interview, and having succinct, practiced answers to them will give the impression of a polished candidate.

Your past story should highlight events that have qualified you for or gotten you interested in investment banking. Your present story should demonstrate why you want the particular position, how it is a logical step from where you are coming from and perhaps touch on where you hope the position will lead.

Your future story should discuss how investment banking will lead to where you want to go. Good future ambitions might be a managing director position in investment banking, a principle at a private equity firm, a CFO or perhaps and entrepreneur. In any case, you should communicate that those are long-term ambitions and you look forward to the experiences you’ll have in the position you’re interviewing for.

Know the Industry and Firm

Where investment banking interviews begin to get trickier is that firms will expect you to know what you’re getting into. If you confuse an equity analyst position with an analyst position in corporate finance, for example, you will not make it any further in the process.

You should understand the major divisions within an investment bank – sales & trading, corporate finance, research, etc. You should understand the hierarchy of positions within corporate finance – analyst, associate, vice president, managing director – and what each position does.

At the macro level, you need to understand the major differences between bulge bracket investment banks, middle market and boutique investment banks. You should also have a good answer for why you would prefer one type over another (and be sure that you prefer the type you’re interviewing with).

This method makes it easier for teachers to get many materials teaching. Through this method children and students have been able to get fiction books as well as poems which make them have a library with them. This ensures that the children have enough collections of reading materials with them. In this method reading is simplified since there is time consumed for going to shops to buy copies.

There are other stories which can be gotten using this method for example the e- book downloads. These are very exciting kind of books to be used by students. These books help people develop various skills especially on problems to investment. These explain how people can secure their future investments. Other stories will make people be scared of doing some things which may have very high risks also stories for example horror stories, one will feel scared and may panic but these stories will give solutions that reveals the way to secure one’s investment.

Another example is a story about parents who talking to Jeff on how to secure their future investment and the way to save the future financial investment is following the above example. Jeff’s parents had trusted another advisor who was unqualified and unskilled about the issue of investment and the advisor lastly mislead the parents and that was the problem right there but it had already happened that the parents had lost big time their future investment had suffered a major problem due to the advice from the unskilled advisor. Jeff’s stories about the above example are to inform investors about the unskilled advisors and showing them the right way for investment.

Your money is not safe if you fall the rule of those unskilled advisors because they do not know anything better about investment. This can also be put across by saying they do not know what they do not know. All the importance in the gold investment and also keeping the investments secure, when one get it he or she will want to share about this with the others. This idea of sharing will enable to avoid this fate of experiencing big losses in the future investment.

In the entire industry one should learn to avoid these inconveniences from the wrong advisors and also to avoid entering in the typical cooperate grid some gold dealers can make one to get into legal trouble since they only talk lies. When you invest in gold it will be safer as compared to the thousands of dollars you will safe while investing properly.

There are a number of different types of investment available to todays investor. One of these is buying into a company by purchasing stocks or shares.

When you buy stocks in a company you are essentially buying part of the company. You will receive a certain number of shares, depending on how many you have bought. The amount of profit or loss a company make will then affect the worth of your shares. The share value can go up or down, and you can sell at any time. So if you sell when shares are higher than when you bought them you will make a profit, while if they are lower you will make a loss.

There are many reasons why someone will make investments. Some would just like to make a little extra money by buying a few shares in a company they hope will grow, or continue to grow. Others though, look to make a significant amount and spread their investment around many investment opportunities, worth large amounts. This is obviously more risky. Some people invest as part of their retirement plans.

There are investors who really look at their investment as more of a project. This may be the case if they are investing in a company they are genuinely interested in or believe has a future. They may purchase a number of shares to try and have a say in the business.

That is one of the advantages or owning stock in a company. You have a part to play in decision making by having a vote on important issues. Normally when certain decisions are being made each person who owns shares will have a vote, with each share meaning a vote. Therefore someone who owns fifteen shares will have fifteen votes. A high percentage of shares, and therefore votes, will mean you can have a significant say in the direction the business takes. If you own 80% of a companys shares then you have more say than everyone else put together. Having this amount of shares means you can really be part of the business.

Another major advantage in stock investment is that it typically out-performs other types of investment.

There is a risk with stocks, though, as shares can go down as well as up. Returns are never guaranteed. There are times when the value of a companies shares fall dramatically in a short space of time. It is therefore important to get out at the right time. If you envisage a fall it is best to sell while you can for a good price. The best time to sell your shares is when they are at their peak. If there has recently been a significant rise in the share price, you then have to decide whether to sell and make a good profit, or risk keeping hold of them and hoping the rise continues. This could mean massive returns, but could also mean they fall and your shares loose all of their value.

Investing in stocks is often all about timing. Buying shares just before they have a significant rise can bring an excellent return, but buying them just before a dramatic fall will have the opposite effect. The challenge is knowing the right time to buy and the right time to sell.

Andrew Marshall

The Excellence Group of Luxury Hotels and Resorts, a luxury hotel management company operating some of the most highly acclaimed luxury five-star hotels and resorts in the Caribbean, has announced massive investments across some of its properties as part of a strategy to reposition their portfolio of product offerings and make their hotels compete more effective in the Caribbean holidays industry.

In order to achieve this and in order to raise the bar at their Cancun and Punta Cana hotels, the company have invested a large sum of money to upgrade the already high standards at the Excellence Resorts in the Riviera Maya and Punta Cana. The renovation works are expected to contribute to enhanced Cancun holidays and an improved holiday experience for guests embarking on Dominican Republic holidays at their Punta Cana resort.

At the stunning Excellence Punta Cana hotel, the Excellence Group invested over five million dollars in the following renovations:

Renewal of the Excellence Club rooms – for guests looking for comfort and sophistication, as well as privacy and preferential treatment. In this exclusive area, guests looking to enjoy the ultimate pampering experience during their holidays in Punta Cana, can enjoy in-room premium liquors and amenities, a private lounge, and preferred locations that make guests feel they have arrived in an earthly Eden.
A renewed Spa with a new hydrotherapy circuit, a spacious and comfortable space that offers showers sensations, massage pool stations and saunas, among others.
The renewal of all the Honeymoon Suites, now featuring new private large outdoor decks with hydro spa pools.
Two new, 1,000 sq.ft. in size, Excellence Club Ocean View Honeymoon Suites, offering a large private furnished terrace with an additional exterior hydro spa pool and spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. Located on VIP Club floor with all the superior amenities for the Excellence Club.
Two new, 1,800 sq.ft. in size, Excellence Club Ocean Front Honeymoon Suites with Rooftop, with lavish private furnished two-story rooftop terrace, equipped with hydro spa pool and impressive ocean front views. Located on VIP Club floor with all the superior amenities for the Excellence Club.

Over two million dollars were also invested in the renowned Excellence Riviera Cancun, with renovation work that include:

Seven new Excellence Club Ocean Front Two-Story Rooftop Terrace Suites, with sweeping oceanfront views, equipped with hydro spa pools on a private furnished Rooftop Terrace of 390 sq.ft. in size.
One new Excellence Club Ocean Front Honeymoon Suite with Rooftop, with lavish private furnished two-story rooftop terrace equipped with hydro spa pool and impressive ocean front views. At this Suite you will find a separate couples massage room, a separate living room area, a bedroom and an additional Jacuzzi on one of the two balconies.
Expansion of the Gym – the 1,900 square feet facility offers state-of-the art equipment plus a Fitness Trail with a scenic route, for guests who wish to jog or walk while enjoying Cancuns incomparable tropical scenery.
Other additions to the new set of facilities, upgraded amenities and products being introduced by Excellence Group in 2012, are the opening of Las Olas Restaurant, positioned right on the beach, and located in both Excellence Riviera Cancun and Excellence Playa Mujeres resorts for the delight of guests enjoying Cancun holidays at either of these fantastic properties; as well as the addition of a complimentary Marine Wellness spa treatment for guests staying in Excellence Club Suites.