China Less Easy Than Europe The Nikkei headline says, “Jack Ma slams Western economic models, says Europe over-regulated.” The retiring billionaire, founder of online Chinese marketing giant Alibaba, told his IM/World Bank audience, "In Europe a lot of people talk about regulations, they love to discuss about the worries, asking what ya gonna do. In America they have their system." Instead, he said, he would focus on Africa where there is money to be made. The irony is that he said this to the World Bank whose annual Doing Business report indicates the opposite. Its “Ease of Doing Business” analysis indicates that Scandinavian countries are amongst the easiest for entrepreneurs, whereas his native China ranks as a m...
What You Need to Know Today: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured reelection on Sunday, defeating right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro despite trailing in the first round of voting. The surprise victory triggered a sharp selloff in Brazilian financial market...
The 2026 midterm elections are a week from tomorrow, but early voting has been taking place for weeks. At stake is control of Congress, including the House of Representatives, where all 435 seats are contested, and the Senate, where approximately one-third of the seats are up for election. Farm...
Key Takeaways: Total U.S. crop acres (excluding hay) are forecast to expand fractionally this year due to greater oilseed crop and winter wheat plantings. One of the key drivers of this year’s crop outlook is input costs, and crops with a lower cost profile have an advantage in producers...
From WPI Consulting
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.