Free Republic

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Alexander Yurov) - The Russian market is quickly developing modern commercial methods. Hypermarkets and supermarkets are springing up all over the country. It is indicative that from 2003 to 2006 their number surged from 8,991 to 20,524. Modern commercial outlets' share of the market is expected to triple by 2010, reaching 50%. Several international retail chains are successfully operating in Russia, including Auchan, AVA, Metro, Migros Turk, REWE, SPAR and Tengelman. The Russian consumer market is becoming increasingly westernized, according to the latest research by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC). Merchants are offering more and more luxury and...

SINGAPORE – CalPERS, the biggest U.S. pension fund, is considering property investment in China, a country where its own corporate governance and human rights rules prevent it from investing in stocks. The California Public Employees' Retirement System, which has $183 billion in equity, has only $1.2 billion invested in property outside the United States. But sensing a peak in the U.S. property market, CalPERS is paring down the U.S. portion of its $22 billion property portfolio by at least $7.5 billion, according to Michael McCook, its senior real estate investment officer. Meanwhile, it aims to raise its foreign property assets...