OECD's Top 10 Highest CORPORATE Tax Rates

1. Japan --- 39.54%

2. United States --- 39.25%

3. France - 34.42%

4. Belgium --- 33.99%

5. Canada --- 33.5%

6. Luxembourg --- 30.38%

7. Germany --- 30.18%

8. New Zealand --- 30%

8. Spain --- 30%

8. Australia --- 30%


* OECD's 30 member countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States


* CNBC data compilation disclosure: "The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has tracked corporate tax data from its member countries every year since 1981. The tax rates listed here are “combined corporate income tax rates,” a number that includes both national and local levies. It should be noted that the OECD only compiles corporate tax data on its 30 member countries, which do not include the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China), as these countries are not currently full members. The lowest OECD Tax rates belong to Ireland (12.5%) and Iceland (15%)."

http://www.cnbc.com/id/30727913

Data Courtesy: CNBC

Australia's $30 Billion BROADBAND Project

While some of the major details are still evolving (...for instance, whether or not Australia will hire private-sector multinational IT companies like Cisco/CSCO, Siemens/SI, IBM, or even Google/GOOG to help out), Australia's government recently committed to a highly ambitious eight-year, $30.5 Billion Internet infrastructure spending project that will aim to significantly boost the country's current broadband network capacity and also, preserve 200,000 Australian JOBS. Per Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, the country's LARGEST EVER infrastructure project to date "will support 25,000 jobs every year over the eight-year life of the project", and will also provide citizens with Internet access 100 times faster than currently available speeds.


Some additional bullet points:
* The Australian government plans to form and temporarily own 51% of the new company that will be responsible for making the initial investments of approx $3.4 Billion in order to build and operate the new high-speed Internet network...The government plans to sell its stake in the company five years after the project's completion


* In order to FINANCE the entire $30 Billion undertaking, the government currently plans to sell up to $16 Billion in BONDS to the public and also plans to raise $14.3 Billion via 'private (equity) investment'


* The plan's seemingly earnest objective is to supply 90% of Australian homes with Internet connections of up to 100 megabits per second and the remaining 10% with speeds of up to 12 megabits per second


* According to JPMorgan's Chase & Company's Internet Investment Guide, about 17% of Australia's population had access to high-speed Internet connections in 2008 (this rate compares to 19% in both the U.S. and Japan...and also to 26% in both South Korea and Switzerland)


* Australia's unique geography (many cities densely located on its coast, the sparsely-populated Outback) has made Broadband advancement a difficult issue in the past


* Kevin Rudd, Australia's Prime Minister, made Broadband infrastructure expansion a priority during his 2007 political campaign...According to Reuters, Rudd's current popularity is near-record levels in domestic opinion surveys


* In addition to the $30 Billion (43 Billion Australian dollars) pledged to stimulate Australia's economy via this massive Broadband plan, Australia's government has pledged approx $57 Billion (78 Billion Australian dollars) in economic stimulus since September 2008 (the now infamous date marking the collapse of the artist formerly known as Lehman Brothers)



bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=akD14lio0T3k


reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews



Data Courtesy: Bloomberg + Reuters
Full Disclosure: I own shares of IBM and GOOG.

The WCI's Coal Hard Facts

Coal-related Facts courtesy of the World Coal Institute:


worldcoal.org/assets_cm/files/PDF/

* Global Coal Useage: Coal supplies 25% of the World's primary energy needs and generates 40% of the World's Electricity (per cited 2005 data)

* Global Coal Production: 2006's Estimated Global Coal Production was 5,370 Metric Tons...an 8.8 % increase over 2005's 4,934 MT

* Coal and STEEL: About 13% of Total hard Coal production is currently used by the STEEL industry (about 717 Mt)...About 70% of TOTAL Global Steel production is DEPENDENT on Coal (Coking Coal/Metallurgical Coal)...Australia is the World's Largest Exporter of Coking Coal + exported an estimated 121 MT in 2006

* Reserve Lives of Coal, Oil + Gas: At current production levels, proven coal reserves are estimated to last 147 years. In contrast, proven oil and gas reserves are equivalent to around 41 and 63 years at current production levels respectively

* Over 68% of the World's Crude Oil reserves are concentrated in the Middle East and Russia

* Over 67% of the World's Natural Gas reserves are concentrated in the Middle East and Russia

* Germany is the World's Largest 'Brown Coal' producer and produced an estimated 914 Mt in 2006 (a 1% increase over their 2005 production) ...Brown Coal (aka Lignite) is the lowest grade of coal and is used almost exclusively as a fuel for steam-electric power generation

Data Courtesy: World Coal Institute.

REF - World's Largest Oil Consumers

World's Largest Oil Consumers (in Millions of Barrels per day):

1.) The United States: 20.7 million

2.) China: 7.2 million

3.) Japan: 5.2 million

4.) Russia: 2.8 million

5.) Germany: 2.7 million

*Interesting to see that the U.S. consumes THREE Times the amount of Crude Oil as CHINA...and TEN Times the amount of Russia.

Data Courtesy: EIA

Large Nation INFLATION

Per Goldman Sachs' research, the 2007 (actual) + estimated 2008 Inflation Rates of some of the world's largest economies:

*United States:
2007 = 2.9%
2008 = 3.8%

*Germany:
2007 = 2.1%
2008 = 2.9%

*China:
2007 = 4.8%
2008 = 6.8%

*Australia:
2007 = 2.3%
2008 = 3.7%

*Japan:
2007 = 0.0%
2008 = 0.8%

Data Courtesy: Goldman Sachs research

REF - Attack of the Foreign PEGs

The PEG ratio is just one of several commonly discussed stock valuation metrics. It's useful because the metric provides individual investors a quick and simple way to compare/contrast the valuations + relative attractiveness of different stocks.

The PE-G is simply a ratio between a stock's P/E multiple and its earnings Growth rate. So for example...if Cisco (CSCO) trades at a 20 P/E...and its 2008 calendar year EPS (earnings per share) are supposed to grow by 10% over 2007's EPS...then Cisco's PEG ratio is 2.

The Lower the PEG ratio the 'cheaper' the stock's valuation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
*Check out the International ETF PEG Ratio Table I found on Seekingalpha.com. It's a snapshot comparing the PEGs of different country ETFs (including the BRIC countries). NOTE that the 'G' in this case is actually representing 'GDP Growth':



*OF COURSE the U.S. (as represented by the IVV - the ishares S+P 500 Index ETF) looks ridiculously expensive on a 2008 GDP GROWTH BASIS...0.5% growth...lets not forget about the subprime-induced recession ! That being said, Imagine 2-3% U.S. GDP growth in 2009...all of a sudden the U.S. ETF makes for MUCH more of an attractive investment option.

*Cheapest PEGs - China, India, Russia and Brazil - CIRB !

http://seekingalpha.com/article/76092-gdp-growth-vs-p-e-for-international-etfs

Data Courtesy: Seekingalpha.com.

REF - World's Largest Internet Users

According to the 2007 data from the CIA World Fact Book, below are the WORLD's LARGEST INTERNET POPULATIONS:

Rank / Country (Internet Users...% of Pop)
* World (1,173,109,925…17.8%)
* European Union (273,234,619…55.7%)

1 United States (210,575,287…69.7%)
2 China (162,000,000…12.3%)
3 Japan (86,300,000…67.1%)
4 Germany (50,426,117…61.1%)
5 India (42,000,000…3.7%)
6 Brazil (39,140,000…21.0%)
7 United Kingdom (37,600,000…62.3%)
8 South Korea (34,120,000…66.5%)
9 France (32,925,953…53.7%)
10 Italy (31,481,928…52.9%)
11 Russia (28,000,000…19.5%)
13 Mexico (22,700,000…21.3%)
12 Canada (22,000,000…67.8%)
14 Indonesia (20,000,000…8.5%)
15 Spain (19,765,033…43.9%)
16 Vietnam (18,226,701…21.4%)
17 Iran (18,000,000…27.5%)
18 Argentina (16,000,000…49.7%)
19 Turkey (16,000,000…21.1%)
20 Taiwan (15,400,000…67.4%)
21 Australia (15,085,600…71.9%)
22 Malaysia (14,904,000…56.3%)
23 Netherlands (14,544,400…87.8%)
24 Poland (14,084,600…36.6%)
25 Philippines (14,000,000…15.4%)
26 Pakistan (12,000,000…7.3%)
27 Colombia (10,097,000…22.8%)
28 Thailand (8,465,800…13.0%)
29 Nigeria (8,000,000…5.9%)
30 Portugal (7,782,760…73.1%)
31 Peru (7,324,300…25.5%)
32 Chile (7,035,000…43.2%)
Other Notables:
36 Egypt (6,000,000…7.5%)
40 Venezuela (5,297,798…20.4%)
44 Saudi Arabia (4,700,000…17.0%)
56 Singapore (2,421,800…53.2%)
61 UAE (1,708,500…38.4%)
64 Ecuador (1,549,000…11.3%)
65 Dominican Rep (1,500,000…16.2%)
73 Uruguay (1,100,000…31.8%)
76 Guatemala (1,000,000…7.6%)
76 Puerto Rico (1,000,000…25.0%)
79 Costa Rica (922,500…20.5%)
88 El Salvador (637,100…9.5%)
90 Bolivia (580,000…6.4%)
108 Panama (300,000…2.2%)
113 Honduras (260,000…3.8%)
117 Cuba (190,000…1.7%)
130 Nicaragua (140,000…2.5%)
157 Iraq (36,000…0.1%)

------------------------------------------------------------------
Some Quick Takeaways:

*The WORLD is less than 20% penetrated.
*China is only 12% penetrated!
*India is only 4% penetrated!
*Brazil, Russia and Mexico are only 20% penetrated!
*The. U.S., Canada, Japan and EU are relatively mature markets (60-70% penetration)
*MANY South American countries are 'under-penetrated' (Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Bolivia, Panema, Honduras, Cuba, Nicaragua, etc.)

Data Courtesy: Wikipedia.com, snagged on 4/30/08.

REF - World's Largest Foreign Currency Reserves

WORLD'S LARGEST FOREX RESERVES:
*In U.S. Dollars equivalence
*Country Data figures range from September 2007 to April 2008

*World -- $7.3 TRILLION
1. China -- $1.6 Trillion
2. Japan -- $1.0 Trillion
3. Russia -- $507 Billion
4. India -- $309 Billion
5. Taiwan -- $287 B
6. South Korea -- $264 B
7. Brazil -- $194 B
8. Singapore -- $172 B
9. Hong Kong -- $160 B
10. Germany -- $153 B
11. France -- $125 B
12. Malaysia -- $119 B
13. Algeria -- $110 B
14. Thailand -- $109 B
15. United Kingdom -- $105 B
16. Italy -- $103 B
17. Mexico -- $90 B
18. Libya -- $79 B
19. Turkey -- $77 B
20. Iran -- $76 B
21. Switzerland -- $75 B
22. United States -- $74 B
23. Poland -- $73 B
24. Nigeria -- $60 B
25. Indonesia -- $58 B
Other Notables:
26. Norway -- $58 B
27. Argentina -- $50 B
28. Canada -- $44 B
36. Australia -- $33 B
40. Saudi Arabia -- $31 B
41. United Arab Emirates -- $30 B
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOREX Overview:
According to Wikipedia.com, "FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES (also called FOREX reserves) in a strict sense are only the foreign currency deposits held by central banks and monetary authorities. However, the term foreign exchange reserves in popular usage (such as this list) commonly includes foreign exchange and gold, SDRs and IMF reserve position as this total figure is more readily available, however it is accurately deemed as official reserves or international reserves...These are assets of the central banks which are held in different reserve currencies such as the dollar, euro, yen and pound, and which are used to back its liabilities, e.g. the local currency issued, and the various bank reserves deposited with the central bank, by the government or financial institutions. Before the end of the gold standard, gold was the preferred reserve. Some nations are converting foreign exchange reserves into SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUNDS, which can rival foreign exchange reserves in size."

Data Courtesy: Wikipedia.com, snagged on 4/06/08.

REF - World's Largest Steel Producers

World's Largest Steel Producers by Country according to 2007 data published by the International Iron and Steel Institute:

*2007 World production --> 1,343 million metric tons
1. China -- 489 million metric tons
2. Japan -- 120
3. United States -- 97
4. Russia -- 72
5. India -- 53
6. South Korea -- 51
7. Germany -- 49
8. Ukraine -- 43
9. Brazil -- 34
10. Italy -- 32
11. Turkey -- 26
12. Taiwan -- 21
13. France -- 19
14. Spain -- 19
15. Mexico -- 17
16. Canada -- 16
17. United Kingdom -- 14
18. Belgium -- 11
19. Poland -- 11
20. Iran -- 10
21. South Africa -- 9
22. Australia -- 8
23. Austria -- 8
24. Netherlands -- 7
25. Czech Republic -- 7

Data Courtesy: International Iron and Steel Institute.

REF - World's Largest Economies

WORLD'S LARGEST ECONOMIES according to 2006 data published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF):

*Largest by Nominal GDP:
1. United States -- $13.2 Trillion
2. Japan -- $4.4T
3. Germany -- $2.9T
4. China -- $2.6T
5. United Kingdom -- $2.4T
6. France -- $2.3T
7. Italy -- $1.9T
8. Canada -- $1.3T
9. Spain -- $1.2T
10. Brazil -- $1.1T
11. Russia -- $ 1.0T
12. South Korea -- $0.89T
13. India -- $0.87T
14. Mexico -- $0.84T
15. Australia -- $0.76T
16. Netherlands -- $0.67T
17. Turkey -- $0.4T
18. Belgium -- $0.39T
19. Switzerland -- $0.39T
20. Sweden -- $0.38T
21. Taiwan -- $0.36T
22. Indonesia -- $0.36T
23. Saudi Arabia -- $0.35T
24. Poland -- $0.34T
25. Norway -- $0.33T
Other Notables:
30. Iran -- $0.22T
37. Venezuela -- $0.18T
65. Luxembourg -- $41 Billion

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Largest by GDP per Capita ("the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year, divided by the average population for the same year"):
1. Luxembourg -- $102K per person
2. Norway -- $79K
3. Qatar -- $71K
4. Iceland -- $63K
5. Ireland -- $59K
6. Denmark -- $57K
7. Switzerland -- $57K
8. Sweden -- $47K
9. United States -- $46K
10. Netherlands -- $45K
11. United Kingdom -- $45K
12. Finland -- $45K
13. Austria -- $44K
14. Canada -- $43K
15. Australia -- $43K
16. United Arab Emirates -- $42K
17. Belgium -- $42K
18. France -- $41K
19. Germany -- $40K
20. Italy -- $35K
21. Singapore -- $34K
22. Japan -- $34K
23. Brunei -- $33K
24. Kuwait -- $32K
25. Greece -- $32K
Other Notables:
36. Taiwan -- $16K
39. Saudi Arabia -- $15K
54. Russia -- $9K
61. Brazil -- $7K
83. Iran -- $4K
104. China -- $2K
132. India -- $1K

Data Courtesy: Wikipedia.com + the IMF, snagged on 4/05/08.

REF - North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is a military alliance between 28 member nations. According to Wikipedia.com, NATO "has established a system of collective defense whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party".

List of NATO member nations:
*Albania (TBA 2009)
*Beligium
*Bulgaria
*Canada
*Croatia (TBA 2009)
*Czech Republic
*Denmark
*Estonia
*France
*Greece
*Germany
*Hungary
*Iceland
*Italy
*Latvia
*Lithuania
*Luxembourg
*Netherlands
*Norway
*Poland
*Portugal
*Romania
*Slovakia
*Slovenia
*Spain
*Turkey
*United Kingdom
*United States
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional NATO facts:
*Established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949
*The treaty was created with an armed attack by the Soviet Union against Western Europe in mind, but the mutual self-defense clause was never invoked during the Cold War
*Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium
*Founding countries (members since 1949) - Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom and the United States

*Two general membership limits to non-member states:
1.) Only European states are eligible for membership and

2.) These states need the approval of all the existing member states

Data Courtesy: Wikipedia.com, snagged on 4/05/08.