Latest news with #TheArtofWar
Tatler Asia
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Home tour: Inside Bar Leone boss Lorenzo Antinori's new Hong Kong home
The layout is unusual—'basically a massive living room', as he describes it—with plenty of space to host friends. 'For the first time, I can have a communal dining table [at home] and invite friends over; the space definitely has this very liveable sort of vibe,' he says. Everywhere you turn, there are treasures to be spotted. Posters of Wong Kar-wai's seminal 2000 film In the Mood For Love ('my favourite Hong Kong movie') and the 1968 sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey ('Stanley Kubrick is one of my favourite directors') are part of a collection of framed prints in the living area. A shelf acts as a divider between the space and the bedroom. It houses both books—one volume is an Italian translation of The Art of War by Sun Tzu, the Chinese military text dating back to the 5th century BC that Antinori says offers advice applicable for modern-day business—and paintings by family members; several relatives on his mother's side of the family are artists. By his bed are photos of his parents and a frame depicting a religious icon, a gift from his mother, who's a devout Catholic. 'I'm very close to my family—wherever I have lived, in Hong Kong or South Korea, I always have [these items].' Don't miss: Home tour: Inside an Italian farmhouse-inspired retreat in Happy Valley, Hong Kong Above Antinori with 'The Savoy Cocktail Book'—he worked at the famed London hotel's American Bar—and 'The South American Gentleman's Companion', a cocktail guide originally published in 1951 (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Above A close-up of knick-knacks in the home (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Antinori wanted to give the home what he calls a vintage, nostalgic edge. Some of his favourite things—art, film, music—come from the Seventies. His favourite movie, the 1997 indie flick Boogie Nights, is set in the era, and its aesthetics strongly inspired his decorating choices. 'I love the Seventies—they were a cool time because pop culture was extremely loud and visually impactful,' he says. 'There are a lot of elements from that period that I tried to bring into this space.' That influence is evident in the palette: think burnt orange, forest green and acrylic accents. Above Lorenzo Antinori (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Above A view of the coffee in the dining room (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) A neon sign that reads 'Bar Leone' lights up the space with a bright tangerine hue; the sofas are in the same shade; a Tiffany-style stained glass lamp, an emulation of the prized originals produced by the American artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with green, orange and yellow glass, glows softly in the corner. Now read: Step inside 3 Hong Kong chefs' and restaurateurs' kitchens at home Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong Above A close-up of books in the home (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Antinori has applied the same design philosophy behind his bar to his home. 'We wanted Bar Leone to be a nostalgic space, almost like a trip back to a time in the past. We got a lot of references from the Seventies and Eighties. That's why some people feel like it has been there for a while. When I was thinking about this space, it was the same idea.' He wanted the home to feel 'a little bit chaotic', he adds, 'almost like it's coming out of a movie by [ Boogie Nights ' director] Paul Thomas Anderson or Wes Anderson.' To bring this vision to life, he enlisted Tiffany Kwan, founder of the interior design firm Studio TK, who also worked with him on Bar Leone. Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong We wanted Bar Leone to be almost like a trip back to a time in the past. When I was thinking about this space, it was the same idea - Lorenzo Antinori - Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong After finally settling in, there are still 'a few other pieces that I need to put up'. A home is a place where one never stands still, he says. 'It's almost a dynamic place. I will always think of new elements that I want to introduce.' Much like the bar, the home has become a reflection of Antinori's personality. 'Bar Leone is a very personal project. I managed to fill it with things that I love, the things that remind me of home, the things that are connected to my roots. It's the same here; there are certain pieces that I have had in my apartment in Rome with my family, like the religious icon by my bed, the books, frames and prints. 'I think it's important to preserve this element of heritage that showcases our background and who we are. Otherwise, we just live in an empty box.'
Economic Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Mystery on the tracks! The curious case of rail stocks riding the defence wave without a ticket
Railway stocks have surged mysteriously alongside defence counters post Operation Sindoor, despite no new capex push or policy trigger. Experts suggest this may be sentiment-driven, with momentum chasing outweighing fundamentals. While some draw a strategic defence-railways link, others caution against frothy valuations and retail exuberance. The rally echoes past manias, prompting many institutional investors to stay cautious. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What's fuelling this strange correlation? Market veterans are raising eyebrows. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads As defence stocks roared after Operation Sindoor 's success, a mysterious rally unfolded on Dalal Street. Railway stocks, seemingly unconnected to missiles and military manoeuvres, surged alongside their battlefield counterparts. No big policy move. No fresh budget boost. No mega headline. And yet, stocks like Titagarh Rail and RITES climbed over 36% in just 6 trading numbers are hard to ignore. Defence stocks added Rs 1.8 lakh crore in market cap after India's successful military operation against Pakistan. Rail stocks weren't far behind with Rs 90,000 crore in gains. IRCON and RVNL jumped more than 30% between May 9 and 19 before profit booking took over on Tuesday. RailTel, Texmaco Rail, Jupiter Wagons, IRFC and BEML were all swept up in the rally. The same pattern had played out during the 2024 bull market — and it's back, without much in the way of new Bhowar, Head of Equities at Waterfield Advisors, believes the recent jump in railway stocks is less about fundamentals and more about investor sentiment. He points out that most railway stocks had corrected sharply from their 2024 peaks, falling 30% to 50%. Despite solid order books, there hasn't been a meaningful increase in the government's railway capex allocation. What we're seeing now, he says, is classic retail exuberance with traders chasing momentum rather than not obvious at first glance, the defence-railway link isn't entirely imagined Vikas Gupta of OmniScience Capital argues that the rise in rail stocks may well be an extension of the broader defence theme. With Operation Sindoor still potentially active, there is likely increased focus on logistics, mobilisation and connectivity — all of which require railway infrastructure. From troop movement to specialised military freight, the railways play a silent but strategic role in national Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, who wrote 'The Art of War' Book, he said the line between disorder and order lies in logistics. Therefore, Gupta said there are a lot of opportunities around other dimensions of defence beyond the pure-play weapons even he cautions that sentiment may be running ahead of exuberance is drawing comparisons to last year's mania, where PSU stocks — defence, rail, infra — all rallied on the promise of capex and Atmanirbhar Bharat theme. The euphoria, back then, ended with a painful also flags that while the structural story of Indian railways remains strong, many stocks are now trading above historical valuations. These companies are tethered to government orders and follow long business cycles. Without a meaningful spike in earnings or fresh policy announcements, current prices look concern is echoed by Akshay Badjate of Merisis PMS, who sees parallels between today's rally and the overheated peaks of 2024. He notes that while the railways sector is supported by a Rs 2.5 lakh crore budget and expected to see 15% revenue growth, stocks like IRFC — trading at 3.5x price-to-book despite stagnant earnings — are flashing warning signs. In his view, the current rally is being propped up more by investor frenzy than institutional investors have already stepped back. At Merisis, Badjate says the fund has adopted a 'wait and watch' stance on PSU capex plays, instead allocating capital to under-owned sectors like housing finance, pharmaceuticals, agri and metals — areas they believe offer better Kotak Institutional Equities has sounded the alarm. Sanjeev Prasad's recent note warned of irrational exuberance gripping the market, with mid- and small-caps — and particularly 'narrative stocks' like defence — trading at frothy valuations. He points out that the market has repeatedly bought into half-baked stories, only to be burned when the narrative are, of course, genuine tailwinds. Tube Investments recently announced a Rs 1,000 crore train set contract — a deal that could revive momentum in its metal-formed division. But one deal does not make a sector-wide is the defence-rail connection real or just a narrative investors are desperate to believe? What's clear is that in the current market, stocks need no justification. A story is enough. And right now, railways and defence are Dalal Street's hottest plot twist.: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Mystery on the tracks! The curious case of rail stocks riding the defence wave without a ticket
As defence stocks roared after Operation Sindoor 's success, a mysterious rally unfolded on Dalal Street. Railway stocks, seemingly unconnected to missiles and military manoeuvres, surged alongside their battlefield counterparts. No big policy move. No fresh budget boost. No mega headline. And yet, stocks like Titagarh Rail and RITES climbed over 36% in just 6 trading days. What's fuelling this strange correlation? The numbers are hard to ignore. Defence stocks added Rs 1.8 lakh crore in market cap after India's successful military operation against Pakistan. Rail stocks weren't far behind with Rs 90,000 crore in gains. IRCON and RVNL jumped more than 30% between May 9 and 19 before profit booking took over on Tuesday. RailTel, Texmaco Rail, Jupiter Wagons, IRFC and BEML were all swept up in the rally. The same pattern had played out during the 2024 bull market — and it's back, without much in the way of new triggers. Market veterans are raising eyebrows. Vipul Bhowar, Head of Equities at Waterfield Advisors, believes the recent jump in railway stocks is less about fundamentals and more about investor sentiment. He points out that most railway stocks had corrected sharply from their 2024 peaks, falling 30% to 50%. Despite solid order books, there hasn't been a meaningful increase in the government's railway capex allocation. What we're seeing now, he says, is classic retail exuberance with traders chasing momentum rather than earnings. Also read | Defence stocks detonate in Rs 1.8 lakh crore boom. Is a ceasefire on the charts? While not obvious at first glance, the defence-railway link isn't entirely imagined either. Dr. Vikas Gupta of OmniScience Capital argues that the rise in rail stocks may well be an extension of the broader defence theme. With Operation Sindoor still potentially active, there is likely increased focus on logistics, mobilisation and connectivity — all of which require railway infrastructure. From troop movement to specialised military freight, the railways play a silent but strategic role in national defence. Quoting Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, who wrote 'The Art of War' Book, he said the line between disorder and order lies in logistics. Therefore, Gupta said there are a lot of opportunities around other dimensions of defence beyond the pure-play weapons manufacturers. But even he cautions that sentiment may be running ahead of valuations. The exuberance is drawing comparisons to last year's mania, where PSU stocks — defence, rail, infra — all rallied on the promise of capex and Atmanirbhar Bharat theme. The euphoria, back then, ended with a painful correction. Bhowar also flags that while the structural story of Indian railways remains strong, many stocks are now trading above historical valuations. These companies are tethered to government orders and follow long business cycles. Without a meaningful spike in earnings or fresh policy announcements, current prices look stretched. Also read | Hunting for stocks to buy? 36 top bets from 8 portfolios that ruled April That concern is echoed by Akshay Badjate of Merisis PMS, who sees parallels between today's rally and the overheated peaks of 2024. He notes that while the railways sector is supported by a Rs 2.5 lakh crore budget and expected to see 15% revenue growth, stocks like IRFC — trading at 3.5x price-to-book despite stagnant earnings — are flashing warning signs. In his view, the current rally is being propped up more by investor frenzy than fundamentals. Some institutional investors have already stepped back. At Merisis, Badjate says the fund has adopted a 'wait and watch' stance on PSU capex plays, instead allocating capital to under-owned sectors like housing finance, pharmaceuticals, agri and metals — areas they believe offer better value. Even Kotak Institutional Equities has sounded the alarm. Sanjeev Prasad's recent note warned of irrational exuberance gripping the market, with mid- and small-caps — and particularly 'narrative stocks' like defence — trading at frothy valuations. He points out that the market has repeatedly bought into half-baked stories, only to be burned when the narrative collapses. There are, of course, genuine tailwinds. Tube Investments recently announced a Rs 1,000 crore train set contract — a deal that could revive momentum in its metal-formed division. But one deal does not make a sector-wide rally. So, is the defence-rail connection real or just a narrative investors are desperate to believe? What's clear is that in the current market, stocks need no justification. A story is enough. And right now, railways and defence are Dalal Street's hottest plot twist. ( Disclaimer : Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)
LeMonde
20-05-2025
- Business
- LeMonde
'The Art of the Deal' by Donald Trump, or the art of capitalizing on a bestseller
On April 9, journalists at the White House tried to decipher the 90-day pause on tariffs decided by Donald Trump. The young presidential spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, grew frustrated hearing talk of backtracking. "Many of you in the media clearly missed The Art of the Deal..." Referring to the book as the bible of a president who thinks only in terms of transactions has become a mark of allegiance. Bill Ackman, a billionaire and staunch supporter, praised the tariff backtrack as "textbook, Art of the Deal." Each of the president's strategies, including his reversals, is said to be theorized in this work published in 1987. "It's as if The Art of the Deal has become the modern equivalent of Sun Tzu's The Art of War or Machiavelli's The Prince," joked French journalist Philippe Corbé, an expert of the US, in his newsletter Zeitgeist.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
The BrahMos link that fired up this defence stock 45% in one month
'In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity' -The Art of War by Sun Tzu April 22: Terrorists kill 26 tourists in Pahalgam. April 24-May 6: Situation along the LoC in J&K remains tense with incidents of shelling and cross-border firing. May 7: Indian armed forces, under Operation Sindoor, carry out precision strikes at terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Possibility of a long-drawn, full-fledged conflict
