It was hard to ignore the swells in yesterday’s U.S. stocks that took place in response to speculation of global policy makers’ possible plans for economic growth stimulation. However, the US wasn’t the only country to see its stock prices move up so aggressively. CNN reported China’s overseas investments surged to more than $21B, as state-owned companies obtained various global resource-related assets.

A report compiled by private equity firm A Capitol revealed that Europe’s delicate state continues to capture the attention of Chinese companies. Drawing them to the scene is undoubtedly the alluring possibility of obtaining equity at undervalued prices. In fact, China’s second largest destination for investment is Europe; which accounts for 16 percent of outbound mergers and acquisitions.

This number has actually fallen from last years reported 37 percent, due largely to a shift in capital interest towards the realm of resource-related assets. One of China’s largest European investments lies in Thames Waters Company, the UK’s largest water and wastewater treatment establishment. Though the exact amount of appropriated equity isn’t known for sure, the investment is valued at about $778B.

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Social media guru Brian Solis has published a new book entitled “The End of Business as Normal,” which he discusses in this recent Fast Company article. This article presents the incontrovertible stats and facts that illustrate how social technologies and media have become core to our cultural fabric.

The title of Solis’s new book got me thinking about how social has already created new business models and opportunities and has breathed new life into some older industries.

Financial services companies such as Currensee would not exist and blossom were it not for the power of social networks to meet the need of Forex traders and institutional and retail investorsseeking to collaborate and mimic trading strategies. StockTwits is another example of a financial service spawned by social. It’s also helping other Fortune 500 companies ‘get social.’ Meantime, “old-school” financial institutions have been realizing that social media not only augments their services but also provides new opportunities for marketing and customer communications. Check out this storyabout The Hartford’s recent “Achieve Without Limits” social campaign.

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When you think of the foreign currency market, what do you think of? Perhaps world economies exchanging money from one currency to another. Maybe large institutions making decisions that affect millions of stockholders or account owners.

But did you think about you you’re invested in the world currency market even if the scenarios above are not in your control?

The reality is that we’re all invested in the currency market in one way or another. The money in your pocket and your checking account gives you exposure to the value of your domestic currency (dollars, euros, pounds, yen, etc.). Granted, when it comes to money that you are likely to be spending in the short term on goods and services priced in the same currency it’s not really much exposure. But, for your bigger assets and holdings, it can be a different story.

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Whenever I scan the financial news for items of interest, I understandably focus more on currency and foreign exchange (Forex) updates. So, when I saw a piece yesterday on the Dow Jones Newswire proclaiming how volatility has been affecting returns in currency hedge funds, it caught my attention.

The reporter said that Forex hedge funds posted their biggest loss since August of 2005. She further said that 83 percent of currency funds reported negative returns in May. In fact, the losses detailed in this story covered 60 currency funds with the biggest loss last month, a significant 12.64 percent.

This was a staggering number to me as someone who invests in the Forex market and is an investor looking for alternative ways to make money. Hedge funds have always been touted as the hot way to make more significant returns than, say, mutual funds or an index fund. But this data made me question the hedge fund model. If you are assessing currency hedge funds as a potential alternative investment option, there are a few things you should consider before you dive in. First, the price of participation is not insignificant. Most hedge funds have steep account minimums, typically over $100K just to get in. You should also be aware that these funds are often not exclusively invested in currency – some are also invested in stocks, which negates their true “alternative” nature. There are other limitations too. Factor in withdrawal restrictions and the fact you cannot direct/control your actual allocation and you are pretty much at the mercy of the portfolio manager or trader calling the shots.

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