BlackRock Says Satellite Images Can Help Track Chinese Companies
- Big data seen giving investors an edge on monitoring activity
- Images from space can show whether projects are completed
Beijing
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BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest money manager, suggests investors look at images from space, mobile phone usage and conference call transcripts to help understand how Chinese companies are performing.
Images from space can show whether a project is being completed on time by monitoring the amount of materials going into a construction site, Kate Moore, chief equity strategist at BlackRock Investment Institute, wrote in a report. Similarly, mobile-phone usage data can help track China’s tourism industry, while credit card and online sales data can help forecast sales of global companies, according to the report.