Who is CLSA-Hong Kong,

and WTF could they

possibly want/get from

Sarah Palin? 

  CLSA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Headquarters:      Hong Kong, China

CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets is one of the region’s largest and most highly rated independent equity brokers and financial-services groups, focused on providing broking, investment banking and asset management to corporate and institutional clients around the world.[1][2]

Founded in 1986, CLSA has its headquarters in Hong Kong and offices or representatives in 15 cities across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as New York, London, San Francisco and Dubai. CLSA is majority owned (65%) by Crédit Agricole, France’s largest retail-banking group, with the remainder held by staff.

Unlike most of its competitors, CLSA is a research-driven agency broker.^[3] It’s known for its annual investor forums (particularly the calibre of its keynote speakers and the star acts at its parties), as well as its unique reports, the hallmarks of which are colourful and sometimes irreverent “cartoon” covers^[4] and analysis that goes beyond the numbers and ‘tells the story’ (a legacy of the journalism background of its founders). It has produced a number of seminal reports, including Billion Boomers and Mr & Mrs Asia.

HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Sarah Palin touched on a host of topics -- including Reaganomics, China and human rights, Tibet, the Asian and U.S. economies, family and moose in Alaska -- as she delivered a speech to investors Wednesday in Hong Kong, according to audience members.

Sarah Palin's speech at CLSA Investors' Forum appeared to be largely well received.

The former Republican vice presidential candidate was the keynote speaker at the 16th CLSA Investors' Forum, in what was billed as her first speech outside North America. She recently stepped down as Alaska's governor.

Her 90-minute address, which was closed to the media, was heard by 1,100 people, according to CLSA head of communications Simone Wheeler.

Those who attended her speech said she did well, though some could be seen leaving early on. A few of those people said they were heading to other forum offerings. Most people declined to speak with the media about the speech.