Weak results slow Wall Street October 13, 2011 THE Dow and S&P 500 slipped yesterday after JP Morgan’s earnings and China’s soft trade data revived worries about the impact of slower growth on profits. The declines put an end to three straight days of gains that capped off a 12 per cent increase in the S&P 500 since hitting a low on 4 [...]
Retreating to the safety of the krone October 13, 2011 SINCE the Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) decision to de-facto peg the Swiss franc to the euro on 6 September, investors have been scrambling for alternative safe havens in order to allocate part of their liquid cash position. Gold’s violent drop in value during the second half of September has made this quest for safety even [...]
FTSE rises as miners gain and euro hope pushes bank stock October 12, 2011 STRONG miners and banks boosted Britain’s top shares yesterday, keeping the index on an upward tilt, underpinned by progress in tackling the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis and recent upbeat US data. The mood, already elevated by hopes European leaders will unveil new measures to solve the crisis by the month’s end, was further lifted when [...]
Traders chase a rare market rally October 12, 2011 US STOCKS rose yesterday as Europe’s progress toward bolstering its financial rescue fund brought more battle-weary investors back into the market. Momentum buying was partly in play, analysts said, as investors tried to latch on, or catch up with, what they hoped was a lasting rally, which has been a rare trend this year. The [...]
The desirability of diversity at business school October 12, 2011 IT’S an accepted truth in business schools that diversity is a good thing. Meeting people from different cultures or sectors opens your eyes to how business is done elsewhere, helps you to challenge your own preconceptions, and also boosts your contacts book. But is diversity really all it’s cracked up to be? Should diversity play [...]
New ways to raise funds for your MBA October 12, 2011 FUNDING an MBA can be a tricky thing. Many schools offer grants and scholarships, often sponsored by businesses or donors, and some lucky students’ fees are paid by their businesses. But for many, stumping up the cash for those three little letters involves dealing with banks. As we all know, banks are not exactly keen [...]
Autocracy’s risky; but so is buying freedom too dear October 12, 2011 IT IS risky to invest in unstable countries, and autocracies are on average more unstable than democracies, despite some commentators’ views to the contrary. But surprisingly the data suggests that whether or not a country is democratic shouldn’t be a key factor for investors’ decisions. IMMORTAL DEMOCRACIES Stability and growth matter for investors. Happily, promoting [...]
FTSE breaks winning streak on worries over Euro bailout October 11, 2011 THE FTSE 100 share index snapped a four-day winning streak yesterday, as worries over Europe’s debt problems and the impact on the global economic recovery prompted investors to bank some of the recent gains made in commodity and financial stocks. The index closed down 3.3 points, or 0.1 per cent at 5,395.70, but recovered from [...]
Wall Street stays flat ahead of vote October 11, 2011 US stocks were little changed yesterday, with major indices seesawing between gains and losses before a key vote by Slovakia on expanding the Eurozone rescue fund. The back-and-forth moves on Wall Street follow several days of sharp gains. The S&P 500 has risen 8.7 per cent over the past five days, its biggest five-day move [...]
Looking at both sides of the Eurozone debate October 11, 2011 AS the Eurozone crisis rumbles on, it is easy for traders to get caught out by the news headlines. But too much pessimism can blind you to short term opportunities. Yes, there are weekly crisis talks from European leaders, banks being nationalised, recapitalisations and bailouts. And when those aren’t quite enough, a ratings agency decides [...]