US stocks hold up despite euro woes January 11, 2012 US STOCKS held firm near recent five-month highs yesterday as investors awaited key bond market tests for Europe in the next two days that could determine the direction of the Eurozone crisis. US equities have been performing better in the face of turmoil from Europe’s sovereign debt problems. This is a major change from four [...]
It’s time for the FSA to get on top of the bankruptcy of MF Global – and right away January 11, 2012 FIVE years ago we decided to set up our firm’s brokerage accounts in the UK, as we believed we would be fully protected here. After all, there was no precedent of clients ever suffering any write-offs on their accounts as a result of a broker’s bankruptcy. Today we find ourselves regretting that decision. The Lehman [...]
RAPID RESPONSES January 11, 2012 Capacity challenge The real issue facing the UK is how to increase capacity in our public transport system. Few transport professionals would support the newly approved High Speed Rail 2 project (HS2) compared to Rod Eddington’s highly regarded policy proposals from December 2006, which would make a genuine difference to public transport. These are all [...]
How to keep moving on up January 11, 2012 FOUNDING DIRECTOR, INTEREXEC CONTRARY to popular belief, there is very little wrong with the senior executive recruitment market at the moment. By senior executive, I mean salaries over the £150,000 mark. The dark shadows cast by the current economic climate are mainly affecting employees on the lower rungs of the career ladder – the higher [...]
Cloud gaming is here – we ask if it was worth the wait January 11, 2012 Video games have come a long way since Mario helped to win over a generation of (almost exclusively) boys in the 1980s. Titles like Modern Warfare 3 are more profitable than most blockbuster Hollywood movies. The complexity and depth of games like LA Noire or the Bioshock franchise lend a cultural weight to an industry [...]
Why CES needs a kick in the behind January 11, 2012 How many big names can a band lose before they have to call it a day? Axl Rose just about managed to keep Guns ‘n’ Roses going, despite being the last original member, but only because his ego generates enough gravity to glue the fabric of the universe together. The Sugarbabes went one step further, [...]
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW ROUND-UP January 11, 2012 DELL LINES UP FIRST TABLET Dell has announced it intends to launch its first tablet in late 2012, marking its entry into a hotly contested and increasingly crowded arena that has already claimed arch-foe Hewlett Packard. The once-dominant firm has seen a growing crop of tablets and smartphones entice consumers away from PCs. Dell says [...]
Getting shirty: the key styles to look out for this spring/summer January 11, 2012 Shirts this season are sticking largely to last year’s key trend: less is more. While suits are becoming more adventurous, shirts will remain relatively low-key. Crisp white with no texturing in the fabric and few frills in the design should be a wardrobe staple, allowing your suit and tie to do the talking. Slim-fit is [...]
OUT OF OFFICE January 11, 2012 HOCKNEY AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY, 21 JAN-9 APRIL A Bigger Picture showcases new landscape works by Hockney, spanning a 50 year period. It includes a display of his iPad drawings and a series of new films produced using 18 cameras, which will be displayed on multiple screens. www.royalacademy.org.uk OYSTER SHED TO OPEN IN CITY Whatever [...]
Fitch: ECB must do more to avert euro collapse January 11, 2012 The European Central Bank should ramp up its buying of troubled euro zone debt to support Italy and prevent a “cataclysmic” collapse of the euro, David Riley, the head of sovereign ratings for Fitch, said. Speaking to investors as part of a European roadshow, Riley said the collapse of the euro would be disastrous for [...]
