WALL ST WEEK AHEAD May 27, 2012 INVESTORS will grapple this week with major US economic reports and the looming possibility of a Greek exit from the Eurozone, which is likely to keep dragging on equities for weeks to come. As contingency plans are made for Greece’s possible departure from the Eurozone, investors may not get a clear picture until Greece holds [...]
LONDON REPORT May 27, 2012 AS DELIBERATIONS over the Eurozone’s future rumble on this week, weighing on global markets, a raft of retail firms are due to report on how the British high street has treated them in recent months. The FTSE 100 rose 1.5 per cent last week, but is still down two per cent down since the start [...]
Forget the Brics: Breakout nations will be the next countries to watch May 27, 2012 NO IDEA has done more to dull thinking about the world economy than the acronym Bric. It lumps together Brazil, Russia, India and China, all with little in common other than that they are the largest economies in their regions. The Bric idea has spawned endless copycats in the last decade, because it was an [...]
European cookie law risks hurting UK tech business May 27, 2012 THE 12 month grace period for the Cookie law is over. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will now start to enforce regulations resricting the storage of personal data. Businesses which use cookies or other tracking techniques to gather information from website users must comply. The Cookie law is a European based law, and is being [...]
The City’s history may be great but its future depends on open borders May 27, 2012 THE CROWDS queuing for a glimpse of Her Majesty’s royal barge will get – for a few hours – a useful reminder of the role geography has played in the success of London as a global trading hub. And the importance of immigration, too. Sunblock and brollies at the ready on Sunday, we will gaze [...]
Would a Greek exit from the euro lead to a wider European systemic banking crisis? May 27, 2012 YES Michael Derks Southern European banks are facing sizeable problems, and there’s huge potential for this to intensify and spread through Europe, possibly to the UK. There are only two effective ways to stop a bank run – the relevant government either nationalises and recapitalises affected banks (far too expensive) or guarantees depositors. Sadly, deposit [...]
RAPID responses May 27, 2012 Euro bondage [Re: Eurozone crisis moves ever closer as Greek left gains ground, Friday] I don’t know how we came to believe that growth will somehow cure the debt crisis, whether in Greece or the UK. Our massive debt was added to during a period of sustained economic growth. It will still require political action, [...]
Sheffield in September is the place to get Made May 27, 2012 IN LONDON alone there are more events to guide and inspire entrepreneurship than any entrepreneur would, or could, dare to attend. That’s why it’s important to discriminate. One event not to miss is the Made festival. On Friday, deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg officially launched Made, which will take place in Sheffield from 19 to [...]
A top idea and good execution are vital but you also need luck May 27, 2012 FORMER Prime Minister Gordon Brown looked determined when he said to me, “We’ve got to get more small businesses started”. My response astonished him: “As you know Gordon, nearly nine new businesses fail for every one that succeeds. I’m worried that we will just add to the nine, not to the one”. “Oh yes, of [...]
Two wrongs don’t make good policy May 27, 2012 GOVERNMENTS like picking winners. The trouble is, they aren’t very good at it. But it’s much easier to put others’ hard-earned cash on the line than your own. And this government has been at it again. Last week, Vince Cable launched GrowthAccelerator, a new £200m three year programme to try to “help up to 26,000 [...]
