Euro fears and ex-divi stocks see FTSE slide after two days of gains April 18, 2012 BRITAIN’S leading share index dipped into negative territory yesterday, pulled down by a set of ex-dividend stocks, while fears of another blow-up in the Eurozone crisis kept investors nervy ahead of a Spanish debt auction. The FTSE 100 index closed down 21.66 points, or 0.4 per cent at 5,745.29, after two days of gains, as [...]
Lacklustre US results drag on Wall Street April 18, 2012 US stocks slipped yesterday, a day after Wall Street’s best gains in a month, as uninspiring earnings from tech bellwethers IBM and Intel gave investors a reason to take profits. Chesapeake Energy dropped 5.5 per cent to $18.06 and was the most actively traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange after a Reuters report [...]
Five reasons inflation needs to be stopped before the bubble bursts April 18, 2012 THE Treasury Select Committee hit the nail on the head yesterday, when it pointed out that savers and pensioners are suffering as a result of the Bank of England’s low interest rates and quantitative easing. Disappointingly, the Committee urged the government to compensate pensioners for their losses, rather than to attack the root cause: the [...]
Who is Mitt Romney? Obama’s bid to define his opponent risks backfiring April 18, 2012 AND so it begins – the presidential election in earnest. Welcome to the next seven months of frivolous finger pointing, robo-calls, and daily polls. “Even now we have pundits on cable news telling us about the importance of the polls,” remarked one Republican strategist. “They’re lying.” For President Barack Obama and former governor Mitt Romney, [...]
One small step for a business means a leap for growth April 18, 2012 IT IS encouraging that UK unemployment has registered its first fall since last spring. However, it is still at alarming levels, with long-term unemployment at its worst for 16 years, according to the Office for National Statistics. In these difficult times, it’s vital not to underestimate the power of small business. If a quarter of [...]
After President Kirchner’s nationalisation of part of YPF – is it safe to invest in Argentina? April 18, 2012 YES Sven Richter Argentina’s part-nationalisation of oil firm YPF has concerned investors, but the government only took shares from where it could make a case – a huge import bill for fuel and dividends leaving the country. The nationalisation has little to do with economics and everything to do with politics – to remain in [...]
RAPID RESPONSES April 18, 2012 Freedom in dispute [Re: UK is wrong to have turned its back on individual freedom, Tuesday] Individuals have rights, but those rights come with consequences. You have a right to smoke and drive booze and live off fast food. But if you then demand free treatment on the NHS, then the rest of us have [...]
The big trends in hiring and how they affect you April 18, 2012 RICHARD JOHNSON INSURANCE: The insurance recruitment market remains buoyant, with a continuous requirement for finance, risk and compliance professionals at all salary levels. The sector has been the subject of significant recent regulatory change, through the well publicised Solvency II requirements, new products, new insurance companies, a constant flow of mergers and acquisition activity, growth [...]
JOBS of the WEEK April 18, 2012 PROJECT FINANCE SOLICITOR LONDON £125k+ pa A highly-rated law firm requires a mid-level associate to join its international project finance group. Experience in the oil, gas, metals and mining sectors is essential. http://www.cityamcareers.com/job/6853 FINANCIAL REPORTING ASSISTANT VP CENTRAL LONDON £55k-£70k pa A renowned investment banking organisation needs to fill this position within its strategic initiatives [...]
Leadership isn’t a simple case of bold versus bad April 18, 2012 WHAT makes a good leader? Who is the exemplar of corporate leadership? Are you a Margaret Thatcher in the boardroom or a Kofi Annan? One might assume that these are the kinds of questions business schools are seeking to answer for their students. They are not. Although leadership education is an increasingly important part of [...]
