FTSE loses pace after poor US economic data January 30, 2013 The FTSE 100 fell yesterday, weighed down by miners after disappointing US GDP data as investors considered whether the rally that has lifted the index to 4-1/2 year highs has further to run. The FTSE 100 closed down 16.08 points, or 0.3 per cent, at 6,323.11, having climbed some 20 per cent from its June [...]
Stocks dip on Fed decision to keep easing January 30, 2013 U S stocks edged lower yesterday after the Federal Reserve left in place its bond-buying stimulus plan, saying economic growth had stalled but indicating the pullback was likely temporary. Describing the US job market as continuing its modest pace of improvement, the Fed repeated a pledge to keep purchasing securities until employment improves substantially. The [...]
How Sweden reformed its state to lay foundations for future growth January 30, 2013 THE muted optimism of the coalition’s mid-term review has made way for the harsh reality of disappointing GDP figures. The economy’s most recent dip demonstrates the scale of the remaining challenge: public sector reform was David Cameron’s big idea, but too little has been achieved. Even the coalition’s more radical reforms, in health and education, [...]
Banks aren’t rewarding failure – but restrictions on bonuses could go too far January 30, 2013 WITH the predictability of “snowflake causes chaos” stories, we are entering the annual banker bonus furore season. With the economy in doldrums, and the industry in the doghouse, it is easy to understand the concern. Top bankers have themselves said that pay has been “grotesque.” But just as predictable as the outrage is a lack [...]
Six books to spur Britain’s start-up revolution onward January 30, 2013 THE number of UK start-ups hasn’t deviated much in years, with business birth rates hovering between 10 and 13 per cent of overall enterprise numbers. So recent figures from StartUp Britain, showing a 10 per cent spike of 484,224 new firms in 2012, are a welcome anomaly. For many first-time entrepreneurs, the idea of starting [...]
The Debate: After reaching its highest point since 2008, can the FTSE 100 continue its recent rally? January 30, 2013 YES Tom Stevenson As the FTSE 100 share index moves safely back into pre-financial crisis territory, the question is whether its recent performance can continue for the rest of 2013. We analysed the performance of the index since its inception in 1984, and found that it has risen in the first month of the year [...]
Letters to the editor January 30, 2013 Heathrow vs HS2 [Re: HS2 cost-benefit is a worrying mix of naive projections, Tuesday] The comparison we should make is between HS2 and a third runway at Heathrow. The former requires a fortune of borrowed taxpayers’ money, will find it difficult to recover the cost of capital, and is a massive transfer from the bulk [...]
Remote working: A new approach to 9-5 January 30, 2013 LAST November, Nick Clegg hit headlines when he made a speech on flexible working. His proposal may only have extended the right to request flexible working hours to all employees, but this phenomenon is here to stay. And it won’t exclusively be for the benefit of those with children. Flexible working can be an appealing [...]
How to tackle the challenges of bring your own device January 30, 2013 DIRECTOR UK ENTERPRISE, CISCO Q How has “bring your own device” (BYOD) helped companies and their employees? A BYOD is helping companies attract the talent they need to prosper. Increasingly, graduates and early career individuals will select a company based on its flexible working arrangements and the freedom to connect to work away from the [...]
City firms can fix the flexibility conundrum January 30, 2013 WORKING culture in the UK has seen a notable change in recent years. No longer are we focused on a prescriptive work mentality, where 9-5 hours and a career for life are the norm. Instead, it’s now about making the “how”, “when”, and “where” factors of our job work for us, rather than the other [...]
