Europe has reached a turning point – we now need to rescue it from the EU February 17, 2014 THE COMING European Parliament elections could be a turning point: our moment to save Europe from the EU. But for that to happen, Europeans must realise the real future they face under the current system, and the risks involved in underestimating Brussels. I have been interested in politics since I was a kid, and that [...]
Barclays ups bonus pool by 10pc in 2013 February 11, 2014 Having said yesterday that profit before tax fell by a third (32 per cent) over 2013 to £5.2bn, Barclays has announced this morning that it upped its bonus pool by 10 per cent to £2.4bn in 2013. Bonuses for investment bankers rose 13 per cent to £1.57bn in the year. Revenue at the investment bank [...]
Switzerland’s shock migration vote has dealt the EU a huge blow February 10, 2014 THERE are two kinds of Eurosceptics. There is the pro-market, classical liberal variety: believers in the Four Freedoms – the free movement of goods, services, capital and people – across the countries of the European Union, but who oppose everything else, including political integration, the undemocratic nature of the European construct, the EU’s myriad subsidies, [...]
Switzerland’s shock migration vote has dealt the EU a huge blow February 10, 2014 THERE are two kinds of Eurosceptics. There is the pro-market, classical liberal variety: believers in the Four Freedoms – the free movement of goods, services, capital and people – across the countries of the European Union, but who oppose everything else, including political integration, the undemocratic nature of the European construct, the EU’s myriad subsidies, [...]
Britain is now being taxed so much that the pips are squeaking February 6, 2014 BRITAIN has become dangerously reliant on a small-number of highly paid and wealthy individuals for its tax receipts. If these people decide to leave the UK, or for some reason suddenly earn or spend less money, the public finances would suffer disproportionately. That is one of the conclusions I draw from a fascinating report published [...]
Britain is now being taxed so much that the pips are squeaking February 5, 2014 BRITAIN has become dangerously reliant on a small-number of highly paid and wealthy individuals for its tax receipts. If these people decide to leave the UK, or for some reason suddenly earn or spend less money, the public finances would suffer disproportionately. That is one of the conclusions I draw from a fascinating report published [...]
Bonus boost at UBS with giant’s investment wing back in profit February 4, 2014 UBS’s investment banking arm swung back to profit in the final three months of 2013, the lender reported yesterday, driving up bonuses. The bank’s overall profits came in at SFr917m (£621m) in the quarter, compared with a loss of SFr1.9bn in the same period of 2012. For 2013 as a whole, it made SFr3.2bn, from a [...]
Emerging markets have had a shock – but confusing it with a trend could cost you February 4, 2014 Emerging market equities have dropped 11 per cent since October’s peak and are down 7.5 per cent so far this year. But Saxo Bank's head of equity strategy Peter Garnry is keen to stress that temporary shocks should never be confused with a new trend. The underlying trend is still there Despite tapering and [...]
The 3 best and worst places to hold Bitcoin February 4, 2014 The debate about how to deal with the virtual currency Bitcoin is still in its infancy, according to a report released by the Law Library of Congress. The report surveys 40 jurisdictions and the European Union on any regulations or statements from central banks and governments on the handling of Bitcoin. Of the countries surveyed [...]
BP 2013 profits plummet on selloff programme February 4, 2014 Following rival oil company Shell’s predictably disappointing results last week, BP has confirmed market expectations that its profits took a hit in 2013. The oil giant saw underlying replacement cost profit – a measurement that excludes gains or losses on the value of inventories – fall to $2.8bn (£1.7bn) in the fourth quarter from the [...]