Jargon’s unstoppable march into our language September 6, 2009 WHAT started as a light-hearted discussion of business buzzwords on CNBC television recently aroused such an outpouring of bile from our viewers I feel duty-bound to “on-pass the learnings.” Grammatical rules apply at all times, even to important businessmen. “Leverage” and “interface” are bad enough as nouns, but make intolerable verbs. Similarly, anyone paying attention [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING September 6, 2009 THE SUNDAYSThe Sunday TelegraphG20 WILL CURB BANK BONUSESBonuses for bankers throughout the Western world will for the first time be subject to limits and checks as soon as next year after the G20 pledged to embark on an international crackdown on financiers’ pay. Banks will have caps imposed on the size of the bonus pot [...]
Market short on inspiration September 6, 2009 IT’S A relatively quiet week for data, and although US equity markets are closed today for the Labor Day holiday, market activity often picks up after this date which traditionally signifies the end of summer vacations. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee monthly meeting results are on Thursday, and although no change in interest [...]
Fed to keep policy loose September 2, 2009 A SLUGGISH recovery and continued risks to the economy saw the Federal Reserve hold rates at its August meeting, but said its $300bn (£184bn) Treasury purchase programme would end in October “in light of the evolving economic outlook and conditions in financial markets”. The minutes showed that “most participants saw the economy as likely to [...]
BORIS IS A BLONDE BOMBSHELL IN BELGIUM September 2, 2009 LONDON’S flaxen-haired mayor just can’t help making waves wherever he goes. Boris Johnson was in Brussels yesterday, lobbying the European Union over its draft directive on the alternative investment management industry, in defence of the UK’s numerous hedge funds. But though he happily deployed his usual self-deprecatory sense of humour to good effect throughout the [...]
Sorrell adds an italicised L to alphabet soup of recoveries August 31, 2009 PREDICTING how we exit the worst recession since at least the Second World War has been a veritable past-time over recent months for economists, politicians, analysts and businessmen alike. And Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of the advertising giant WPP, has been the latest figure to add his letter to the alphabet soup of recoveries. [...]
More retailers could follow Woolies as hard times continue August 31, 2009 RETAILERS were in August their most positive since November 2007, a recent survey from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) showed. Only 2 per cent of retailers surveyed by the CBI in August are expecting the situation to get worse, despite high street sales falling for the fourth month running. And indeed, with all the [...]
Oils and miners bring FTSE higher, while banks also rise August 20, 2009 BRITAIN’S leading share index gained 1.4 per cent as stocks enjoyed a broad-based recovery yesterday, with heavyweight oils and miners in demand as raw material prices rose while financials also rallied. By the close, the FTSE 100 was 66.91 points higher at 4,756.58, having reversed earlier losses to close slightly higher on Wednesday. The UK [...]
Fed extends TALF programme August 17, 2009 The US Federal Reserve said yesterday it was extending to mid-2010 the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility aimed at boosting lending in the ailing commercial real estate market. But it said it did not plan to expand the facility to cover assets not already eligible.
Fed sounds an upbeat note August 12, 2009 THE US Federal Reserve yesterday sounded a cautiously optimistic note about the US economy as it said it would keep its key interest rate unchanged at between 0 and 0.25 per cent. It also announced it would extend the government’s $300bn (£182bn) programme to buy Treasury bonds until October. The bond purchase, part of the [...]