Branson says cheers Darling to Murdoch
28 Feb 2007 [0 Comments | 47 views]
Imagine the glee in the Branson household on Monday. Imagine the tension in the Murdoch abode. On that day trade secretary, Alistair Darling gave out instructions to Ofcom, and the ramifications are potentially very far reaching indeed. You may recall when NTL, which now trades under the name of Virgin Media and has enlisted the [...]
Did the NASDAQ and FTSE bear market ever end?
28 Feb 2007 [0 Comments | 68 views]
While the falls in London were far more modest than those seen in the US yesterday – the FTSE 100 fell by 148 points – it’s worth remembering it hadn’t risen so high in the first place. Still, London’s biggest index is well down on the dizzy heights seen on the last day of 1999, [...]
Dow falls as wise man warns of recession risk
28 Feb 2007 [0 Comments | 45 views]
Time was when former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan worried about the markets. He warned of irrational exuberance, and then the wild rises of the late’ 90s would sometimes reverse, while his thoughts were digested. Then, after a day or two, sometimes after a few hours, it was business as usual, and the party atmosphere continued. [...]
Bursting bubble, or just a correction?
28 Feb 2007 [0 Comments | 64 views]
History tells there have been two types of bubble. There’s the bubble when madness and greed beget a child. And then there’s that which is born of reason, but finds itself adopted by the parents of its more insidious rival. The South Sea and Tulip bubbles of bygone years clearly fall into the former category. [...]
Housing shortage still pressing on price
27 Feb 2007 [0 Comments | 55 views]
Price, as you know, is determined by supply and demand. And that brings us to house prices. These days prices are so high, that things for the first time buyer are nigh on impossible, and it seems hard to believe price can go on defying gravity forever. But supposing supply is even lower, that the [...]
Every little helps: Tesco and the 50-year bond
27 Feb 2007 [0 Comments | 55 views]
Fifty years. That’s a long time. No doubt, just like the writer of this article, it will see you through to your 71st birthday. By then, China will probably be the richest country in the world, India might well be second, and we will know the truth about global warming. Maybe by then we will [...]
Council tax and stamps see rises
27 Feb 2007 [0 Comments | 53 views]
If it’s produced in China or subject to the forces of global competition, then it would appear that price pressure is forcing the bottom line downwards. If it’s a service, especially with a distinctly local feel, then inflation still hovers and threatens and bullies us. Take Council Tax, as an example. According to the Times, [...]
Oil rebounds to start of year price
27 Feb 2007 [0 Comments | 60 views]
Oil found itself all the way back up at $61#43; a barrel over the weekend. Black gold has now fully regained the price losses seen during the first few weeks of this year. Bad weather was the cause. With the Midwest knee deep in the white flaky stuff, Americans turned up their heating, and more [...]
Pensions: the deficit falls but so does our wage packet
27 Feb 2007 [0 Comments | 53 views]
The pension deficit for all FTSE 100 companies has now fallen to the lowest level ever recorded, says Watson Wyatt, but, alas, the surging stock market isn’t helping workers’ pay packets. According to research from AON Consulting, employers are squeezing employees’ wages in order to fund final salary pension schemes. Mind you, the finding of [...]
Green with envy: private equity waves green flag
26 Feb 2007 [0 Comments | 46 views]
Here’s an idea to help make an unpopular cause a hit. As a general rule of thumb, it would appear that those who worry about the environment often tend to be the most anti private equity. But, supposing the private equity brigade embrace the green agenda; supposing they become eco warriors. In the furore over [...]
