Business comment, opinions on the business news

Are gifts for the good of industry Feb 11 2010

THE alleged practices of British Aerospace have resulted in that company incurring a substantial 'fine', but before the business community in general commences on a path of criticism there are a few lessons that may be learned from the case and, perhaps, some questions to be asked of those of us in the business community.Read

Factors affecting volatile equity markets Feb 10 2010

EQUITY markets had an unsettled time in January with the major markets posting their largest monthly fall since February 2009.Read

Beginnings of a healthy partnership Feb 09 2010

LAST week the CBI partnered with the North East Strategic Health Authority and One North East to discuss how the business sector can work with the NHS to drive innovation.Read

Tackling inequality makes sense Feb 08 2010

TACKLING inequality at work has long been accepted as the right thing to do both morally, there can be no reasonable justification for discriminating against individuals on the basis of their personal characteristics, and increasingly from a business perspective, there is increasing evidence of the sound business case for diversity and equality in the workplace.Read

Worries about Wood may be overdone Feb 08 2010

MARKETS’ concerns over Wood Group’s exposure to the US and the slowdown of its engineering activities have led the shares to underperform the energy sector by 12% over the past three months.Read

Common law marriage myth can sting finances Feb 06 2010

ACCORDING to statistics, 14% of couples in the UK currently cohabit without being married.Read

Make most out of your savings Feb 06 2010

INDEPENDENT financial adviser ALOK DHANDA explains how you can get the most from your money by considering alternative investments and taking some risks to reap rewards.Read

Business of education strengthens industries Feb 05 2010

IF the last long year taught us anything it’s that necessity and invention remain inextricably linked. Sharp thinking and new working partnerships can mark the difference between stuttering along in business and riding out the storm stronger than before.Read

History can teach us all so much Feb 04 2010

BILLIONAIRE financier George Soros recently said that gold, currently at a historical high of around US$ 1,100 an ounce is the ultimate asset bubble.Read

Apprentice Jack shows true worth Feb 03 2010

THERE is a Chinese proverb which simply says "One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade". It takes time to plant trees, to nurture them to the point where they are of benefit to the people who follow after us.Read

Why cutting pay is not the answer Feb 03 2010

CUTTING the wages of tens of thousands of workers in the North sounds like a peculiar remedy for tackling the long-standing problem of regional inequality in the UK.Read

Deposits rate warning for investors Feb 03 2010

NEW investors will need reminding that cash deposit rates are still at very low levels by historical standards. But a renewed recession - something which could help trigger renewed "safe haven" demand for cash - looks unlikely. Read

We're going in the right direction Feb 02 2010

AS we enter February there is some optimism on the horizon for the manufacturing and export businesses of the North East.Read

Growth is great but let's not get over-excited Feb 01 2010

THE economic growth reported this week, however minor, is much better news than we’ve enjoyed for some time. No one should get over excited about this latest set of figures and some will want to downplay this upturn completely.Read

It may be time to go on the defensive Feb 01 2010

IF 2009 was the time to "dash for trash" only time will tell what the theme for 2010 will be. Following the low point in the stock market in March 2009, investors who positioned their portfolios towards cyclical sectors were handsomely rewarded.Read

Is society needled for PIN money? Jan 28 2010

MONEY, or at least the way we pay for things, is changing rapidly. About 25 years ago, I remember, I was researching and writing about a development which was set to transform our shopping lives, even though it was still only a gleam in the eyes of retailers and bankers.Read

Stocks are rocked by double hit Jan 27 2010

STOCKS were hit by a double whammy last week - namely fears that China's monetary tightening will slow global growth and concerns relating to President Obama’s proposed reforms of the US financial sector. Read

Papering over the cracks? Jan 27 2010

SO what should we make of the modest – to say the least – 0.1% growth recorded by the UK economy during the last quarter of 2009? What is for certain is that no-one will be celebrating this tentative step out of the "great recession", as the Tories have helpfully renamed it.Read

North needs to embrace new growth Jan 26 2010

TODAY the latest GDP figures will be published which are expected to show the UK to have moved out of recession in the last quarter of 2009.Read

Poverty still the reality for too many Jan 25 2010

WHILE much of the political discourse is focusing on the ‘need’ to reduce the public deficit as quickly as possible, forming a key battleground for the General Election, some apparently less glamorous discussions are struggling for airtime.Read

Aberdeen managers have many assets Jan 25 2010

WE are initiating coverage of Aberdeen Asset Management with an outperform recommendation. The asset managers have performed well in 2009, on the back of rallying markets.Read

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