Business comment, opinions on the business news

Action needed to save high streets Jan 11 2012

THE run up to the end of last year and the start of 2012 have seen some alarming forecasts for the retail industry. Undoubtably, there have been successes in what is the most important trading period for most retailers.Read

How city businesses will work with council to boost economy Jan 11 2012

BUSINESS rate payments are figuring large in the coalition Government’s drive to create growth and jobs and address localism.Read

Year of the pension? Jan 09 2012

IT doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as the Year of the Dragon which starts in less than two weeks’ time with the Chinese New Year. However, Tushar Bhate and Paul Elliott, partners at Neon Legal, predict that 2012 will be the year of the pension.Read

We can't rest on our laurels Jan 05 2012

FIGURES released last month showed that the value of exports from the North East hit another record high, increasing by 16% to a 12 month total of £13.211bn.Read

Manifesto to help region grow in 2012 Jan 04 2012

THIS year is going to be an important one for the North East if the Government is to deliver on its pledge to rebalance the economy.Read

Volatility will continue to affect markets Jan 03 2012

LAST year was an eventful one for financial markets as sovereign debt worries and slowing growth fears fuelled volatility.Read

Is life really so grim up North? Dec 29 2011

THERE are a whole host of clichés about the effects economic conditions are having on the UK.Read

Markets look ahead with caution Dec 29 2011

AS A torrid 2011 draws to a close and investors look ahead nervously to 2012 and the next batch of emergency EU summits, potential risks are much easier to spot than opportunities.Read

Predictions for 2012: James Ramsbotham Dec 28 2011

PERHAPS our greatest source of pride and celebration in 2011 will provide even more success in 2012.Read

Predictions for 2012: Keith Hann Dec 28 2011

THIS promises to be a financially painful year for many of us, as unemployment rises and tax increases bite. However, these will not worry me if deathclock.com is correct in its prediction that I will die on February 4.Read

Predictions for 2012: Stoker Frater Dec 28 2011

FOR those livestock farmers who disregarded the advice of so-called experts and kept their livestock numbers up, things are undoubtedly looking positive, with higher returns for the farmer balanced off by what seems a lower margin by the retailers.Read

Columnists give their reviews of the year Dec 27 2011

THE last 12 months have been incredibly turbulent in the business world. We have done our best to chronicle the changes in the landscape and now we have called upon some of our regular correspondents to look back on the highs and lows of 2011Read

Will advice can help you take advantage of tax savings Dec 24 2011

WRITING a will and dividing your estate is a daunting prospect for many of us. Investment manager Brewin Dolphin has commissioned research on the matter.Read

Balancing the positive with the negative for the coming year Dec 21 2011

THIS year has not been a great year for equity investors. The spectre of Lehman’s still wields an unhealthy influence, with the merest hints at darker outcomes for both the EU and the wider global economy rapidly translated into equity valuations.Read

Investing still offers a return Dec 19 2011

AS WE come to the end of 2011, UK equities are offering historically high dividend yields when compared with bonds.Read

Youth jobs plan just a short-term fix Dec 19 2011

FOR the last couple of weeks one question keeps coming up: “Is what’s happening today the same as in the 1980s?”Read

Farewell to a hub of innovation Dec 16 2011

I WRITE this column as my leaving piece – for now! I leave the North East this month to take up a new post at a university in the south of England.Read

European equities market isn't all doom and gloom despite forecast Dec 14 2011

THIS year has brought many twists and turns, but there’s been one ever-present topic at the forefront of investor minds: Europe. Attention has understandably been focused on the trials and tribulations of indebted sovereigns.Read

North East needs level playing field Dec 14 2011

ON MONDAY, the NECC will publish Fit for the Future. This report takes a detailed look at the infrastructure we have in the North East and how to maximise it to reap the greatest possible rewards.Read