Consultancy from the business commandos March 20, 2011 DAMIAN McKinney rings me from his boat off the coast of Guadalupe. This ex-Royal Marine commando turned entrepreneur tells me that he has always wanted to have a video conference from a boat, wearing a shirt and tie, pretending he’s in the office. “This is close enough,” he laughs. After a 20-year military career in [...]
THE RISE OF THE BRAND ASSASSIN March 20, 2011 SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR AFTER receiving a healthy sum of birthday money from his rather indulgent grandparents, my son resolved to spend it on an Xbox 360. PC World was a full £25 cheaper than my usual first stop shop, Amazon. Deal done, order placed, but no item arrived. Days passed, phone calls were made, confusing emails [...]
Commodities drive FTSE 100 higher as prices tempt buyers March 17, 2011 COMMODITY stocks powered a bounce in Britain’s top shares by close yesterday, as heavy selling this week made equities look attractive from a technical perspective, with volatility set to persist. The FTSE 100 index closed 97.88 points or 1.8 per cent, higher at 5,696.11. It had fallen in each of the previous six sessions and [...]
Bargain hunters help lift Wall St March 17, 2011 WALL Street rebounded after three days of declines yesterday, but the advance could be temporary as concerns about Japan’s nuclear crisis persisted. The S&P 500 recovered after giving up the year’s gains on Wednesday, but options activity showed traders are increasing hedges against another decline in stocks. “As the headlines come out of Japan, there [...]
How business education is adapting to globalisation March 16, 2011 SINCE their very beginnings, business schools have focused on international trade. When the Aula do Comercio was set up in Lisbon in 1759, one of the four subjects taught was the “study of weights and measures from different countries [and] methods for the exchange of currencies.” The Imperial Export Academy in Vienna was created in [...]
BUSINESS SCHOOL NEWS IN BRIEF March 16, 2011 FS STILL NUMBER ONE It might not be the politicians’ favourite sector, but MBA graduates are still pretty keen on the financial services. In its 2011 Alumni Perspectives Survey GMAC (the Graduate Management Admission Council) says that 22 per cent of MBA graduates went to work in the financial services, up on 15 per cent [...]
Nuclear power falls as Vix gauge jumps March 16, 2011 US stocks sank for a third day yesterday as worries about Japan’s nuclear crisis escalated, and analysts saw more volatility ahead for the market. The S&P 500 fell more than one pe cent and was within a few points of turning negative for the year after the UN nuclear watchdog chief said the situation at [...]
Investors drop equities on continued Japan worries March 16, 2011 HEIGHTENED fears about the nuclear crisis in Japan saw investors shun equities yesterday, with falls by heavyweight commodity issues dragging Britain’s top share index lower. Banks were the biggest fallers, however, also under pressure as a downgrade of Portugal’s credit rating by Moody’s further unnerved investors. At the close, the FTSE 100 was down 97.05 [...]
Savers should utilise ISAs to beat inflation March 16, 2011 5 APRIL will be the last day this tax year to shelter your savings under an ISA. With stagnant wages and inflation biting into savings, holding savings in cash is not a good idea. Mervyn King will likely be sending letters to George Osborne apologising for high inflation for a while to come. The 2 [...]
More is demanded from sustainable investment funds than a fluffy image March 16, 2011 SUSTAINABLE investment, or socially responsible investment (SRI), has been on a rapid ascent for the last decade, but outside of providing dinner party credibility for the chattering classes wanting to appear to be doing the right thing, are SRI funds worth a look for investors who are concerned with returns and growth? For all the [...]