Wales and the north hit hardest by recession
Posted on November 8th, 2011
The economic downturn has widened the north-south divide, according to a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
The north-east and Wales have suffered the worst household financial stress since the beginning of the recession while those in London are the least stressed by the economic turmoil, despite high levels of unemployment. People living in the capital have enjoyed the strongest earnings growth, the steadiest house prices and one of the lowest increases in personal insolvencies across the country since the beginning of the financial crisis.
Other areas of concern were the West Midlands and the south-west, where unemployment has risen and there has been little movement in terms of economic inactivity.
Stagnant growth, rising inflation, government cuts to benefits and tax rises are piling pressure on households across the country, according to the accountancy firm’s UK Economic Outlook report. I
Tags: North, North Hit
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Nov 4, US Dollar Index Technical Analysis and Price Forecast
Posted on November 6th, 2011
Latest analysis of US Dollar Index, which measures the performance of the US Dollar against a basket of currencies: EUR, JPY, GBP, CAD, CHF and SEK, is available here.
Tags: Analysis, Dollar Index
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Appointment : AXA Wealth names new head of sales in corporate pensions team
Posted on November 2nd, 2011
Axa Wealth has announced the appointment of Mike Webb as the new corporate pensions investment team’s head of sales. The team is responsible for the strategy and sale of the companys institutional investment platform and offers investment services to trustees of corporate pension plans.
In his new role at AXA Wealth, Mike will report to Ian Colquhoun, director of AXA Wealths corporate investment services.
Commenting on Mikes appointment, Ian said: Mike brings a significant bank of knowledge and 25 years experience in the industry to our team, as we look to grow and enhance our client offering. M
Afren retreats despite hopes for Kurdistan oil
Posted on November 1st, 2011
Back in July, the FTSE 250 oil explorer, said it had agreed to buy stakes in two Kurdistan operations for $588m (£368m), extending its reach beyond Africa into the Middle East.
Years of wrangling between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government had dented oil explorers’ confidence in the area. But sentiment lifted in May when producers in Kurdistan began to receive payments for oil exports, which restarted in February.
Analysts at Citigroup were exploring whether Kurdistan could be a “land of opportunity”, pointing out that according to the US Geological Society, the area could hold more than 50bn barrels of oil and gas, which is comparable to the current reserves of Libya.
“Despite significant political uncertainties, we expect exploration and appraisal drilling to accelerate into 2012,” said the broker. “Afren plans up to three wells over the next 12 months in Kurdistan,” added analysts, who see “significant potential from the drilling programme”.
Nonethele
Tags: Oil
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Roth IRA – A beneficial IRA
Posted on October 31st, 2011
Roth IRA is a complete retirement beneficiary plan that provides tax free retirement life. Roth IRA differs from other Traditional IRA’s by the taxation imposed by the U.S. Government. Unlike other IRA’s Roth IRA does not demand tax from you at the later period. During the current working year itself you pay your taxes along with your savings. You can stay carefree about the height of conversions as all limitations on pay are provided beforehand by Roth IRA. But its rules are viable to change. So check out the rules prior investment. To gain more knowledge on Roth IRA visit the f following link roth-ira.org.
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Columbia (COLM) Stomps Forward with Strong International Growth
Posted on October 29th, 2011
Columbia Sportswear pleasantly surprised investors this week after reporting a 29% increase in profit due to strong international sales and rising margins. The company, best known for its flagship Columbia products, Mountain Hardwear, Montrail and Pacific Trail brands, posted a profit of $67.5 million, or $1.98 per share, a significant improvement from the $52.2 million, or $1.53 per share, it posted in the prior year quarter. Analysts had expected $1.60 per share. Net sales jumped 12 % to $566.8 million. The company is known for both its footwear and outdoor apparel.
Columbia’s earnings were aided by a 4 cent tax benefit and its revenue was aided 3 percentage points from currency fluctuations. Gross margin increased from 42.5% to 44% from last year. For the remainder of the year, Columbia expects sales to increase 15-16% year on year, a slight positive adjustment from the 14-16% it hard previously guided. F
How to cope with a control-freak boss
Posted on October 25th, 2011
Controlling bosses can make the workplace a living hell, but winning their trust is essential to improving office relations.
So says Kaley Klemp, an executive coach and co-author of “The Drama-Free Office: A Guide to Healthy Collaboration with Your Team, Coworkers, and Boss”.
“Trust is a big, big deal,” said Klemp, who wrote the book with her fellow coach and dad, Jim Warner. “Controllers are looking for those who are on their side.”
With “National Boss Day” right around the corner on Oct. 17, Klemp said now’s a good time to think about how to smooth things over with an unruly micromanager before a bad situation gets worse.
According to Klemp’s statistics, some 46 percent of employees work for or have worked for an unreasonable boss at some point in their careers.
Once underlings demonstrate support and willingness to go the distance for a micromanaging boss, that person is more apt to be receptive to the worker’s needs, said Klemp, noting that controllers typically reward loyalty.
Beyond developing a good rapport, those under the grips of a controller would do well to ask for clear-cut goals and expectations, she said. That way the employee
Tags: Boss, Controlfreak Boss
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