Chairman of the board: Learning to shake the hand that bites you October 28, 2012 THE chairman of the board looked at me condescendingly and said, “Don’t let yourself get too excited about that, Richard. We will just have two wait and see. These things are never certain.” I was slightly shocked at his response to my question about a potential large order, particularly since it was included in our [...]
Negotiating your way to success October 28, 2012 WE’RE a nation of innovators and inventors, we’re told. The march of the makers, the white heat of technological innovation, the slogans roll off the tongues off our politicians in a constant barrage of optimism – close to or devoid of reality, depending on your view. But we’re not a nation of negotiators. Or so [...]
Wall St treads water on weak earning reports October 25, 2012 US stocks eked out small gains yesterday in another uninspiring session on Wall Street, with worries about weak business spending keeping investors wary. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 26.34 points, or 0.20 per cent, to 13,103.68 at the close. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 4.22 points, or 0.30 per cent, to finish [...]
FTSE flat as poor corporate results overshadow positive news on GDP October 25, 2012 BRITAIN’S top share index was fractionally higher yesterday as gains by banks on strong UK GDP figures were countered by some mixed corporate earnings. Banks added 0.8 per cent on news that Britain pulled out of recession in the third quarter, with its strongest quarterly economic growth in five years, boosting expectations that lending conditions [...]
Weak results sour views of US economy October 24, 2012 US stocks ended lower for a second day yesterday as investors soured on another round of underwhelming corporate results and the Federal Reserve said it would stick to its stimulus plan until the job market improves. The S&P 500 has lost 3.6 per cent over the past five sessions, hurt by weak earnings outlooks and [...]
FTSE edges higher as strong results from Reckitt boost investors’ mood October 24, 2012 BRITAIN’S top share index edged higher yesterday, helped by consumer goods group Reckitt Benckiser’s robust update, although traders said concerns over earnings would limit further moves higher. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed up 0.1 per cent, or 6.87 points higher, at 5,804.78 points, recovering slightly from a 1.4 per cent fall on Tuesday. Heavyweight [...]
Seven easy steps to smoothly renegotiate your pay deal October 24, 2012 THE big issue that few of us feel comfortable discussing with our employers is pay. Yet research has repeatedly shown that unhappiness with what we earn is a significant cause of job dissatisfaction. How do you work out what you’re worth and then make sure your company pays you accordingly? Doing some research, thinking tactically, [...]
Fresh plunge on Wall Street on grim results October 23, 2012 US stocks fell yesterday, driving the Dow industrials to the biggest drop since 21 June, as weak results from index members DuPont and United Technologies showed profit growth is slowing. This earnings season has so far produced a string of disappointments from companies falling short of Wall Street’s expectations. With results in from 29 per [...]
Further earnings gloom sends the FTSE to its biggest drop in a month October 23, 2012 BRITAIN’S top share index fell for a third session yestrday, weighed down by concerns over weak earnings and the Eurozone crisis after a failed attempt last week to break through technical resistance levels. The blue-chip FTSE 100 posted its biggest one-day drop in nearly a month, bringing the index to its lowest levels in a [...]
