Business Comment
Stephen Foley: Murdoch could learn from Miami Herald
US Outlook: The Miami Herald has got a lot of abuse for asking online readers for voluntary donations to support its free-to-air website. "Once-proud" newspaper "reduced" to "holding out the tin can" and "begging", seems to be the headline reaction. But how about "pioneering" media organisation "saves journalism" with "bold experiment" and "builds an online community that will protect its heritage"?
Inside Business Comment
Stephen Foley: Bookshops face bonfire
Saturday, 19 December 2009
US Outlook: Long queues at the checkout in a Borders store in Manhattan last weekend, but instead of being a good sign for the ailing bookseller, I watched a business model crumbling in front of my eyes.
Stephen Foley: When will Citigroup pay for its sins?
Saturday, 19 December 2009
US Outlook: Surely this week's fund-raising debacle is the final straw for shareholders, when it comes to their tolerance of Vikram Pandit's incompetent leadership at Citigroup?
David Prosser: Retailers face an unhappy new year
Friday, 18 December 2009
Outlook What is going on up and down the high streets of Britain? There are plenty of reasons to think that retailers are enjoying a much happier time in the run-up to Christmas than they would have dared to hope for even three months ago. The latest CBI distributive trades survey shows retailers maintained positive momentum during the first half of this month, while some of the short-term figures posted by stores such as John Lewis look spectacular, even allowing for weak 2009 comparables. London, in particular, seems to be performing well, with West End stores reporting buoyant trading.
Hamish McRae: Flexibility is proving to be the key to bouncing back from recession
Friday, 18 December 2009
Economic Life: Aswe have all seen in our daily lives, shops have been innovative in creating value deals and cutting prices.
David Prosser: The housing market fears the worst
Friday, 18 December 2009
Outlook Just as retailers are dreading the return of the 17.5 per cent VAT rate, the housing market is getting increasingly nervous about the end of the stamp duty holiday for many home buyers. From New Year's Day, the threshold above which the tax becomes payable reverts to £125,000, compared with £175,000 now. That will be a hindrance for first-time buyers, many more of whom will now face the 1 per cent tax charge on house purchases.
David Prosser: An odd time to applaud Bernanke
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Outlook Congratulations then to Ben Bernanke, Time magazine's person of the year. In a year when the competition for the title was not hotly contested – judging by the other contenders the magazine says it considered – the US Federal Reserve chairman won because without him "a weak economy could have been much, much weaker".
David Prosser: Let RBS lend to Kraft
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Outlook Whatever the rights and wrongs of Kraft's bid for Cadbury, it would be crazy to heed the calls of Midlands MPs – and others – who want the Government to stop Royal Bank of Scotland helping to fund the takeover. RBS is one of a syndicate of lenders offering finance to the US company as it tries to buy up its rival, and those who want to keep Cadbury British say it is inappropriate for a bank that is now 84 per cent owned by the taxpayer to play such a role.
David Prosser: Blame shops for demise of the cheque
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Outlook For those people angered by the decision of the Payments Council to move towards the abolition of cheques in 2018, it will no doubt be tempting to lay the blame at the door of the bad old banks – not least because the body's board is stuffed full of the finance industry's representatives.
Nigel Whitehead: Apprenticeships are the way forward for the economy
Thursday, 17 December 2009
With youth unemployment hitting the headlines again, employers are being called to do more to support young people by providing opportunities for them to get into the world of work.
David Prosser: Compromise is the only hope for RBS
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Outlook It looks like the battle is still on at Royal Bank of Scotland, where senior management are refusing to back down on their right to pay staff the bonuses they deem necessary to keep the best people at the bank. Chief executive Stephen Hester yesterday railed against the "politicisation" of the institution he now runs.
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It conceals what we truly (madly, deeply) feel, especially from ourselves.
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Politicians have chosen low taxes and oil money today over survival tomorrow.
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Cameron needs to paint a rosier picture than cuts, cuts and more cuts.
