The Edge

Richard Northedge takes on corporate finance

Archive for the ‘Markets’ category

Cup Final tickets find their own price

Mrs Thatcher famously said you can’t buck the markets and sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe has reluctantly agreed. If fans want to pay a fortune for Cup Final or Katy Perry tickets, you can’t stop them. And why stop them?
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China vs Greece: Global economic threats to Britain

Which country should British business worry about most, China or Greece? Both economies, while very different, are in danger of imploding.
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Shrinking Aim shows need for new small firms market

There has been a stream of stock markets for small companies over the past three decades, but with the latest, the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), in decline, is it time for another go at this problem?
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The secret housing boom will fuel confidence

It was only last spring we were being told house prices were down 18 per cent on the year: now the rate of inflation is about to become plus 10 per cent. A hidden housing boom is underway.
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Bidders lose their nerve

There is not only a dearth of takeovers at present, there is a trend to abandon bids that have already been announced. Are bidders’ eyes proving bigger than their stomachs or have predators lost their nerve?
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Scrapping the brand to go local

When brands are king there is an interesting move in the opposite direction at Wyevale garden centres. The name is being removed from most of the 122-strong chain so that they look like independents.

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Can a government become a fund manager?

Most people would probably prefer Bernie Madoff to look after their investment than expect HM Government to pick shares. Yet a million employees will soon be asking the state to manage their investments.
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A 3i rights issue would mean throwing away money

It is no surprise some shareholders in 3i object to a rights issue. Every pound they subscribed to the private-equity group would instantly be worth 50p or less.
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An outsider’s guide to insider trading

I don’t know what the definition is of insider-dealing in Sunderland, but in the City it means trading shares with privileged information. It doesn’t mean writing newspaper stories that move share prices.
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Dividend cuts: last resort not a first thought

Once companies did anything to avoid cutting dividends. In 2009 it is the most fashionable thing to do but directors should be careful they do not become fashion victims.
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