Forbes: 5 Reasons The Drop In Gold Prices Shouldn't Worry Investors

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Gold prices took a hit at the end of last week, and it has some observers concerned.

But the truth is it shouldn't be worrying. Here's what you need to know.

Barron's: Why You Should Buy Europe's Beaten Down Banks

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Italian politics is knotty. But lately, it has become as twisted as a bowl of spaghetti bolognese, providing a chance to buy beaten-down European banking shares that will likely jump when the clouds over the sector evaporate. Read more here.

PJ Media: Why Bernie Sanders' Goal of More Unions Won't Work

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said last month that he wants to foster more unions, but the very things that allow organized labor to increase membership are often also the things that cause their destruction.

At least that’s the way new research points. Read more here.

Forbes: Venezuela's Latest Desperate Plan

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Venezuela just keeps on delivering new economic absurdities.

The country, which has the largest oil reserves in the world, is now considering the idea of importing the stuff. Read more here.

Korn Ferry: Raises Have Arrived…In the Public Sector

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Ancient prophets once wrote that seven years of feasts would get followed by seven years of famine. These stories pushed the idea that neither good nor bad times last forever. But now reality is mimicking the parables.

For the last seven years, the one million-plus workers in the National Health Service, the U.K.’s state-funded health system, have received just a 1% raise annually. But this month the U.K. government agreed to raise wages 6.5% over the next three years, more than doubling the recent annual increases. Read more here.

Forbes: A Deep Look Inside The Gig Economy

By SIMON CONSTABLE

How good or bad is the so-called gig economy compared to holding a permanent staff role? It all depends who you ask.

Sarah Kessler, author of Gigged: The End of the Job and the Future of Work, spoke with more than a few people about the matter and discusses it at length in her book which is scheduled for publication June 12. Read more here.

Korn Ferry: In Spain, Italy-- Surviving a Void

By SIMON CONSTABLE

It isn’t something one would expect to see, two major European nations without leaders at the same time. But that’s where Italy and Spain found themselves last week—and where a surprising number of companies find themselves as well. 

For those who missed the headlines, Italy went three months without a majority government, until two major parties finally agreed last Friday on a new prime minister. Meanwhile, a few hundred miles west, Spain’s government collapsed after the prime minister was unseated in a no-confidence vote, and experts wonder how long the new government will last. But as unnerving as this can be, leadership vacuums are of course not limited to politics. Indeed, from abrupt CEO departures to boardroom succession battles, such voids are becoming more common and troubling. Read more here.