By SIMON CONSTABLE
The coronavirus, which is wreaking havoc in China, could slash another 10% or more off the value of stocks, history shows. Before the crisis is over, investor losses could be far worse. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
It hasn’t taken long for the four-day workweek to go from a quirky idea to one that’s getting serious consideration from more corporations and national leaders globally.
The latest development: the discovery that Finland’s new 34-year-old prime minister had, before she took her current role, advocated for trimming a day off the workweek. That quickly led to speculation that Finland’s government would soon mandate the change. It won’t, says Johan Blomqvist, Korn Ferry’s general manager for Finland, but the idea of working full-time across four days rather than five has started a debate about work-related reforms in the country. “It is sparking some support,” says Blomqvist. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
Have bankers no shame?
In Britain, at least, it appears not. Eventually, that could hurt the entire industry.
Starting in April, the big banks want to charge overdraft borrowers a staggering 40% a year in interest. That means for every £1,000 ($1,300) they borrow, they must pay £400 in interest each year. Overdrafts are unsecured loans made typically for short periods of time in much the same way as credit card loans. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
Wednesday’s news of a massive data breach at tech giant Microsoft (MSFT) might not seem like a good omen. After all, information on a quarter of a billion of the company’s customers got exposed online with no password protection.
That’s certainly not good.
But what might be beneficial is a potential opportunity for investors to make some money. At least that’s the theory based on an analysis of other public companies that got hit by hackers. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
The phase-one trade deal between the U.S. and China announced in mid-January should create frequent opportunities for soybean traders to make money. What it won’t do is create a bull market for the grain.
“The strategy would be to buy on the breaks,” says Shawn Hackett, president of Hackett Financial Advisors. “You have to be opportunistic is the point.” Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
Stock market euphoria could quickly turn to tears unless President Donald Trump gets re-elected.
That’s the story according to new research published Wednesday by from London-based financial research firm Capital Economics.
The report, titled “It could soon be time to downsize” warns that the recent stellar outperformance by the largest stocks in the market could quickly reverse unless Trump keeps his job in the White House after the November election. Read more here.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
There’s nothing like a bold goal to kick off the decade. And as leaders gather for that most sought-after conference of the year, they decided on a huge one.
Among other topics that will make headlines, the business and political leaders attending this week’s World Economic Forum meeting in the Alpine village of Davos, Switzerland, will discuss two objectives that might not be compatible in the short term. They will respond to a rallying call to fight climate change, and they will grapple with the immediate threat of a slowing global economy. The trick for executives and other leaders will be how to achieve both at the same time. Read more here.
