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• U.K.’s Bradford & Bingley – Another Financial Sector Casualty - Editor, 29 September 2008 - No Comments yet

While U.S. officials hammer out the details of the much publicized $700 billion bailout of financial institutions, the U.K. is also facing a host of problems relating to the financial sector, calling for bailout plans at the expense of embattled British taxpayers. U.K. officials are currently dealing with the collapse of Yorkshire-based Bradford & Bingley (LSE: BB), a major U.K. bank with 197 branches and 140 agencies, and just under one million shareholders.

• Caution Called For In $700 Billion Bailout Plan - Editor, 23 September 2008 - No Comments yet

Friday’s elated response at stock exchanges, to US Federal Government’s proposal to buy troubled assets from financial institutions was short-lived as reality set in with regard to the sheer magnitude of the problem, along with doubts as to whether a bailout would unfreeze the credit market, and concerns over the burden that the proposed $700 billion bailout would place on American taxpayers. Monday saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average drop by 372.75 points, with the S&P 500 losing 47.99 points and NASDAQ slipping by 94.92 points, being 3.3%, 3.8% and 4.2% respectively. Plagued by uncertainty with regard to the financial sector, money poured into gold and crude oil futures, resulting in a sharp spike in oil prices, and further volatility in the market.

• Investors Remain Apprehensive Despite AIG Bailout - Editor, 18 September 2008 - No Comments yet

The Federal Reserve’s $85 billion life-line thrown to AIG late Tuesday, has done little or nothing to boost confidence in the U.S. financial sector. Wall Street experienced yet another nightmarish day on Wednesday as stock markets continued to tumble. Investors are extremely concerned that even government intervention may not be enough to stop the financial crisis from spinning out of control, and uppermost in many minds is the question of “Who will be next?”

• Lehman, Merrill, AIG Exacerbate Financial Sector Challenges - Editor, 15 September 2008 - No Comments yet

Factors which will no doubt play a major role in the markets on Monday 15 September, especially in the financial sector, include the fact that Wall Street stalwart Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LEH) announced that it plans to file for bankruptcy, while negotiations are underway for global financial services firm, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MER, TYO: 8675) to be sold to Bank of America, and insurer American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG, TYO:8685, ISEQ: AIN) is undergoing a major restructure.

• LSE’s Technology Woes May Prove Beneficial for Competitors - Editor, 10 September 2008 - No Comments yet

Recent rumblings of concern with regard to the increase in algorithmic, or black-box, trading, as well as stock exchanges becoming too reliant on technology, may very well be valid when considering the computer malfunction on Monday at the London Stock Exchange. Certainly, this could not have come at a worse time for the world’s third largest exchange. News of the U.S. federal government take-over of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac triggered a flurry of activity in world-wide markets resulting in one of the biggest market rallies in the past five months – and LSE investors and dealers stood by helplessly, like a penniless child looking through a candy store window.

• Google’s Chrome Aims for Share of Internet Browser Market - Editor, 3 September 2008 - No Comments yet

Google’s stock responded positively to the announcement by the company that it is launching its own web browser. The new browser, called Chrome, will compete against Apple’s Safari, Mozilla’s Firefox and arch-rival Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. The news of the launch follows hot on the heels of the release of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8 and is seen as a challenge to Microsoft’s long-held dominance of the market. Microsoft controls an estimated 70 percent of the browser market at present and Google’s new software opens up a whole new aspect of the ongoing Google versus Microsoft saga.

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