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• SEC Extends Ban on Abusive Short Selling - Editor, 30 July 2008 - No Comments yet

There has been a marked rebound in the financial sector since the announcement by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on 15 July to implement a temporary ruling on 21 July to curb short selling for nineteen of the financial sector’s biggest players. This has resulted in a mixed reaction from analysts who are left wondering whether this rebound is just coincidence, or is a direct result of the short selling curb.

• Financial Sector Apprehensive as Embattled Americans Dip into Retirement Savings - Editor, 25 July 2008 - No Comments yet

While investors may have been encouraged by the more than $20 drop in oil prices since 3 July, indications are that the American public as a whole is not coping too well with mounting economic pressures. This is evident by the fact that an increasing number of individuals are dipping into their savings and retirement funds to meet their monthly expenses, including mortgage payments, and this in turn is having a negative impact on the financial sector of the stock market.

• Short Selling Clamp Down - Editor, 22 July 2008 - No Comments yet

Following the seizure of IndyMac by bank regulators on 11 July, and the emergency life-line extended to FreddieMac and FannieMae on 13 July, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has instituted an emergency rule applicable to 19 major financial firms (including FreddieMac and FannieMae) to curb short selling.

• Google-Yahoo Agreement Bitter Pill for Microsoft - Editor, 17 July 2008 - No Comments yet

Is Microsoft’s failed Yahoo takeover bid behind its argument that the Google-Yahoo agreement may be violating antitrust laws? Many analysts believe that this is the case. However, does this mean that Microsoft’s viewpoint is invalid? These are some of the questions being raised in the whole Microsoft-Google-Yahoo scenario which is dominating the news at present and which has been escalated to the Senate.

• U.S. Government Steps Up To Rescue Faltering Mortgage Giants - Editor, 14 July 2008 - No Comments yet

Following the news of unprecedented U.S. government support for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, players in the U.S. stock market are no doubt bracing themselves for a rocky ride this week. Shares in these two U.S. government sponsored enterprises (GSE) took a nose-dive on Friday 11 July, amidst market speculation that the U.S. government was on the brink of taking them over in an effort to resolve their current funding problems.

• Bear Market Results in Reduced Trading Volumes - Editor, 9 July 2008 - No Comments yet

In the current bear market, plenty of attention is being focused on investors and the negative impact this is having on their investments. Advice on how to handle the situation abounds, with the general view being that riding out the storm may be the best option. But while sympathetic sentiments are being expressed for investors, spare a thought for the people who make their living from managing other peoples’ investments.

• Michael Dell’s Show of Confidence in Dell, Inc. Boosts Share Price - Editor, 4 July 2008 - No Comments yet

In a decisive demonstration of his confidence in the company, Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell, Inc., bought nearly $100 million in Dell shares. From Friday 27 June through to Tuesday 2 July, Dell purchased 4.5 million shares at an average of $22.07 per share. This is the first time in the past five years that a purchase of this size has been made by an individual insider at any company. This recent purchase brought his direct holdings to 22 million shares, securing Michael Dell’s position as Dell Inc.’s largest shareholder.

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