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• Tech Companies Lift Dow Jones to Five-Year High - 24 January 2013

Technology companies were the driving force behind the Dow Jones industrial average reaching a five-year high on Wednesday, closing at 13,799.33 after rising 67.12 points (0.5 percent). Solid fourth quarter earnings were posted by both Google and IBM late Tuesday, surprising many investors who expected tech companies to battle to meet targets at the end of the year. Buoyed up by sales of software services to Russia and Brazil, members of BRICS, IBM's results exceeded expectations and the tech giant was the Dow’s top mover, gaining $8.64 to close at $204.72. The company also increased its earnings outlook for 2013. Google rose $38.63 to close at $741.50 after reporting higher earnings than anticipated.

• Fed Minutes, China Slowdown, Europe Crisis Impact on Wall Street - 12 July 2012

Wall Street responded to the Federal Reserve minutes released on Wednesday afternoon with a significant slump, managing to recover to some extent and ending the day with only slight losses. Among other issues, the Federal Reserve identified a number of threats to the recovery of the US economy, with the slowdown in China and an upcoming budget crunch in Washington being cited as two examples. Most notable is that the Fed gave no indication of new strategies for stimulating the economy, as investors were hoping they would. The Dow responded to the release of the Fed's minutes at 2pm by dropping 118 points as investors digested the news, managing a recovery in the hour before the closing bell. The Dow ended the day 48.59 points down, the Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped 0.02 of a point and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index lost 14.35 points – the fifth consecutive day stocks have closed lower on Wall Street.

• WEF – Committed to Improving the State of the World - 5 may 2011

With the noble goal of being "committed to improving the state of the world", the World Economic Forum (WEF) provides a platform for influential political, business and intellectual figures to meet and discuss matters of mutual interest and benefit. Based in Cologny, Geneva, this Swiss non-profit foundation was initially formed in 1971 as the European Management Forum, changing its name in 1987 to the World Economic Forum. The annual meeting of the WEF, which is held in the mountain resort of Davos in Switzerland, has been the venue for a host of history-making political and economic agreements and decisions. In 2011 the WEF summit in Davos took place between the 26th and 30th of January.

• Pöyry Developments - 31 January 2011

Pöyry has concluded the statutory employee negotiations announced in Nov 2010 at its largest legal unit in Finland, Pöyry Finland Oy. At that time Pöyry announced that the reduction in capacity, of the currently active workforce, is estimated to correspond to 250-350 persons, and in addition to this, the future outlook for the workforce of about 200 persons temporarily laid off will be carefully considered. The estimate includes both operative and non-operative personnel. Mr. Sakari Oksanen, who just appointed as Pöyry Country Director in Finland is to perform the statutory employee negotiations in Finland, Pöyry Finland Oy.

• US Markets Slide Amidst Global Gloom - 12 August 2010

Stock market investing is surely not for the faint-hearted, especially in these times where every new day seems to bring a new, and often unprecedented, challenge. Following the announcement by the U.S. Federal Reserve that it would begin buying government bonds in an effort to stimulate the persistently sluggish economy, stocks and interest rates plummeted on Wednesday, reflecting the trepidation of investors with regard to economic recovery. Other factors that impacted negatively on markets included the news from the U.S. Commerce Department that, primarily due to the fall in exports, the trade deficit for June widened to reach its highest level in 20 months. It follows that a decline in exports will lead to a slow-down in U.S. manufacturing, which is particularly disappointing, given that the manufacturing sector had shown the most promising signs of recovery earlier this year.

• IMF Aims to Restore Financial Market Confidence - 8 July 2010

In its global growth forecast released today, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its expectations for growth from its April forecast of 4.2 percent to 4.6 percent, noting that this was a reflection of stronger activity in the first two quarters of 2010, and was in anticipation of fiscal measures being put into place by authorities, particularly in Europe. The IMF expressed confidence that, despite the European debt crisis that continues to cause turbulence and increase potential risk, the forecast of 4.6 percent global economic growth is a realistic one.

• Legislation Proposed to Regulate Financial Advisors - 8 March 2010

With almost a year having passed by since the US market hit its lowest point in the financial crisis of the past eighteen months or so, investors remain on their guard. Although the US economy is showing signs of recovery, progress is frustratingly slow, and appears set to continue that way at least for the coming few months. Last week's economy-based news revealed that the momentum of job losses is slowing down, which had a positive effect on the market. However, concerns about the debt crisis in Europe, more specifically in Greece, along with indications that the US housing market is still in a slump, and China’s initiatives to put the brakes on its booming economy, are reason enough for investors to err on the side of caution.