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• Tuesday, 22 May 2012

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• Stock Exchange Listing and Delisting - 23 February 2012

With the spotlight on high-profile initial purchase offerings (IPO) in recent months, investors may get the impression that once a company has been listed on a stock exchange, the only way is up. However, this is not always the case, and when stocks no longer meet the minimum requirement for being listed, they can be delisted, usually with far less fanfare than the initial listing.

Getting listed on a stock exchange is an expensive, and often lengthy, endeavor. For example, a US company looking to list on the NYSE first needs to request a confidential review to ascertain whether it is eligible. Reviews and application fees can run into tens of thousands of dollars, so it is in the company management's best interest to assess their eligibility before even approaching an exchange.

• Is the "Kodak Moment" Fading? - 29 September 2011

The brand name Kodak is synonymous with occasions we want memorialized, and the term "Kodak moment" is readily understood to describe a moment in time that either has been, or should have been, captured on film. Used as a promotional gimmick back in 2008, the "Kodak moment" concept has become part of our vocabulary. But the digital world has eclipsed the traditional world of photography, and it is becoming quite rare for photographers to use film that needs to be developed and printed. While the majority of photographers may still make use of a professional service to print their memories, home printing is becoming more popular and using a computer or mobile device and social media sites as a photo album is now commonplace.

• FOMC Meeting Highlight of Week Ahead - 19 September 2011

Recent developments on Wall Street included increased initial purchase offer activity with LinkedIn becoming the first tech company since Google to file an IPO. A follow-up analysis of current IPOs by analytics company, Dealogic, noted that 146 companies have filed with regulators waiting for approval to sell shares in the United States in an effort to raise $28.4 billion. However, it has also been revealed that 215 companies have either withdrawn or postponed IPOs to the value of $44.1 billion – going down in US stock market history as being the highest year-to-date figure since 2008, and the highest figure for September in twenty years or more. Social network games maker, Zynga, and online coupon company, Groupon, are among companies delaying the IPOs which investors were anticipating would take place after Labor Day weekend earlier this month, with market volatility playing a part in this decision.

• Europe Crisis, Stagnant Job Market Plague Investors - 5 September 2011

Investors face a new week on Wall Street with Europe's financial crisis and non-existent job growth fuelling fears of a double-dip recession. While some analysts are of the opinion that the United States is likely to avoid a recession, even if only by a narrow margin, others feel that it is only a matter of time before the economy slips into recession territory. Last week’s report of zero job growth, among other factors, resulted in consumer confidence falling to its lowest level since August 2009. With consumers fearful of job losses, the majority of consumers are holding back on buying anything that is not considered to be an absolute necessity, which in turn hits retailers and consumer product suppliers as trade slows down, and the economy slows down with it.

• Business on Wall Street Continues in Wake of Irene - 29 August 2011

Despite the fury of Hurricane Irene battering New York over the weekend, leaving a trail of destruction, transport systems disrupted and approximately four million people without power, Wall Street plans to operate as usual on Monday. While expecting trading volumes to be light as the week begins, insurance stocks may get more than the usual attention as storm damage claims start to roll in. Companies in the spotlight this week include MetLife (NYSE:MET), Chubb Corporation (NYSE:CB), and Allstate Corporation (NYSE:ALL).

• NYSE Non-Compliance Notifications Issued - 25 August 2011

Wall Street investors are hopeful that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will provide some light at the end of the tunnel when he delivers his keynote speech at the annual Kansas City Federal Reserve retreat tomorrow, although analysts caution that expectations of further quantitative easing and other bailout-style measures are unlikely to be met. As double-dip fears continue, the ongoing woes in the US economy are impacting on stock market listed companies to the extent that many no longer meet the criteria for being listed on stock exchanges.

• Learning Life Skills with the Stock Market Game™ - 18 August 2011

As the only stock market simulation program endorsed by the New York Stock Exchange, the Stock Market Game ™ is an education tool aimed at teaching essential life skills such as decision making, critical thinking, independent research, cooperation, communication, saving and investing, with the latter being especially appropriate in the current economic climate. Launched in 1977 the program has been used in thousands of classrooms across the United States, not only to encourage the life-skills already mentioned, but also to add an exciting dimension to other critical academic subjects such as social studies, mathematics and language arts. It is estimated that more than ten million students have played the Stock Market Game ™ since its inception.