Financial Director articles from February 2008

Financial Director archives from February 2008

Hard pounding.(UK's pound)
February 28, 2008... Byline: Dennis Turner hard pounding The UK needs a strong pound to help stave off recession, but currency trends do not look positive A claim frequently heard in the opening weeks of the year was that the pound would be the...

gallic shrug.(tougher regulations on securities trading)
February 28, 2008... Byline: Jules Stewart gallic shrug The French government's call to tighten regulations in response to the largest trading scandal in banking history will only work if internal risk management systems are adhered to, writes Jules...

eastern ploys and western whirls.
February 28, 2008... Byline: David Kern eastern ploys and western whirls The full impact of the banking crisis will take time to crystallise. But as world growth slows and global power shifts to Asia, the banking sector will be forced to undergo painful...

Best Laid Plans.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Anthony Harrington best laid plans You wouldn't expect to run a large corporation without a robust business plan. Pension funds should be no different If it were discovered that a billion-dollar company was puttering along...

The 'value' of share buybacks.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Michael Goddard the 'value' of SHARE BUYBACKS Share buyback schemes may be popular, but they do not always create value for investors who hold on Research shows that many companies are wasting their shareholders' money, by...

One rule for all.(accounting standards)
February 28, 2008... Byline: Robert Bruce one rule for all A desire to remove the legal complexities of rules-based standards is generating support for IFRS in the US Increasingly, it looks to have been a defining moment. In April last year an...

All Chip in.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Anthony Harrington all chip in Companies are joining forces to maximise their pension funds and reduce the costs of running smaller, separate schemes Administering and managing a small pension fund tends to run into the...

Watch out.(Television program review)
February 28, 2008... Byline: Robert Jaques watch out It may be technically viable, but I can't see much call for devices that monitor an employee's every move Few would attempt to argue that computer technologies in general, and PCs in...

Taking the PE.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Peter Williams taking the pe Private equity has moved to ensure greater disclosure, but light-touch, self-regulation may not satisfy critics One of the most significant changes in the corporate landscape of recent times...

Model behaviour.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Charlotte Moore model behaviour When it comes to choosing a fund manager, don't just look at past performance. Personality and attitude are just as important Improving returns while keeping risk under control is all about...

Software modelling.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Charlotte Moore software modelling In the funky orange-floored offices of asset management consultancy SEI in the heart of London's Mayfair, the latest weapon to help beleaguered finance directors to get a grip on the company...

Green risk snub by pensions.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Rachael Singh green risk snub by pensions Pension funds know managing their environmental impacts saves them cash, but they're still not doing it A report that assesses the UK's 20 largest pension funds has revealed...

Maximum allowance.(overseas relocation of executives)
February 28, 2008... Byline: Alex Blyth maximum allowance Companies are having to offer more complex A- and costlyA- benefits packages to entice executives to relocate overseas The increasingly global nature of finance and accounting functions is well...

FDs called to environmental action.(financial directors)(Brief article)
February 28, 2008... Byline: Rachael Singh FDs called to environmental action European Commission reveals first assessment on emissions action plan Finance functions are under continued pressure to respond to the government-led environmental drive,...

Green sky thinking for EU aviation.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Rachael Singh Green sky thinking for EU aviation Some of Europe's biggest aviation companies have created the first public-private partnership with the European Commission to produce greener aircraft. Airbus, Dassault,...

Bigger is better.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Anthony Harrington bigger is better Improved efficiencies and greater access to higher quality investment management are generating demand for large-scale, consolidated pan-European pension fund vehicles With pensions, as...

Fed easing unleashes big market changes.(Federal Reserve Board)
February 28, 2008... Byline: David Kern Fed easing unleashes big market changes Large cuts in US interest rates have highlighted major policy differences between central banks. The US dollar has risen in spite of lower US rates, indicating a change in the...

FSA urges tiered LSE listings.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Neil Hodge FSA urges tiered lse listings A lack of clarity and fears of reputational damage have prompted calls for a rethink of London's listing regime The London Stock Exchange has traditionally been seen as one of...

Leader.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Andrew Sawers It seems like every time the pensions market looks as though it's on course for getting itself sorted out, a new crisis blows up. One minute, a twitch in long-dated gilt yields balloons pension liabilities; the next...

top marks for carbon conscious.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Elisabeth Jeffries top marks for carbon conscious Research highlights that companies with strategic environmental policies are outperforming their peers. So how long can managers and traditional accounting afford to ignore the...

powerhungry.(Steve Lucas )(Interview)
February 28, 2008... Byline: Melanie Stern powerhungry National Grid's Steve Lucas says it's hard to get wired about the energy company's reputation. But a shake-up of the market could be a shock to the monopoly words Melanie Stern portraits Nick...

FDs face chop as UK company earnings miss estimates.(financial directors)(Brief article)
February 28, 2008... Byline: Melanie Stern FDs face chop as UK company earnings miss estimates Chief financial officers may find themselves out of a job as a result of companies mis-forecasting earnings and judging their risk levels lower than they may...

Everlasting life adds i?1/26bn to pension costs.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Melanie Stern Everlasting life adds [pounds sterling]6bn to pension costs The NHS, cheap gym membership packages and Jamie Oliver's healthy eating drive all have a lot to answer for. British workers are living longer and...

This isni?1/2t Labouri?1/2s Black Wednesday Wednesday 16 September 1992 was a very special day in British economic history. It was the day that John Majori?1/2s government conceded defeat and withdrew from the European exchange rate mechanism that Major, as Chancell.
February 28, 2008... Byline: Andrew Sawers This isn't Labour's Black Wednesday Wednesday 16 September 1992 was a very special day in British economic history. It was the day that John Major's government conceded defeat and withdrew from the European...