Vivvo CMS 4.1 Nanyang100 http://www.nanyang100.com/ ©2007 Spoonlabs d.o.o. Nanyang100 http://www.nanyang100.com/files.php?file=logo_top.gif http://www.nanyang100.com/ It may be junk but its cheap junk http://www.nanyang100.com/opinion/neil_collins/6344.html Neil Collins Mon, 18 May 2009 23:04:00 +0800 Tuesday, May 12 was just another day in the twilight zone that is the market for bank debt and preference shares. As usual, that day's dividends were paid on time, including the one due on Lloyds Banking Group 6.0884 percent preference shares. Don't bank on quick recovery, says Bank of English Governor http://www.nanyang100.com/opinion/neil_collins/6342.html Neil Collins Mon, 18 May 2009 23:00:00 +0800 Forecasting is always difficult, especially about the future, as the old saw has it, and Mervyn King, the Governor of the Bank of England, is currently finding it particularly hard. Part-paid gilts should return http://www.nanyang100.com/opinion/neil_collins/5739.html Neil Collins Sat, 25 Apr 2009 23:43:00 +0800 The UK Government needs to raise four billion pounds a week, every week, in the financial year to next April, to bridge the gap between its tax income and its spending. Another pay day for Diamond Bob http://www.nanyang100.com/opinion/neil_collins/5488.html Neil Collins Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:44:00 +0800 At last, Barclays has got rid of iShares. Well, up to a point. CVC, the buyer, may be paying $4.4 billion, but it's not using much of its own money. The finance comes from...Barclays, which is helpfully lending $3.1 billion on terms that will not look familiar to many of its plain vanilla industrial customers. Osmond's plan no joke for Pearl bondholders http://www.nanyang100.com/opinion/neil_collins/5484.html Neil Collins Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:39:00 +0800 Is Hugh Osmond having a laugh? Never mind oil, BP runs low on directors http://www.nanyang100.com/opinion/neil_collins/5383.html Neil Collins Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:18:00 +0800 BP has undergone a critical period of self-assessment over the last four years. The chairman, no less, says so in the oil company's annual report. UK final salary pensions nearer extinction http://www.nanyang100.com/opinion/neil_collins/5376.html Neil Collins Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:33:00 +0800 Aon's website says it covers the entire "life cycle" of the corporate pension scheme, embracing advice, implementation and ongoing delivery of schemes. It doesn't say that Aon is now helping what might better be described as the death cycle of company pensions. A Punch on the nose for the bears http://www.nanyang100.com/opinion/neil_collins/5373.html Neil Collins Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:28:00 +0800 One share in every five in Britain's Punch Taverns has been lent by its owner to the short sellers, who over the last couple of years have made more than enough to cover the bar bills. $12.5bn towards HSBC's Household expenses http://www.nanyang100.com/opinion/neil_collins/5323.html Neil Collins Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:05:00 +0800 HSBC's shareholders have risen magnificently to the challenge, putting up $12.5 billion to break the record for the UK stock market. They looked at the rights price, 254p a share, and the market price, 459p at make-up-your-mind time, and wrote the cheques. Protecting the Bank's pensioners http://www.nanyang100.com/opinion/neil_collins/5177.html Neil Collins Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:14:00 +0800 When the Bank of England prefers to bet on inflation, it's time to worry. The Bank's primary duty is to control the rate of change in prices, but its pension scheme is invested almost entirely in assets which will do best if inflation takes off. What's going on? Nanyang100