All articles by Kevin Hall – Page 2
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Features
All eyes on Frankfurt
With the threat of a recession hanging over Europe, the action of the European Central Bank (ECB) is likely to be the focus of attention over the next few months, and in particular, analysts will be looking for some signs of a long-term strategy. Whilst we have seen the US ...
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Features
Incentives needed for pensions push
Despite a volatile round of EU summits over the past six months, the Mediterranean island of Cyprus is still on course for fast track entry into the EU. Nevertheless, pension reform is moving at the same pace as a tourist’s hillside donkey on the holiday hotspot. While a revamp of ...
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Features
London 'back on front foot'
The London Stock Exchange, often seen to follow rather than lead, took rivals by surprise in May with the announcement of plans for its own listing, alongside the first signs of a real ‘European strategy’. Commenting on the announcement of the intention to list, Don Cruickshank, chairman of the exchange, ...
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Features
Determined to win place in pan-Europe pension race
For Gibraltar 2001 read the UK circa 1984. This may seem an unkind statement in the light of the reputation of the dependent territory for new financial products, but the pension industry in currently working with government to bring things up-to-date. First pillar provision is represented by a flat state ...
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Features
Furse’s first 100 days may be the hardest
Presidents and primer ministers are often judged on the impact they make in the first 100 days of their administrations, so why not chief executives? Clara Furse, who fulfils that role at the London Stock Exchange passed the milestone on May 16, so how has she fared? Just as it ...
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Features
New law for private schemes
The problems of an ageing population are not confined to large countries, as Malta’s experience shows. Despite a buoyant economy and a well-established social security system, the government is preparing legislation to ease the introduction of private pension schemes, including provision for international retirement plans. The latest available figures show ...
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Features
Merger the best way
Attempts to create a pan-European stock exchage stole the limelight last year and overshadowed the equally important consolidation of clearing and settlement in Europe. With Clearstream, Euroclear and Crest expressing interest in a cross-border system and the LSE, London Clearing House and Crest forming a central counterparty, it appears the ...
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Features
Brussels hit by liquidity squeeze
Like most exchanges Brussels’ has had a dreadful year. This is all the less excusable given that the BEL20 is light on TMT stocks. With the index opening at around 3,300 at the beginning of last year, it nose-dived and bottomed out at the middle of March last year at ...
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Features
New agency to oversee funds
The Republic of Macedonia has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the past few months, but surprisingly its economy has shown a strong performance and its government a commitment to social reform. Sadly last month the threat of civil war emerged again, although the government refuses ...
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Features
Newex poser for local markets
The launch of the Newex in November last year was heralded as a sign of further of the consolidation of exchanges across Europe. The declared aim of Newex is to “develop a new market, by setting up an exchange with the recognised standards of a regulated European market designed for ...
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Features
Poland and Hungary test investors' nerves
Alongside the economic reforms that the Polish government introduced last year were a whole raft of pension reforms aimed at overhauling the system by 2004. So far the government’s plans seem to be on track, and the asset management industry is playing a major role in moving things along. Although ...
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Features
What Euronext means for local brokers
Napoléon once said, “France needs me more than I need her”. Looking at the performance figures of Euronext and the Paris Bourse for 2000, one is left to wonder who needs whom the most. The statistics announced show, as was suspected all along, that Paris is the engine driving Euronext, ...
