Business and Finance News
Coming rise of venture capital zombie funds after peak valuations
The Wall Street Journal reports this week on chatter from the Digital Life Design (DLD) tech conference in Tel Aviv on the expected rise of venture zombie funds — venture capital vehicles that deployed investors’ capital at peak valuations but can’t sell off at a profit.
US pay/ productivity gap; Real wages for typical worker flat since 1970s
Since the 1970s hourly compensation for the typical US worker has essentially stagnated, even as net productivity continued to increase. This trend continues to the present day and from 2000 to 2014, net productivity grew by 21.6%, while the hourly com…
EU and G-20 advanced/ emerging countries key statistics in 2015
The 2015 edition of the Eurostat publication “The EU in the world” compares the European Union (EU) with the 15 non-EU G-20 (group of twenty; there is a total of 19 countries) across thirteen statistical fields using a range of European and internation…
OECD says growth slows in US and UK; Eurostat revises up Euro Area GDP
Composite leading indicators (CLIs), designed to anticipate turning points in economic activity relative to trend, continue to point to stable growth momentum in the OECD Area as a whole. Growth in the US and UK is expected to moderate while indicators…
US employment ratio in 2015 remains at recession trough in June 2009
The US employment ratio in August 2015 was at 59.4% — the same level as the recession trough in June 2009 and not previously recorded since March 1981. Meanwhile the labour force participation rate in August at 62.6% was 3.1% lower than in June 2009 and until June 2015 when it was also at 62.6%, the low level had not been seen since early 1978 when increasing numbers of married women began joining the workforce.
China’s trade surplus surges 40% in August as imports plunge
China’s foreign trade in August dropped 9.7% year-on-year, with exports falling 6.1% and imports plunging 14.3%, official data showed on Tuesday. The trade surplus jumped by 40%. China’s statistics authority on Monday lowered the country’s growth rate for 2014 to 7.3% from its original estimate of 7.4%.
World deforestation slows; Area size of South Africa lost since 1990
The world’s forests continue to shrink as populations increase and forest land is converted to agriculture and other uses, but over the past 25 years the rate of net global deforestation has slowed down by more than 50%, the Food and Agriculture Organi…
Sun to set on second golden period for Irish commercial property
The sun maybe about to set on the second golden period for Irish commercial property according to the Dublin and London listed Green REIT which announced its results Monday for the 12 months to 30 June 2015. Green REIT reported a total return of 24.4% in the year and profit was at €157m (30 June 2014: profit of €43m) with basic earnings per share (EPS) rising 89.5% to 23.5 cent.
UK manufacturing forecast cut; Jobs market slows
EEF (Engineering Employers’ Federation), UK manufacturers’ lobby group, has cut its forecast for growth in 2015 in half because of a “rollercoaster of risks” taking its toll on UK manufacturing. Meanwhile, a survey on jobs reports that permanent positi…
German government to spend extra €6bn to cover cost of refugees
The German government agreed early Monday to spend an extra €6bn to cover the cost of the expected record influx of refugees this year. €3bn will be added to the federal budget and a further €3bn will be given to states and local governments.