Author Archives: Darren Marchal

High-growth economies drive euro appreciation

The eurozone is experiencing the biggest challenge since its inception – it is currently at the worst point of the debt crisis that started two years ago. Contagion has already spread to Ireland, Portugal, Cyprus, Spain and Italy; and even France is starting to feel the pain. The crisis recently has also started to spread…

International buy-in for JCA programme, despite delays

The origins of the Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) programme can be found in plans developed in the 1990s to replace our carrier-borne aircraft. The aircraft selected to meet the JCA requirement is the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The JSF is an exceptionally capable fifth generation, multi-role, supersonic, stealthy aircraft containing cutting-edge technologies….

UBS exceeds $1bn profit despite rogue trade loss

UBS on Tuesday said 3Q11 profits fell 39 percent owing to the financial loss of around CHF1.8bn ($2.2bn) from an unauthorised trading incident in September. The bank’s net profit beat analysts’ predictions however, as a better than expected $1.13bn was announced due to a large accounting gain which offset the shortfall. Figures were down from…

S Africa buys into “made in China” brand

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe finished a trip to China on Friday by praising how it had mobilised state-owned-enterprises (SOEs) to construct a global power. Pretoria should learn from Beijing’s example, he added. “Markets on their own cannot lead such fundamental change,” said Motlanthe, regarded as a leading candidate to be the next president of Africa’s…

Citigroup to settle negligence charges

Federal regulators late on Wednesday charged a unit of Citigroup with negligence after they found it had sold $1bn worth of financial products linked to the flagging 2007 housing market. The bank’s Global Markets division had misled investors when it failed to inform them that the $1bn investment was doomed for failure, the SEC said….

China’s GDP slows in Q3

China’s economic growth slowed down in 3Q11 to 9.1 percent, down from 9.5 percent in 2Q11 and 9.7 percent in 1Q11, the national Bureau of Statistics of China announced Tuesday.   According to the statement fixed asset investments remained high for the first three quarters of the year with an increase of 24.9 percent. Investments…

Mexico Condos for Sale – How To Buy Preconstruction

Mexico condos in the pre-construction phase are ideal for investors in many way. They offer excellent properties for considerably discounted prices, providing an “automatic” appreciation on the property as soon as the other condos are being sold at regular price, on top of the healthy appreciation seen in many of Mexico’s leading tourist areas.It is worth…