Eurozone factory PMI sinks, output growth slows

The 16-nation bloc and its common currency have been hit by waves of investor insecurity churned up by the region’s debt crisis and fears that troubles in Greece may be spreading to other peripheral eurozone economies. “There has been a slowdown in growth globally and in the eurozone there is subdued domestic demand due to…

How to Market Your Rental Property

Marketing your investment rental property requires only a few decisions.  How much rent to ask, where to advertise, the length of your lease, improvements to be made and do you need to stage the property?  The answers to these questions also depend on the current market environment. Determining the asking rent is the most important piece. …

NATO says security key to economic growth

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has been quoted as saying economic growth was dependent on global security and that governments should be aware of this when cutting defence budgets. Rasmussen said in an interview that pressure on governments to reduce budget deficits would undoubtedly lead to cutbacks in defence spending but urged NATO countries…

China avoids commitment to US on currency

China struck a conciliatory note at the opening of talks with the US by vowing to spur domestic demand and keeping a guarded opening to exchange rate reform, which the Obama administration says is needed to rebalance the global economy. The US treaded softly on the subject and welcomed Beijing’s long-standing pledge to reform the…

Kenya expects 4-5% economic growth this year

Kenya expects economic growth to accelerate to between four and five percent this year, helped by the likely recovery of the global economy and as favourable weather conditions boost agriculture, its planning minister says. East Africa’s biggest economy expanded by 2.6 percent in 2009, up from a revised 1.6 percent in 2008, the government said,…

ICAP year profit beats forecast, good start to Q1

ICAP, the world’s biggest interdealer broker, reported a good start to its financial year, helped by active and volatile markets, when posting a better than expected five percent drop in full-year pretax profit. Concerns about Greece and other peripheral European sovereign debt and a 750 million euro rescue package have led to wide swings in…