Ulster and Irish Banks Say No
No, Ulster Bank is not quitting the Irish market but its parent, Nat West, is conducting a “strategic review”. So, that’s a yes then. Forgive the cynic…
Nikola Says It’s Better To Travel Than Arrive
I once dated a girl called Nikola, with a “k,” as Ross O’Carroll Kelly would say. On our first date she introduced me to one of her mates as “JFK”. Mom…
9/11 Lessons on the Cost of Fear
Mike DiAgostino was the calmest broker with whom I ever worked. Our derivatives trading desk in Hong Kong in the mid-‘90s often had its panic moments w…
Brexit Clown Car Now A ClusterTruck
The satirical puppet show, Spitting Image, will soon be back on our screens after a 24 year break. It might struggle. The daily reality comedy show fro…
An Apple A Day Keeps Capital Away …….?
Swimming is the new banana bread I am told. My fellow swimmers in the Forty Foot this morning might argue this is a healthier, if colder, development o…
Banks To SME Sector: It Is What It Is
Michelle Obama killed Donald Trump. No, this is not another QAnon far-right conspiracy theory. It’s just a turn of phrase. Here’s another turn of phras…
Tik Tok …. Time for Europe to Shine
I love Sarah Cooper. Not long ago Sarah was writing articles for the Financial Times. Now she’s a TikTok star. Her hilarious use of the lip-sync video …
Gold Glitters, Money Waits ………….
It wasn’t just the waters of East Cork glistening last week. Gold prices hit $2,000 per ounce for the first time ever too, but the barbarous relic was …
Is There A Sequel To The FAANTAM ‘Menace’ ………..?
I can remember working in Tokyo when the grounds of the Japanese Imperial Palace had an implied valuation greater than the entire state of California. …
A Big Jack Needed For Punctured Economics
Jack Charlton saved my Dad’s business. The economic text books won’t make the specific connection but my Dad remains convinced. Back in the early ’80s …