| SIVs, ABCPs and conduits unmasked |
Issue: 09 / 2007 |
| With structured finance continuing to dominate the headlines, in the midst of the credit and liquitidy crisis, FINANCE presents an overview of some key terms. |
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| Skills shortage deterring firms |
Issue: 09 / 2007 |
| Global reinsurance firm Hannover Re has decided against headquartering its European operations in Ireland, due to the on-going skills shortage in the financial services sector. This is in direct contrast to Partner Re, who has just announced that it will be headquartering its European operations in Ireland, citing the quality of staff as a factor behind its decision. |
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| Super Hooman investment manager |
Issue: 09 / 2007 |
| Hooman Kaveh is chief investment officer of Mercer’s investment management business in Europe. In this role Kaveh is involved with the management of almost $17 billion of assets globally on behalf of pension funds and other institutional investors using a combination of international specialist investment managers together with advanced portfolio construction and risk management techniques. |
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| The IEX - a success story for the ISE |
Issue: 09 / 2007 |
| Since its launch over two years ago, the Irish Enterprise Exchange (IEX) has swelled to include 30 firms, while also forging a strong bond with its English counterpart the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). Des Carville and Stephen Barry chart this success and describe the benefits of listing on the IEX. |
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| Top 20 accountancy firms aim to hire 2,260 people in the next year |
Issue: 09 / 2007 |
| Based on the findings of FINANCE’s Annual Accountancy Survey, the top accountancy firms are looking to hire an additional 2,260 staff, bringing the total number of employees in the top 20 firms to over 10,000 people. This is set to a background of a skills shortage in the industry where many partners see the lack of skills as the number one threat to the industry. |
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| Unlimited liability a major concern for the sustainability of auditing function according to industry chiefs |
Issue: 09 / 2007 |
| Exposure to unlimited liability in auditing and the ongoing troubles with recruiting suitable employees are the main concerns for managing partners according to this year’s survey. In particular, unlimited liability in auditing may lead to it becoming an unsustainable area of business for some firms. |
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| Using tax policy to promote green investment |
Issue: 09 / 2007 |
| Tax policy could be critical to foster the investment needed to achieve Ireland’s climate change commitments and financial institutions could play a pivotal role in such investment, says Mike Hayes. |
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| ‘Who’s afraid of the ECJ?’ - not Ireland any more! |
Issue: 08 / 2007 |
| Over the past number of years the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has become a major force in determining Irish tax policy, as indicated in numerous cases such as Cadbury Schweppes and Marks & Spencer. However, a new book, ‘Who’s Afraid of the ECJ’, by Rosemary Healy-Rae and Dr. Frank Barry, challenges this assumption, and the authors find that going forward, ECJ cases are not likely to make much difference. In this review, Aidan Walsh agrees with the book’s main conclusions, but notes a perverse attitude to financial services in its economic analysis, which declares that the sector has, ‘little impact on the productive potential of the economy.’ Moreover, Walsh adds that Ireland’s taxation policy needs to move on from its past, and look beyond opportunities offered by our network of tax treaties. |
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| A Day in the Life: Terence O' Rourke, Managing Partner, KPMG |
Issue: 08 / 2007 |
| As managing partner of KPMG, Terence O'Rourke leads a team of 76 partners and over 1,600 people providing audit, tax and advisory services to a range of clients from privately owned Irish businesses to leading multinational corporations. |
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| Accounting and legal skills key for listings career |
Issue: 08 / 2007 |
| Having undertaken a business and legal studies degree, and subsequently qualifying as an accountant, Joanne McEnteggart believes she was equipped with a fantastic foundation for the skills required in listing, which has seen her become director of investment funds and debt securities at NCB. |
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| Alternative energy investment grows with ecological concern |
Issue: 08 / 2007 |
| As fears about global warming and carbon emissions escalate, many investors are looking at the area of eco investment as an opportunity to make an ethically sound investment, but do they offer healthy returns? Jens Peers examines the investment opportunities that climate change is presenting. |
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| BOI hopes to repeat Parisian coup |
Issue: 08 / 2007 |
| Bank of Ireland will be hoping to repeat its recent success in the Parisian property market, whereby it made almost €100 million in profit in just 18 months, with its latest commercial property offering for investors. |
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| Broker expands service |
Issue: 08 / 2007 |
| Collins Stewart, the global stockbroking firm, is set to expand its Irish equities offering, by appointing a new head of Irish equities sales and launching an independent weekly technical analysis of Irish equities. |
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| Busy H1 for M&A market |
Issue: 08 / 2007 |
| Deal value tops €7 billion as CRH drives deal volumes. |
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| Commodity bull run is coming to an end - but can gold escape the fall? |
Issue: 08 / 2007 |
| Despite concerns that the global commodity bull run is set to come to an end, Mark O’Byrne argues that gold is set to continue its period of growth and that reduced supply and increased demand will only help increase gold’s price. |
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