Features
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Euro support and trading after the stress test results
European banks’ stress tests are out of the way now, but what effect did they have? At a first glance, comparing the actual results with what was being expected; the actual figures revealed seven banks out of the 91 tested failed the test – and the...
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New rights for boat passengers
Passengers travelling by ferry or going on a cruise will soon get to enjoy new rights when travelling anywhere within the European Union. Following the approval by the European Parliament of a proposed new law, boat passengers are set to enjoy...
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Online gambling legislation under scrutiny
Entering the virtual world of betting from the comfort of one’s home has made online gambling extremely attractive, with a resultant surge in its popularity across the globe. In tandem, gaming policies have been adopted to promote a healthy and...
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Excess demand for corporate bonds spills into secondary market
Investor appetite for fixed interest securities is very evident from the huge success registered in the many bond issues that have taken place in recent months. In addition to the two issues of Malta Government Stocks in February and May, 10...
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Euro defends gains, investors focus on bank stress tests
The week started off negatively for the eurozone, as on Monday morning Moody’s rating agency cut Ireland’s credit rating by one notch to Aa2. The agency warned of the country’s weak growth, as the cost of rescuing its banking sector keeps growing.
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Panta Contracting in €15m Tripoli project for World Islamic Call Society
Panta Contracting Overseas, the Libyan-registered arm of Msida-based Panta Lesco, is undertaking a €15 million project for the World Islamic Call Society in Tripoli.The project, which sits on a footprint equivalent to eight football pitches with a...
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Institute of Tourism Studies chairmanaims to narrow gap with hospitality sector
Recently appointed Institute of Tourism Studies chairman Claire Zammit Xuereb aspires to have the St Julian’s campus run similarly to a hospitality business to narrow the gap between the school and the industry. “Under this strategy, our 1,000-odd...
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When allowances are not included
Employees who go out on maternity leave or are transferred to another job because of pregnancy are entitled to their basic monthly pay and the supplementary allowances attached to their occupational status, the European Court of Justice has recently...
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Lessons from some legendary investors
Warren Buffett is probably one of the world’s most successful investors and is often referred to as “the legendary investor”. Buffett is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and is noted for his adherence to the ‘value...
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Greece and Spain tap liquidity markets
At the time of writing EUR/USD trading was around 1.2580 with lows of 1.2523 and highs of 1.2613. Early this week the euro continued to defend its levels above 1.25. On Tuesday morning, however, EUR/USD was already manifesting signs of exhaustion,...
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Hotel San Antonio plc offers to buy back bonds
Hotel San Antonio plc, owner of the 300-room four-star hotel in Qawra and issuer of bonds in 2002, published three important announcements in an equivalent number of weeks. Firstly, on May 25, the company reported that it had not set up a Capital...
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Euro defends its gains against the US dollar
The EUR/USD pair started off July with a very strong rebound for the euro, rising from around the region of 1.22 early Thursday morning to end above 1.25 at closing. It managed to maintain this level until early this week - 1.2480 seems to have held...
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Chutzpah, impatience drive success of Israeli start-ups
'Where's our Nokia?' is a question the multi-billion dollar Israeli business community asks itself often. While it is phenomenally successful at taking start-ups to enviable heights, Israel recognises large corporations are not its forte, hence the...
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Licensing system for sports agents
While the football vibe is running high, the European Parliament adopted a resolution for the introduction of a European licencing system for sports agents. Sports agents act as intermediaries between sportspersons and sports clubs with a view to...
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The aftermath of the G20 summit
Over the weekend the G20 summit took place in Canada and despite each country hanging on to their own path for cutting budget deficits G20 leaders came to an agreement to half fiscal deficits by 2013 and to ensure that public debt as a percentage of...
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What's in a conformance mark?
Products bearing the CE mark are bought on a daily basis by consumers across Europe. However, no-one thinks twice as to what is the actual significance of buying a product bearing such a mark. The European Commission thinks it is high time to embark...
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Equity market moves into negative territory in Q2
The positive start for the equity market in the early part of the year fizzled out during the past three months with the MSE Share Index moving into negative territory when the Index dropped below the December 2009 closing level on June 3, 2010.
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Information on food labelling
An EU legislation approved recently by the European Parliament requires food labels to feature mandatory nutritional information and guideline daily amounts. Clearer information on food packages will improve consumers' opportunity to make healthy,...
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MFSA Newsletter
Malta hosted the 10th Anniversary NeMa Conference on June 9 and 10. NeMa is the leading Network Management Conference focusing on maintaining choice and flexibility in the appointment and retention of sub-custodians. In his opening speech, Finance...
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An important development for the local stockmarket
The announcement made by the Malta Stock Exchange and Clearstream on June 10 that both parties intend to offer settlement for local securities is welcome news for the local stockmarket and a development which will offer international investors...
