Facebook Share Price Halves Since IPO
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Facebook's beleaguered stock has lost more than half of its value since its initial public offering three months ago.

Facebook Inc hit a new low of $US18.75 before bouncing back to $US19.01 - down 4 cents - in morning trading on Monday.

The social networking icon's much-anticipated IPO turned sour amid technical problems on the Nasdaq stock market and high expectations.

The stock has not surpassed its $US38 IPO price since its first trading day. » | AP | Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Les Bourses européennes dans la tourmente
LE FIGARO: Le CAC 40 perd plus de 3% et s'enfonce sous les 3800 points. Londres et Milan suivent le même chemin tandis que Francfort lâche 5%. Les opérateurs s'inquiètent de l'aggravation de la situation nucléaire du Japon.

Encore une journée morose à la Bourse de Paris. Le CAC 40, qui a plongé sous les 3900 points hier, reste ce mardi ancré dans le rouge. Après un démarrage en forte baisse de 2,17% à 3793,95 points, l'indice phare de Paris creuse ses pertes et lâche 3,43% à 3744 points vers 10h30. À Londres et Milan, les Bourses suivent le même chemin et abandonnent également plus de 3%. La Bourse de Francfort creuse ses pertes à près de -5%.

Les indices ont du mal à retrouver le chemin de la hausse alors que la situation nucléaire japonaise s'est encore aggravée. Une nouvelle explosion et un incendie ont eu lieu au sein de la centrale de Fukushima Dai-ichi. «Le niveau de radioactivité a considérablement augmenté» et devient dangereux pour la santé, a déclaré le premier ministre japonais, Naoto Kan, à la télévision, provoquant un vent de panique sur les marchés d'Asie. La Bourse de Tokyo, pour sa part, s'est écroulée de 10,55%. » | Par Hayat Gazzane | Mardi 15 Mars 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: London joins global sell-off as Japan crisis fuels panic: London shares fell sharply on Tuesday as investors in Europe joined a global market sell-off that started with a 10.55pc plunge in the Nikkei as panicked investors dumped stocks in the face of an escalating nuclear crisis in Japan. » | Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Japan Shares Tumble as Nuclear Crisis Fears Create Panic
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tokyo shares closed down 10.55pc on Tuesday as panicking investors dumped stocks after the government said levels of radiation leaking from a stricken nuclear plant posed a threat to health.

Japan's Nikkei index clawed back some ground from an earlier freefall - sliding more than 12pc at one stage - to close down 1,015.34 points at 8,605.15. The broader Topix plunged 9.5pc in its worst two-day fall since 1987.

Other Asian markets suffered a ripple effect as investors fled stocks as the crisis in the world's No. 3 economy seemed only to escalate after a third explosion at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Fukushima province. » | Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Apple Shares Rise on Jobs Return
Mar 2 - Summary of business headlines: Apple shares rally as Steve Jobs returns to unveil iPad 2; U.S. crude rallies above $102; Economic recovery slowly moving along - Fed; Wall Street rallies despite higher oil prices. Conway G. Gittens reports

FTSE 100 Jumps after America Bails Out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
THE TELEGRAPH: The FTSE 100 jumped more than 100 points at the open this morning, following an earlier rally across Asia, on hopes that the nationalisation of America's two biggest mortgage lenders may help revive the troubled US housing market.

In an unprecedented move, the US Treasury yesterday took control of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in the largest financial bail out on record in a move designed to restore confidence in the $12 trillion (£5.8 trillion) US mortgage market.

The action, which comes at an unknown cost to the American taxpayer, prompted a bout of risk taking from investors across the globe.

Alongside the rally in the FTSE 100 and in stock markets in Germany, France, and Italy, prices for government bonds were hit and the dollar tumbled. FTSE 100 Jumps after America Bails Out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac >>> By James Quinn, Wall Street Correspondent | September 8, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae Rescue Sends Dollar Tumbling >>> By Jamie Dunkley | September 8, 2008

THE INDEPENDENT:
US Bail-Out Sends UK Shares Leaping >>> By Russell Lynch, PA | September 8, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (US) >>>

Wall Street Open: Share Rout Continues as Jobless Figures Disappoint
THE GUARDIAN: Stock markets fell sharply in London and around the world today after further evidence of weakness in the US jobs market revived worries about the health of the global economy.

Jobs data released this afternoon showed that unemployment in the US soared to its highest level in nearly five years in August, as the credit crunch continues to takes it toll on the country's already fragile economy.

The US Labour Department said that employment in the US outside the agricultural sector fell 84,000 in August, exceeding economists' expectations of a 75,000 drop.

There was also an unexpected increase in the country's unemployment rate last month, to 6.1% - the highest since December 2003. Analysts has expected it to remain steady at 5.7%.

The US non-farm payroll figures for July were revised up to 60,000 and June's to 100,000 from a previously reported 51,000 in each month. Employers cut payrolls for the eighth consecutive month and also reduced hiring in a bid to save money. Wall Street Open: Share Rout Continues as Jobless Figures Disappoint >>> By Julia Kollewe and Kathryn Hopkins | September 5, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (US) >>>

Oil Price Pushed to New Records as US Economy Plunges Further
THE TELEGRAPH: Dow crashes 400 points as US jobless rate climbs and prospects of war in Middle East grow, sparking worries of 1970s-style crisis

Fears the world economy is in the grip of a 1970s-style oil crisis sparked an almost 400-point plunge in leading US shares, the biggest one-day loss in 16 months.

The price of crude oil was catapulted $11.31 to a new all-time high of $139.12 in New York, its biggest one day gain in dollar terms on record, driven by an almost unprecedented rise in US unemployment and signs that Israel is preparing for outright conflict with Iran and on the Gaza Strip. 



The spike caused shares in the Dow Jones Industrials index to fall as much as 410 points at one stage, closing down 394.64 points at 12,209.81 – its worst loss since February 2007. In London the FTSE 100 closed down 88.5 at 5906.8.

On a dramatic day for equities and commodities, the New York Mercantile Exchange doubled daily price limits after heating oil contracts broke through original limits, leading to a short suspension of trading in some contracts.

The oil price has now risen more than $15 in the past two days alone, having doubled in the last year, undermining predictions the commodities peak could be ending.

Other commodities, including copper, aluminium and agricultural products, also rose sharply.

"This is just a plain old stampede," said Citigroup energy analyst Tim Evans.

"The sellers have basically pulled their orders so it doesn't take much incremental buying to push prices higher."

Kevin Norrish, a commodities analyst with Barclays Capital, said the oil spike represented Iran "coming back on to the radar screen."

"It's a rather nasty reminder that it hasn't gone away," he added.

A prominent Israeli cabinet minister, Shaul Mofaz, said that an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites now looked "inevitable." Oil Price Pushed to New Records as US Economy Plunges Further >>> By Edmund Conway and James Quinn in New York | June 6, 2008

NEW YORK TIMES:
Job Losses and Surge in Oil Spread Gloom on Economy >>> By Peter S Goodman | June 7, 2008

FINANCIAL TIMES:
Oil Surges to Biggest Single-Day Advance >>> | June 7, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers
The Dawning of a New Dark Age –Paperback, direct from the publishers

M&S Shares Plunge on First Sales Drop in Two Years
TIMESONLINE: Sir Stuart Rose's seemingly unstoppable progress towards £1 billion profits at Marks and Spencer has received a major setback after the UK's largest clothing retailer revealed the first fall in like-for-like sales for more than two years.

Sir Stuart, a retailer with 35 years in the business, said that his poorest customers were facing a squeeze and he called for a cut in interest rates to help ease the cost of borrowing for cash-strapped consumers.

“The consumer is facing a squeeze and we have been making sure that our customers continue to get a good deal, but everybody is under pressure, not just us,” he said.

Shares in M&S plunged almost 20 per cent in early trading 94p to 409p as the company reported poor Christmas trading figures. Marks & Spencer shares plunge on first sales drop in two years: Shares of Britain's largest clothing retailer plunge 18% on its first fall in sales for more than two years >>> By Angela Jameson

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)