Vericool Articles of 2007
A compendium of articles written throughout 2007 by the Vericool Finance team.
Bernanke And Co To The Rescue
Central banks have acted en masse to sort out the credit crisis. Have they done enough?
Rupert Murdoch's Heir Apparent
James Murdoch is considered rather a good egg, but that may not be enough for News Corp's shareholders.
Are House Prices Headed For A Crash?
The easy credit that underpinned Britain's housing boom is history. Can homeowners bear the load?
Branson To The Rescue?
Virgin's offer for the Rock ticked most of the right boxes for the Government, but it is far from being a done deal.
What Should Happen To Northern Rock?
All the options for disposing of the corpse of Northern Rock are messy and expensive. It's time we cut our losses.
Will Northern Rock Ever Fly?
The bailout bill already exceeds Britain's entire transport budget. Is there any hope of recouping it?
How Bad Can The Crunch Get?
Talk of financial meltdown is doing the rounds again, following huge losses at the world's biggest bank.
How Wobbly Are House Prices?
The boom is over, but will there be a crash? Britain's overheated buy-to-let market may make it more likely.
ITV On The Ropes
Michael Grade blames ITV's failures on a cultural conflict, but the Jiggy Pig affair surely indicates a more serious malaise.
Can Branson Rescue Northern Rock?
The Virgin Chief has never surrendered his ambition to become a serious player in British banking. Has opportunity knocked?
Will Darling's Tax Reforms Backfire?
The Chancellor's attempt to rein in private equity could have devastating consequences for Britain's entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Are The Tories Right To Tax Non-Doms?
Targeting foreign tax-dodgers is a vote-winning policy, but are they really as wealthy as they're cracked up to be?
Who Should Carry The Can For Northern Rock?
There have been calls for Mervyn King's resignation. Is he merely a convenient scapegoat?
Could The Panic Have Been Averted?
A combination of high-minded principle and communication cock-ups fuelled the crisis at Northern Rock.
Is America Heading For Recession?
With house prices tumbling and credit conditions biting, the US economy is in perilous waters. Can the Fed save the day?
Rumblings Over Barclays Borrowings
Barclays bosses came out fighting amid rumours of cash flow problems.
Turmoil in the Markets
City bonuses, and maybe jobs, are under threat. How exposed is the rest of Britain?
Correction or Crash?
Can the world's central bankers head off fears that the credit crunch will spread to the real economy?
Should The Airport Monopoly Be Smashed?
The Competition Commission is investigating whether BAA should be broken up. Are Britain's airports really so bad?
Is Dow Jones Safe In Murdoch's Hands?
The Australian-born media tycoon has seized the Wall Street Journal's parent company. Will he draw the paper downmarket?
Is This Really The End Of The Bull Market?
Worries over excessive debt levels in the US mortgage and private equity markets have provoked steep share-price falls.
How Dangerous Are Foreign Wealth Funds?
Massive state-controlled funds are stalking Western markets. Is a protectionist backlash inevitable?
Who's To Blame For The Tube's Black Hole?
London Underground's biggest maintenance firm has hit the buffers. Is it also the end of the line for public-private deals?
An Interest Rate Hike Too Far?
Fears are growing that the Bank's monetary medicine is in danger of killing the patient.
Brown's British Business Plan
There's been no shortage of 'business-friendly' message, but will they amount to anything more than gimmickry?
The LSE / Borsa Italiana Merger
Clara Furse's 'Italian Job' marks a change in tactics for London. But is it enough to keep Nasdaq at bay?
Private Equity Under Fire
Private equity has waved the white flag on tax reform. But will it be enough to mollify its critics?
Is There Hope For The British Car Industry?
Ford's plan to offload Land Rover and Jaguar has got the unions agitated. A showdown may be imminent.
BP's Russian Bear Hug
Putin's assault on BP may be the start of a much larger asset grab; Britain should take urgent action.
Is The HIPs Scheme Worth Saving?
After ten years in preparation, the Government's Home Information Pack policy is in ruins, and may be dropped altogether.
The World Bank Post-Wolfowitz
Wolfie's downfall is a major blow for the neocons, but a welcome opportunity for reform at the World Bank.
Will We All Be Burnt In The Chinese "Stir-Fry"?
Some are betting their houses, others are giving up their jobs to trade. Where will the frenzy end?
Will Frenzy Friday Be The Last Hoorah?
April was the biggest month for mergers and acquisitions ever; May could beat it. How long can the boom last?
The Nemesis of Lord Browne
The shock resignation of BP's chief is a personal and professional tragedy. Will it harm the oil giant?
Boots Falls To Private Equity
The first leveraged buyout of a FTSE 100 company will face particular scrutiny given Boots' status as a national treasure.
Is Inflation Out Of Control?
Mervyn King has been forced to pen his famous letter. How high will interest rates need to go to tame inflation?
An Own-Goal For Private Equity?
Does the collapse of the bid for J. Sainsbury mark the end of the line for private equity mega-bids?
Was It Really A 'Budget For Business'?
The chief beneficiaries of Gordon Brown's largesse were the big boys who shouted loudest.
Britain's Continuing Property Boom
Fears of an American-style crash are overblown, but the UK nonetheless faces its own distinctive property crisis.
Private Equity Targets Boots
The tilt on Boots may prove a test case for private equity in the UK. Is it just a cosy stitch-up?
The Great British TV Scam
Britain's television industry is beset with infighting, scuffles and scams. It's not only viewers who are set to lose.
Was The China Crisis Just A Blip?
World markets are reeling from a sudden stock market fall in China. But is Asia really to blame?
Is This The End Of Free Banking?
The OFT has backed a consumer revolt against excessive bank charges. Will it backfire on all of us?
Is 'Boom Britannia' A Hollow Myth?
Foreign money is piling into Britain and the good times are rolling. Will we live to regret selling our trophy assets?
How Much Of A Threat Is Private Equity?
Private equity deals are breaking new records but the boom is in danger of becoming a bubble.
What Were The Main Themes At Davos?
The bright mood that prevailed in the Swiss Alps masked deeper fears about global risk.
Do Supermarkets Deserve To Be Let Off The Hook?
Tesco says it wants to create a nation of green consumers. Did that hold sway with the Competition Commission's latest report?
How High Will Interest Rates Go?
The hawks in the Bank of England may swoop again to quash inflation. Is there a danger of overkill?
Can House Prices Really Go On Rising?
If interest rates rise, is the housing market bound to tumble? Or will the imbalance of supply and demand keep prices up?
Will Global Markets Continue To Rise In 2007?
Rarely has the New Year dawned so brightly for the world economy. Have we been lulled into a false sense of security?
All articles within the Vericool Finance website are free to reproduce.