Wednesday-Night

May 8
The house-price bust has a long way to go
(The Economist) SOUNDING more like a cartographer than a central banker, Ben Bernanke this week showed off the Federal Reserve’s latest gizmo for tracking America’s property bust: maps that colour-code price declines, foreclosures and other gauges of housing distress for every county. His goal was […]

April 29
Gore investment body closes $683m fund
By Fiona Harvey in London
The investment vehicle headed by Al Gore has closed a new $683m fund to invest in early-stage environmental companies and has mounted a robust defence of green investing.
The Climate Solutions Fund will be one of the biggest in the growing market for investment funds with […]

April 25, 2008
Investors vote in favour of plan to restructure $32B of frozen commercial paper
David Friend, THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO - Investors holding $32 billion in frozen asset-backed commercial paper have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a plan to restructure the investments, clearing one of the hurdles that had to be overcome before the issue can […]

April 18
Billionaire Texas oil man makes big bets on wind
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legendary Texas oil man T. Boone Pickens has gone green with a plan to spend $10 billion to build the world’s biggest wind farm. But he’s not doing it out of generosity - he expects to turn a buck.
Next month, Pickens’ company, Mesa […]

Wednesday Night Goes Global - or at least partially!
On Wednesday April 2, a select group of Wednesday Nighters will gather in Athens on the first day of the New School of Athens (NSOA) Conference Athens-3 organized by Kimon Valaskakis OWN. Jaime Webbe and Cleo Paskal are participating in the Panel on Globalisation and Security: […]

As Diana’s computer has a serious malaise, this message is subject to a brief window of opportunity. Thus, it is short and with none of the usual links to major stories (you will have to do your own homework - but we’ll make it up to you).
With the horrendous weather forecast in view, we will […]

February 28, 2008
(NYT) Cash-Rich, Publicity-Shy, Abu Dhabi Fund Draws Scrutiny
By LANDON THOMAS Jr.
Abu Dhabi has about 9 percent of the world’s oil and 0.02 percent of its population. The result is a surfeit of petrodollars, much of which is funneled into a secretive, government-controlled investment fund that is helping to shift the balance of power […]

February 27, 2008
(Globe & Mail) Corporate Canada easy prey for foreign buyers
JANET MCFARLAND
Canada’s takeover-friendly securities laws have helped make the country the easiest in the world for foreign acquirers, according to a groundbreaking new study that shows Canadians are the world’s biggest net sellers of corporate assets in terms of the nation’s market size.
An 86-page […]

Margaret Lefebvre will introduce her colleague and good friend, George Kesteven, president of the Canadian Association of Income Funds (CAIF) - an organization with dwindling membership in the face of the Conservatives’ taxation policy with regard to income trusts.
Director of Investor Relations for PrimeWest Energy Trust since 2001, George is in a unique position […]

29 January 2008
Finance Minister backs injections of overseas cash; plans national security test for foreign takeovers
TARA PERKINS, Globe& Mail
State-owned investment vehicles are good for the economies of countries they invest in, federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says, having recently met with officials from what’s believed to be the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund.
“There is no […]