East's winning strategy
ALLIANCE INVESTMENT Management Limited's Stock Wizard Challenge held between September and December 2005 offered a simple proposition - take US$25,000 of virtual money and buy stocks on the U.S. stock market to see how much you could.

Are women less corrupt than men?
ARE WOMEN less corrupt than men? If we believe this perception to be true, then why is it so? All of this has emanated from an interesting Gleaner news clip, coming out of South Africa. It looked at the deliberate strategy of the ANC party...

Big developments ahead - Blythe
NEVILLE BLYTHE, chief executive officer of the UGI Group, to which United General Insurance Company belongs, has confirmed recent press reports that negotiations between the insurance giant and an entity with significant holdings...

Economic developments and activities ... this week in our past
CONSTRUCTION - February 3, 1966: Pile driving began for laying the foundation of the 12-storey North American Life Assurance building on Harbour Street, Kingston. Contractor A.D. Scott and a Canadian firm, Piggott Construction Company were the joint...

Caribbean stock exchange a pipe dream - Carib expert
NOT ONLY is a regional stock exchange unwarranted, it is unnecessary, says Trevor Blake, general manager of the Eastern Caribbean Stock Exchange (ECSE). He was speaking to the Financial Gleaner on Tuesday about what he said were the dim prospects...

Finance Ministry syphons health funds
THE MINISTRY of Finance and Planning was on Tuesday lambasted by members of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for illegally collecting $1.1 billion in administrative fees from the National Health Fund (NHF).

New board for Women Business Owners
WOMEN BUSINESS Owners (WBO), an organisation established two years ago to provide a forum for women who are the principals of their own businesses now has a new, dynamic board of directors headed by environmental risk management specialist...

Lawrence quits Urban Development Corporation (UDC)
THE FINANCIAL Gleaner understands that Dr. Vincent Lawrence has stepped down as head of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC).

Local investors remain timid
DESPITE ENCOURAGING corporate reports from NCBJ and RBTT last week, the bears continued to reign on the JSE. Investors stayed away from equities even as news of a reduction in benchmark yields on T-Bill and record tourism inflows for...

Innovation: The ticket to business growth
ELEANOR BROWN, Director of Knowledge Works, shares some of her views on innovation and its impact on the Jamaican economy. Q: Why must businesses innovate?

Chavez under fire for deals
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP): A CANDIDATE challenging Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez for the presidency said his top campaign issue will be what he calls a massive waste of billions of dollars through generous oil deals for friendly countries.