Money Ireland

Markets news on stocks, currencies and commodities: Spain’s jobless rate at end 2111 was 22.85%; Samsung reports record profits; Baltic Dry Index down 27 days in a row.

Innovation and Nanotechnology: Nanomaterials – – materials just one billionth of a metre in size – – are used in an array of products including drug-delivery systems, cosmetics, and food additives. With the nanotechnology sector set to explode in coming years, there is a fear that there is insufficient knowledge on the greater exposure of [...]

Principal news stories from the Irish Times and Irish Examiner.

Finland’s Nokia, struggling to gain a footing in the key smartphone market following its decimation by Apple, on Thursday posted bigger losses for both the full year of 2011 and for the fourth quarter amid slumping handset sales.

Markets news on stocks, commodities and oil; Japan’s struggling giants NEC and  Nintendo expect big losses; NEC to cut 10,000 jobs.

In her opening address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, urged Europe to become “more European” and work together to resolve its problems. In an interview with several European newspapers, she suggested that unused European Union (EU) funds could be used to help SMEs, entrepreneurs and [...]

Principal news stories from the Irish Times and Irish Examiner.

German business confidence jumped to a five-month high in January, indicating that Europe’s largest economy may avoid a recession.

Last November, Finfacts Premium examined the issues of globalization, employment, unemployment and the distribution of gains between the United States and mainly Asian countries from the development, production and distribution of Apple’s phenomenally successful products. China only makes a few dollars from each iPhone produced but the preference of high tech for manufacturing outside the [...]

The global recovery has stalled with downside risks intensifying according to the IMF (International Monetary Fund) today. The Fund says the outlook is threatened by intensifying strains in the Eurozone and fragilities elsewhere.

In the year to December 2011, Irish house prices at a national level, fell by 16.7%. This compares with an annual rate of decline of 15.6% in November and a decline of 10.5% recorded in the twelve months to December 2010. Residential property prices in Dublin are 55% lower than at their highest level in [...]

The Eurozone’s manufacturing and services sectors recovered in January 2012 following several months of contraction according to a report today. However, employment fell for the first time since the spring of 2010. Output rose strongly in Germany.