British and Dutch investors turned to Iceland a few years ago, attracted by savings account deposit rates that were competitive with equity investment returns. It was an amazing situation, and the money just seemed too easy.

Then, Iceland got the sort of IMF loan that is normally reserved for countries like Somalia, and the Brits and Dutch worried that they'd never get their money back from an investment as supposedly safe as a savings account.

Continue reading Iceland Voters Resist Debt Repayment

Iceland Voters Resist Debt Repayment originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Netherlands has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe. At present it stands at 3.1%, according to the Wall Street Journal (subscription requiquired).

You may be wondering how the Dutch hold their unemployment at such low levels. The Netherlands saw the need to develop an aggressive jobs program following the 2008 world crisis. The government poured roughly $2.9 billion into a fund to help businesses retain their employees.

Continue reading What Is the Dutch Formula for Holding Down Unemployment?

What Is the Dutch Formula for Holding Down Unemployment? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While we may be focused on unemployment in the United States, the loss of jobs has become a truly global affair. Next year, unemployment rates in the industrialized world are expected to hit their highest levels since the second world war, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Projections put the jobless rate for the 30 countries that belong to the OECD at 10% in the second half of 2010, which translates to 57 million people without jobs. Unemployment reached its highest post-war level in June at 8.3%. The organization calls the short-term outlook "grim," especially with the early stages of a recovery next year anticipated to be cautious.

Continue reading OECD: 2010 unemployment to pass WWII level

OECD: 2010 unemployment to pass WWII level originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is one of several on business heirs apparent. Let us know in the comments whether you think Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken's heir should take up the reigns of Heineken, and be sure to check out the other heir apparent posts.

It was Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken's father, Alfred "Freddie" Heineken, who built the family business from a small Dutch brewer into Europe's largest brewing empire. A well-known bon vivant, he was friendly with the Dutch royal family, and his sense of humor didn't abandon him even after a three-week kidnapping ordeal in 1983: he claimed that his kidnappers tortured him by making him drink Carlsburg.

On Freddie's death in 2003, his heir apparent and only child, Charlene, became the wealthiest woman in the Netherlands, now worth more than $7 billion. She lives a more low-key life in London with her five children and stock broker, and former Olympic skier, husband. She continues to hold the controlling stake in Heineken, though she hasn't been as involved in the company day-to-day as her father was. She told a family biographer that she intends to keep the business together until her heir apparent, her eldest son, is old enough to take on the mantle.

Continue reading Heir apparent: The Heineken empire grows -- and keeps its sense of humor

Heir apparent: The Heineken empire grows -- and keeps its sense of humor originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The news today the Israeli defense company Elbit Systems (NASDAQ: ESLT) signed a $40 million deal with the Royal Netherlands Army (RNLA) is not just the latest in a string of new deals for Elbit, but could help the company penetrate the NATO countries as well.

Elbit Systems will supply systems to the RNLA's ground forces that will include enhanced tactical computers (ETCs), incorporating tactical communication devices, and data communication software. The systems will be installed in more then 1,800 of the RNLA's vehicles, including tanks, armoured vehicles, and others. The project involves extensive cooperation with the Netherlands MoD's C2 Support Centre.

Commenting on the deal, Bezhalel Machlis, Corporate VP & General Manager Land Systems & C4I Division, Elbit Systems said: "Winning the tender to supply Battlefield Management Systems to the Netherlands MoD constitutes another step in establishing our position as leader in the C4I fast growing and developing market. Elbit Systems' BMS systems are in use today by over 20 militaries worldwide and we view this contract awarded by the Netherlands MoD, a leading country in NATO, as a springboard to potential future business in this market."

Elbit has been signing deals all over the place, but if they can crack NATO member countries defense budgets, this stock will soar higher.

Aaron Katsman is the lead Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of America Israel Investment Associates, LLC. and Senior Editor of IsraelNewsletter.com. DISCLOSURE: Writer has a position and is long ESLT. He has no positions in any other stock mentioned as of 1/27/08

Elbit Systems: Dutch win could be NATO springboard originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Jan 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Another Cramer pick in Europe: Siemens AG originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Jul 2007 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Citgroup Inc. (NYSE:C), which already plans to spend $13.4 billion for Japanese brokerage Nikko Cordial, now reportedly has its sights set on ABN AMRO Inc. (NYSE:ABN), the Dutch bank that's in discussions to merge Wit Barclays Plc. (LON:BARC).

If the Japanese deal -- which has encountered some opposition -- happens and Citigroup is able to outflank Barclays for ABN AMRO what will it do then? ABN AMRO has a market capitalization of about $80 billion. Nikko Cordial and ABN AMRO would be a lot for Citigroup to integrate at once.

Chief Executive Charles Prince, though, may have no choice but to take that risk.

Shares of Citigroup have risen only 4 percent over the past five years, underperforming its peers including Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) up 44 percent, Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE:MER) up 56 percent and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS), up 134 percent.

Even so, the prospect of Citigroup entering the bidding from ABN AMRO should worry Barclays. Other U.S. and financial services firms who are seeking growth overseas may enter the fray as well.

The ABN AMRO saga has just begun.

Is Citigroup biting off more than it can chew? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Mar 2007 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Barclays Plc.'s (LON:BARC)$80 billion deal to buy European rival ABN Amro Holdings NV (NYSE:ABN) will add to the pressure on banking and financial services sector stocks which have performed poorly this year amid concerns about the economy and the housing market.

A combined Barclays-ABN Amro would be a formidable competitor. There's little geographic overlap between the two banks and about the only area where there is duplication is in fixed-income investment banking, according to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

The merger would be the largest ever in the financial services sector and would create the second-largest bank in Europe, according to Bloomberg News.

This has not been a good year for financial services stocks.

Shares of Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE:MER) are down 12 percent, Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) is down 9 percent, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) has fallen 6 percent while Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE:DB) has plunged 4 percent. Even Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS) has only managed to gain 2 percent.

If these stocks don't start to perform significantly better, you can bet more mergers of the size of Barclays-ABN Amro will occur.

U.S. firms will feel the heat from Barclays-ABN merger originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.