Business Reporter

Commercial mortgage-backed securities are cleaning up their image, promising a brighter future for investors – but only if Europe can pull together Commercial mortgage-backed securities are coming back. Until last year, the market all around the world was almost entirely shut down, due to the bad reputation that the bonds earned for themselves during the [...]

If you’re a die-hard contrarian investor who doesn’t want to invest in prime properties, perhaps it’s time to become a pioneer on the new frontiers in Asia Risky as it sounds – and it is – there are some good reasons to consider investing in Burma, Mongolia, and Papua New Guinea. The theory is that [...]

Property investment isn’t something you trade on-screen – it requires thought and careful measuring of the risks involved If you choose to invest directly in property, how can you evaluate the risks? We all know the mantra: ‘Location, location, location,’ but, in fact, the experts say that location is really only one of the major [...]

  Investing directly in property can be complex. Some countries won’t allow foreign investors to do it. Others offer difficult climates in which to understand the relevant law and taxes. Then, judging just what makes a prime property so attractive involves a lot of evaluation. Many investors prefer to access the property market through funds [...]

As property investment continues to focus on established markets, higher risk areas lose out The overall trend in global property investment in 2012 is set to be very predictable – a flight to safe havens where economic order and at least some growth is expected. The good news is that the move will be faster [...]

Political turmoil, the financial crisis and climate change are forcing board directors to play a more active role in managing risk The board of energy giant Royal Dutch Shell regularly sits down and plays out disaster scenarios. Advised by the company’s business intelligence unit, the board imagines what would happen if there were an atomic [...]

Global demand for rare earths is set to continue rising, yet prices are volatile. So are the companies producing them a good investment? We want to have more toys. More mobile phones, more video games, more souped-up cars. We also want to have more clean energy. Rare earths are needed for all these and more applications, [...]

Engaging communities and respecting the environment can make the difference between success and failure for companies  Mining companies have to keep a lot of people. As well as shareholders, other stakeholders are setting standards they expect businesses to reach – whether it’s taking care of the environment or considering the communities in which they operate. [...]

From mega mergers to competition for resources, Business Reporter looks at the investment drivers behind the booming mining industry Everyone agrees that mining is thriving. It’s the consequences they can’t seem to agree on. The commodities boom, which includes products from mining like oil, copper, gold or tantalum (used in mobile phones), is unlikely to [...]

Are the prospects good for investment in mining funds? The experts think it could be time to cash in on the gains miners are making Mining stocks are performing poorly, despite all the cash the miners are earning. But the directors of mining funds maintain that the big breakout is around the corner. How to pick [...]