News Digest for August 29, 2006

There are 7 items today… Investor Optimisim Reaches Low for 2006 | Use Old Words When Writing for Findability | Turn Your iPod into the Ultimate PowerPoint Accessory | What Crisis? Oil, Stocks Show Investors Ignore Risk | Buyback Binge: Bane or Boon? | How US public funds fuel private equity | US funds concerned at private equity ‘club deals’

Investor Optimisim Reaches Low for 2006
Investor optimism hit a new low for the year during August, according to a survey of 802 investors by UBS and Gallup. Rising prices for energy and falling prices for real estate were two of investors’ biggest concerns.

US funds concerned at private equity ‘club deals’
They argue that private equity groups’ decisions to team up for blockbuster deals undermine fund managers’ strategies of investing in several buy-out funds in an effort to reduce risk and diversify their portfolios.

How US public funds fuel private equity
Alan Van Noord, a Pennsylvania civil servant with a laid-back demeanour, makes an unlikely business partner for some of the world’s most powerful financiers. Yet, sitting in the spartan state offices, he remembers the day he was too busy to meet Henry Kravis, co-founder of one of the world’s most renowned private-equity firms.

Buyback Binge: Bane or Boon?
Though buybacks may give shares a quick pick-me-up, they’re unlikely to change a stock’s direction over the long term.

What Crisis? Oil, Stocks Show Investors Ignore Risk
Institutional investors are often too short-term to cover themselves for geopolitical shocks, while individual investors with their retirement accounts are often too passive and long-term.’

Turn Your iPod into the Ultimate PowerPoint Accessory
Well, whether you are on Windows or Mac with a few simple steps you can turn your iPod (even an older one) into the ultimate PowerPoint accessory.

Use Old Words When Writing for Findability
Familiar words spring to mind when users create their search queries. If your writing favors made-up terms over legacy words, users won’t find your site.

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