Market pulse: Stuart Fitzgerald on the key trends in the Irish SME sector

In death, John Hume is being remembered as the man who made peace. But his achievement is far greater than that. Half a century ago, he stepped out from a community rendered powerless by history and began assembling a political construct that stretched across nations and continents.

An Asian tycoon has suggested Ireland as a new haven for Hong Kong residents and businesses facing the tightening grip of China. The initial reaction consisted mostly of eye-rolling. Yet a body of work on charter cities shows how they may or may not function.

How is it that pandemic income support policies that, at their peak, supported almost half of the entire workforce are being trashed in the national media? What can we do to stop that?

Expect significant equity market volatility in the coming months, and this will become more pronounced the closer we get to election day, especially if polls have not narrowed and Joe Biden remains in the lead.

Hit by changing consumer trends and market dynamics, the indigenous retail sector was already stressed prior to Covid-19. The pandemic has made a bad situation worse. And the government is acutely aware of the problems that this will pose to consumer confidence.

Bill Barrett, who was buried last week, was a key player in building Anglo Irish Bank until his retirement in 2002. Many are in his debt for his assistance at crucial times in their business lives.

Changing working and consumption patterns will hit commercial property badly, while the lack of purchasing power for first time buyers will dampen the residential market. I have picked my way through the data, and the leading indicators are not good.

Building on the ruins of the FAI, a new approach inspired by the ill-fated transfer of Wimbledon FC to Dublin and the success of Leinster Rugby could bring Irish players back to the forefront of the world’s most popular game – and lift all boats for clubs around the country.

For Ireland, beyond the immediate challenges of the pandemic and the ‘July stimulus’, our most significant policy goal should be winning the case with our EU partners for splitting the capital budget from the current budget, and funding the former with tailored, long-term debt.

When ‘change management’ first started to enter the business vernacular in the nineties, I don’t think the executives discussing it ever thought there could be quite THIS much change to manage.