The market lacks ideas for growth There has never been such a level of ruble liquidity in Russia: within a month, balances on correspondent accounts of commercial banks and deposits with the Central Bank doubled to 500 billion rubles. It would seem that the market should explode upward, but this did not happen.

Investments, like life, can be planned What do people in Russia know about the opportunities provided by the stock market? Not so much. Several tens of thousands of people invest in stocks, and a few thousand play in the bond market. The number of those who engage in personal financial planning, that is, not just saving for a house or car, but investing money in order to recoup future expenses, is very small. The Russian branch of Citibank decided to rectify the situation.

In this issue we decided to teach a little history. Of course, any article in Forbes is a story, or a story. But here we will talk about history, as we are accustomed to understanding it since school - about the chronicle of events and their interpretation. On page 85, a large material begins about amazing discoveries that led to colossal changes in people's lives and in the economy as a whole.

A crusade against junk food, fierce market competition... How will the manufacturer of Lipton tea and Calve mayonnaise respond to this? Dr. Leendert Wesdorp is more interested in ketchup than the average hamburger lover. This Dutch industrial chemist, an expert in margarine and other plant-based products, heads Unilever's research center near Rotterdam.

Mutual funds Traditionally less profitable mutual funds of bonds and mixed investments took first place last month. They had the opportunity to convert most of their assets into bonds or currency. On the growth of the euro alone, for example, it was possible to earn almost 3% in a month. Equity funds suffered the biggest losses. For some mutual funds they amounted to more than 5%. These losses are quite understandable: the stock market has been swinging in different directions all month.

Imagine: the calendar shows early autumn 2000. You have been asked to predict what the world economy will be like in four years. At the same time, a certain soothsayer tells you that the economic growth that was observed throughout the 90s will soon stop; the “bubble” that has inflated in the market of Internet companies will burst; All the world's leading economies will enter recession for the first time in many years.

The best champagne doesn't have to be famous. It may not even be champagne Everyone remembers well the Soviet times, when a bottle of champagne, or Soviet champagne, fruit and a box of chocolates were considered incredible chic and an indispensable condition for seducing a woman. Generous donors with a rich imagination could add five more carnations and French perfume to this. A lot has changed since then. All that's left is champagne.

Council Over the past four years, Russian assets in general and the stock market in particular have shown amazing growth. The RTS index quadrupled, bonds rose in price by more than 70%, and real estate tripled in price. However, the height to which the market has “climbed” poses a serious problem for investors trying to choose a strategy for investing their funds. The thing is that the current “high cost” of the market is combined with great instability.

The Tuscan restaurant Da Caino celebrates cooking with passion Tuscany is one of the main tourist centers of Italy, but even here there are corners that are not trampled by visitors. For example, Maremma. However, it’s hard to call this southern part of Tuscany godforsaken, if only because there is a restaurant called Da Caino. The word "Maremma" can be translated from Italian as "swampy seashore".

Harvesters bring profit to some, losses to others A riddle for an accountant: is there a connection between production volume and the company’s financial performance? Correct answer: no. Let's look at an example. Over the three quarters of 2004, Rostselmash, the largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery in Russia, produced 3,800 combines, which is 72% higher than last year.

Benefits of the crisis Forbes wrote about the “tank boom” in its July issue. Oil exports from Russia grew, and so did the demand for rail tank cars for transporting oil. Prices for this means of transport also went up, and at a frantic pace - by $1000 in some months. Tanks, which previously could be purchased for $15,000, in July of this year already cost $36,000 - and there was a waiting list for them.

On a business trip and during vacation, cinema is the most important art. You can often see people with laptops in airplane cabins. Previously, these were managers editing documents. Now passengers most often just watch a movie. A few years ago there was a great change in the world of laptops. Their mass models have gained enough power to show videos.

Unknown shareholder of a famous exchange The pillar of the Russian stock market, the RTS exchange, recently went corporatized and revealed the composition of its owners. The largest blocks of shares (5.4%, for 4.3 million rubles) belong to leading investment companies: Aton, Troika Dialog, etc. Among this list there is only one unknown name - Own Financial Company LLC. SFK was created back in 1994 by the main owner of the Euroexport holding, Andrey Shmakov.

There are two holy places in the Nizhny Novgorod region. One is for pilgrims, the other is for foreign investors The branded train from Moscow arrives at the Nizhny Novgorod station strictly on schedule. It's 7:30 am. The city is already noisy, people are moving rapidly through the streets. I am amazed at the number of “grooves” scurrying along the roads - buses, which in the capital are most often used by funeral service firms.

General Electric is the largest company in the world. Then why is its presence in Russia so invisible? If you look hard enough, you can find General Electric products in Russia and neighboring countries. For example, a GE transformer at one of the Chelyabenergo substations has been operating without repair for more than 70 years. The legendary Dnieper Hydroelectric Station was once equipped with generators from an American company. GE lamps illuminate the Moscow Ring Road.