The golden touch of Primark (trading here as Penneys) has so far not extended to the US, where the reception to store openings has been muted and analysts are starting to question strategy. Mark Paul reports.
He also has details of a 2018 wish list drawn up by the Irish tourism industry, where the main umbrella group reckons an extra 50,000 jobs could be supported if the Government invested correctly.
Joe Brennan surveys the markets today, identifying the best performers on the Iseq in 2017 and, in our special Review of the Year, looking back at which sectors delivered the best returns around the world. He also recalls a period of bumper change for the chief executives of Irish public companies.
In an essay reserved for subscribers, Chris Johns also considers the events of year just past, analysing the nuances of how politics met economics in unexpected ways and forecasters continued to get things wrong.
Cliff Taylor meanwhile looks forward to 2018, musing on how the international and domestic factors at play this year might affect the economy in the coming 12 months.
Two banks
In financial services, Joe presents a tale of two banks as he reviews 2017 from the perspective of both AIB and Irish Nationwide. He reflects too on how well or otherwise the world of Irish finance might be doing from Brexit outflows of business from London.
And in still in our Review of the Year, Laura Slattery casts an eye over the business leaders who will look back on 2017 with a proud smile and those who will be hurrying the year out the door on Sunday at midnight. Michael O'Leary is on the list, but is he a winner or a loser? Barry O'Halloran's piece looking back at a turbulent year for Ryanair might provide a clue.
