Bright Angels

The more women on a company's senior management team, the less its share price fell in 2008, according to an analysis of companies from the French CAC 40 stock exchange index.

A mid-March McKinsey global survey of executives found that while fewer than 1/3 expect an economic upturn this year, the percentage of the executives who say economic conditions have gotten worse hasn't increased.

Read the AccountingWEB.co.uk summary of the key points of chancellor Alistair Darling's 2009 budget....

• The UK economy is forecasted to shrink by 3.5% in 2009. The growth forecast for 2010 is 1.25%, and from 2011 onwards it’s 3.5% a year
• Inflation will reach 1% by the end of the year. The retail price index will drop by -3.5%
• Public sector net borrowing is expected to hit £175bn this year (12.4% of GDP), and then £173bn, £140bn, £118bn and £97bn in the years that follow
• UK net debt stands at 59%, rising to 68% next year and increasing again to 79% by 2013/14
• Income tax will not go up this year for most, however those earning more than £150,000 will see an increase from 45% to 50% from April 2010
• Fuel duty will be upped by 2% from September, and 1% above indexation every year for the next four years.
• Alcohol and tobacco duties will be increased by 2%
• Stamp duty holiday on homes under £175,000 will be extended until end of 2009
• A new car scrapping scheme will offer a £2,000 discount on new cars when vehicles over ten years old are traded in
• The child element of the Child Tax Credit will increase by £20 from April next year
• Parents will receive £100 extra in child trust fund vouchers for new babies, taking them to £350
• State redundancy pay is to rise from £350 to £380 a week
• Grandparents’ care for young relatives will count towards basic state pension
• Last year's increase in winter fuel allowance to be extended for another year
• Annual ISA limit to be increased from £7,200 to £10,200, half of which can be invested in cash. From this year for over-50s, from next year for others
• Loss-making companies can reclaim tax paid on profits made in past three years
• Additional £1.7bn funding for jobseekers
• From January 2010 everyone aged under 25 unemployed for a year to get offer of job placement or training
• £260m new money for training and subsidies
• £250m extra this year to enable 16- to 17-year-olds to stay in education. £400m in next two years
• Pension tax relief restricted for those on incomes over £150,000 from April 2011. It will be gradually tapered to the same 20% rate received by most people
• £500m extra support for housing industry
• £100m for local authorities to build energy-efficient housing
• £50m to accelerate modernisation of housing for military families
• Main capital allowance rate doubled to 40% to encourage firms to bring forward investment
• £750m investment fund to provide financial support to emerging technologies
• Carbon budget commits UK to reduce emissions by 34% by 2020
• £435m extra support for energy efficiency measures for homes, businesses and public places
• £525m new support for offshore wind power projects. Will provide enough electricity for 3.5m households
• £405m new funding for low-carbon technology projects
• Most energy-efficient new power stations using combined heat and power to be exempt from climate change levy