Since 2003 bottom, the stock market has had tremendous volatility, he said, whereas the gold price has had a relatively orderly, linear advance that has shown no signs of excess.

FORBES: INTERVIEW: Equity Markets Could Be Ready For Break, Commodities Break May Suggest Deflation

What should have cost European taxpayers no more than 1.8bn euros is now set to cost them in excess of 5bn euros.

BBC: Galileo price rises 1.9bn euros

And thus, after some period of time, that new method of doing business no longer makes excess profits.

FORBES: Venture Capital Returns Are Beaten By NASDAQ, S&P and DJIA

Auctioneers Swindells said the structure had been sold to a "venture partnership" in excess of the guide price, but provided no further details.

BBC: Cleethorpes Pier sold at auction

Similarly, weakening job-protection measures will make it easier for firms to get rid of excess staff but they will make no offsetting hires.

ECONOMIST: Free exchange

Any losses in excess of this amount will result in no current income tax benefit.

FORBES: Don't Rush To Recognize Capital Gains Or Losses

It says that its own meta-analysis of 41 Celebrex studies containing 44, 000 patients found no excess heart risk.

FORBES: More Pain For Pfizer

This means that those S corporations and partnerships with receipts in excess of the threshold that previously qualified to use the cash method will no longer do so.

FORBES: Reactions To Representative Dave Camp's Proposal For Small Business Tax Reform

Perhaps it is no coincidence that post-holiday depression after the Christmas period follows a time of abundance and excess.

ECONOMIST: Dead set against

As a result, he said, there were no injuries on north Wales' roads over Christmas as a result of drivers having consumed excess alcohol or drugs.

BBC: North Wales Police breath tests most drivers in Wales