Just three weeks since the chorus of old langs syne it seems to be the time for endorsing acquaintances.
Yesterday, we heard (and tried to decipher) Sarah Palin’s encouragement for Donald Trump’s tilt at the White House.
Thursday, meanwhile, brings less bombastic but more coherent signals of support elsewhere.
Britain’s George Osborne has given his backing to incumbent IMF chief Christine Lagarde for a second term.
Separately, US investment bank JP Morgan has put its weight behind a campaign to keep Britain in the European Union. It is joining blue-chip finance rival Goldman Sachs in funding the ‘Britain Stronger in Europe’ campaign group, which is chaired by former M&S boss Lord Rose.
In other news, Scotland’s marine economy has been dealt another blow.
About a week after BP revealed plans to cutting around 600 North Sea jobs, fish farming firm Marine Harvest announced it would trim its headcount of around 650 workers by 100.
The Norwegian group - which runs hatcheries as well as freshwater and sea farms across 50 Scottish sites – also revealed a 15% drop in profits to its investors in Oslo and New York.
BP boss Bob Dudley apparently had more worrying words this week, meanwhile, as he said the current oil turmoil was comparable to the 1986 crisis (at that time prices fell below $10 from around US$30 per barrel).
Elsewhere, it is reported (but as yet unconfirmed) that Barclays is cutting 1,000 investment banking jobs as new boss Jes Staley wields the axe.
Half of those are expected to come in Asia as the investment bank is rumoured to be shutting-up shop in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
Also publishing group Pearson (LON:PSON) is slashing 4,000 jobs, which is 10% of its workforce.