Britain must embrace 30pc tax revolution to boost growth May 20, 2012 IT is time for Britain to make a vital choice. Our economy is stagnant, with unemployment at horrendous levels, crippled by excessive public spending and a punitive tax system. There are two options. We can either tweak the status quo – try to keep a lid on spending, reform bits of the public sector and [...]
Guard yourself against the dangers of biting inflation November 18, 2012 INFLATION is a silent thief that can rob the value of your investment capital. The consumer price index rose by 2.7 per cent in the year to October, up from 2.2 per cent in September. Though some argue that it will come down again, it has overshot the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target [...]
Sir Philip sells £500m stake in Topshop brand December 6, 2012 SIR PHILIP Green has sold a 25 per cent stake in his family’s Topshop empire to a US private equity firm in a deal that values the successful high street chain at £2bn. Arcadia, the retail tycoon’s holding company, confirmed yesterday it has sold off a £500m stake in its prized Topshop and Top Man [...]
Drug maker needs a high October 29, 2012 PHARMACEUTICAL giant GlaxoSmithKline will announce its third quarter trading results tomorrow. The drug maker has had a mixed year, and shares currently lie towards the middle of their 52-week range. GSK has appointed headhunters to find a replacement for Sir Chris Gent, who had been chairman since 2005, and traders will want details about when [...]
America is failing to face up to the truth behind its looming fiscal cliff November 8, 2012 AMERICA, we are told, is a nation divided. But this wasn’t the closest presidential election in recent times. Far from it. Barack Obama won both the popular vote by a reasonable margin and stormed the electoral college. Obama’s fellow Democrats also rebuffed their opponents in races for the Senate. The only consolation for the Republicans [...]
US shares rise in light trade as vote looms November 5, 2012 US stocks advanced modestly yesterday in light trading in one of the year’s quietest sessions on the day before the US presidential election. Whatever the outcome of the race between incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, the election’s resolution will finally end the uncertainty that has kept the market stagnant for the [...]
The calm before the fiscal storm October 29, 2012 AS HURRICANE Sandy hits the eastern seaboard of the US, just how much will it rock the markets? And could it be a game changer for the presidential elections – now only a week away? According to an analyst note by the chief investment strategist of S&P Capital IQ, Sam Stovall, history says that hurricanes [...]
At last – this Tax Commission has a practical way to fix the UK system May 20, 2012 THE 2020 Tax Commission, and its final report out today, isn’t the first call for substantial reforms to create a more efficient tax system. We found 53 earlier reviews. But taxes are still dysfunctional, and the last substantial change for the better was Nigel Lawson’s 1988 Budget and its sharp cuts in marginal tax rates. [...]
The Budget sent mixed messages on tax certainty March 22, 2012 WE’VE had good news, bad news, and surprising news from the Budget. The UK looks attractive, partly due to financial tension in Europe. The question is whether the Budget added to or reduced the UK’s appeal as a place to do business. The answer, unsurprisingly, is mixed. The reduction of additional rate income tax from [...]
Shore Capital’s shares soar as revenues rise September 24, 2012 INVESTMENT bank Shore Capital reported steady profits in the first half of 2012 yesterday, with strong growth expected to continue in part thanks to its German telecoms investments. Group revenues came in at £17.8m, up 28.3 per cent on the second half of 2011, and down 12.7 per cent on the first half of last [...]