WALL STREET WEEK AHEAD December 12, 2010 The December rally may be reaching its climax, with just two weeks to go before Santa Claus makes his midnight run. Dwindling volume, excess optimism, and history all point to a stock market that could be running out of steam. Investors appear to have grown complacent as the CBOE Volatility Index, or VIX has fallen [...]
Weather woes likely to deplete Barmy Army at MCG December 22, 2010 ENGLAND supporters fear their numbers will be depleted for the potentially decisive fourth Ashes Test as snow chaos prevents fans from flying out to Australia. A record crowd of more than 90,000 is anticipated for the match in Melbourne, which begins on Boxing Day and could see England retain the urn with victory. But the [...]
John Lewis in sales surge as Xmas nears November 18, 2010 JOHN Lewis said sales had risen by 11.3 per cent over the last four days – driven by a strong performance from fashion and helped by the colder weather. The department store said the week had begun well as consumers started thinking about buying Christmas gifts. Lesley Ballantyne, John Lewis director of operational development said: [...]
Christmas cheer to lift the markets December 19, 2010 TRADING is expected to be range-bound on European stock markets on the open today, with a mild bias to the upside as we begin a holiday-shortened week. GFT is quoting the FTSE 100 index to open up six points from Friday’s close, at a level of 5,877. The German DAX 40 is expected to open [...]
Lux retreats for weightloss December 20, 2010 FITNESS & DIET EXPERT No longer seen as old-style fat farms, weightloss retreats are perfect for those looking to shift a Christmas-pud tum and locate long-forgotten waistlines. For the purist: Covering everything from Neuro Linguistic Programming – through to Raw Food Training and colonic irrigation, the team at Anamachara Detox maintain they can get your [...]
Lux retreats for weightloss December 20, 2010 FITNESS & DIET EXPERT No longer seen as old-style fat farms, weightloss retreats are perfect for those looking to shift a Christmas-pud tum and locate long-forgotten waistlines. For the purist: Covering everything from Neuro Linguistic Programming – through to Raw Food Training and colonic irrigation, the team at Anamachara Detox maintain they can get your [...]
Portugal bond auction dominates markets January 12, 2011 European markets were today putting Portugal under the microscope as the ailing euro zone member launched its first debt auction of the year. The country – desperately trying to avoid a bailout from the European Union and IMF – is tapping bond investors for around €1.24bn. All eyes are on the auction which is key [...]
BAA chief to forego bonus amid snow chaos December 22, 2010 BAA chief executive Colin Matthews has said he will voluntarily give up his 2010 bonus as Heathrow struggles to perform in the snow and ice. BAA, which owns and runs Heathrow as well as others including Stansted, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Southampton, said his focus was on helping the thousands of passengers stranded in freezing conditions [...]
OSBORNE’S AUSTERITY CHRISTMAS: A CHEAP TREE AND EMPTY RED BOX December 9, 2010 FOLLOWING on from The Capitalist’s report yesterday on what George Osborne will be collecting in taxes from you this season, readers might be happy to know that the chancellor will himself will be enforcing an austerity Christmas on his office. He certainly had a sorry Christmas tale to tell at yesterday’s lunch with the political [...]
Invasion of the smart machines January 30, 2011 MY house isn’t smart enough. To get inside it I have to open the door myself. With a key. When I walk in, a digital voice doesn’t greet me, realise I’ve had a bad day and tell me a joke to cheer me up (I’m imagining a soothing voice like Hal from 2001: A Space [...]