Fed at war over fresh stimulus August 9, 2011 THE FEDERAL Reserve last night pledged to keep US interest rates at their “exceptionally low levels” until at least mid-2013, in a bid to stimulate the ailing US recovery. Yet three dissenters broke ranks from chairman Ben Bernanke (pictured) and his senior colleagues on the Federal Open Market Committee. Richard Fisher, Narayana Kocherlakota, and Charles [...]
Eurozone uncertainty drags down markets July 12, 2011 The FTSE 100 dived on opening today after a meeting tabled to thrash out issues related to the Eurozone debt crisis failed to bear fruit. London’s drop mirrored steep falls on Wall Street and in Asia as investors remained unconvinced by the 16-country bloc’s strategy for steering through the crisis. Eurozone leaders gathered with the [...]
Consumer confidence will hit Dixons and Kesa June 19, 2011 ELECTRICALS giants Dixons and Kesa report their full year results this week against a grim backdrop of dwindling consumer confidence. The companies have seen households cut back on so-called “big ticket” items like washing machines and TVs, leaving them struggling to generate sales. Dixons, to report on Thursday, is in the throes of a £50m [...]
Soaring tech stocks burnish banking rally to send FTSE up July 20, 2011 BANKING stocks led Britain’s top shares higher yesterday on strong corporate earnings and optimism over a deal in Washington to increase the US debt ceiling and avoid default. The UK benchmark index closed up 63.83 points, or 1.1 per cent, at 5,853.82, building on the previous session’s 0.7 per cent advance. Solid US earnings, including [...]
Soaring tech stocks burnish banking rally to send FTSE up July 20, 2011 BANKING stocks led Britain’s top shares higher yesterday on strong corporate earnings and optimism over a deal in Washington to increase the US debt ceiling and avoid default. The UK benchmark index closed up 63.83 points, or 1.1 per cent, at 5,853.82, building on the previous session’s 0.7 per cent advance. Solid US earnings, including [...]
The trials of Jobs August 25, 2011 Steve Jobs’ shock resignation was followed by the inevitable panic. Jumpy investors piled out of Apple stock, knocking $25bn from its market cap, most of which was soon recouped. But it will be months and years, not days and weeks, until the effects of his loss become clear. A man of his talent and vision [...]
The trials of Jobs August 25, 2011 Steve Jobs’ shock resignation was followed by the inevitable panic. Jumpy investors piled out of Apple stock, knocking $25bn from its market cap, most of which was soon recouped. But it will be months and years, not days and weeks, until the effects of his loss become clear. A man of his talent and vision [...]
Evolution’s turn in the bid spotlight August 3, 2011 Evolution chief executive Alex Snow, a former rugby player for Harlequins, is said to have been looking less than enthusiastic about things recently. Like others in the small cap market in the City he has been bemoaning a lack of corporate finance activity, including a dearth of share offerings (the IPO of Nat Rothschild’s Vallares, [...]
Evolution’s turn in the bid spotlight August 3, 2011 Evolution chief executive Alex Snow, a former rugby player for Harlequins, is said to have been looking less than enthusiastic about things recently. Like others in the small cap market in the City he has been bemoaning a lack of corporate finance activity, including a dearth of share offerings (the IPO of Nat Rothschild’s Vallares, [...]
Sterling’s slump is costing us all dear June 12, 2011 WELCOME to price hike Britain. Wherever one looks, consumer goods and food are becoming dearer. Energy prices are rocketing. One fundamental reason for these increases is the collapse in the value of sterling since the recession, a development which has been insufficiently well understood by the UK’s political establishment. Sterling’s slump is a dramatic reversal [...]