Wall Street’s rally starts to lose steam January 26, 2012 A month-long rally on Wall Street appears to be sputtering as stocks slipped yesterday in what investors called a possible warning of weakness ahead. Weaker-than-expected home sales figures and a group of mixed earnings reports tempered the market’s recent buying interest. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 22.33 points, or 0.18 per cent, at [...]
THE LONDON BAROMETER January 12, 2012 Despite the economic and political turmoil December was a surprisingly busy month for sales at D&G and remarkably one of the best of the year. Looking back at 2011, pundits predicted modest falls worrying about the wider economy. The first half included The Royal Wedding and started slowly, but overall the year surprised everyone with [...]
SELL January 12, 2012 MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KAY & CO, CENTRAL LONDON ESTATE AGENCY Q. Should I buy a one bedroom flat in a better location, or go for a larger flat in a less sought after location? Is square footage or location king for investment? A. Statistically, in the long run, properties in more sought after locations will [...]
SELL January 12, 2012 MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KAY & CO, CENTRAL LONDON ESTATE AGENCY Q. Should I buy a one bedroom flat in a better location, or go for a larger flat in a less sought after location? Is square footage or location king for investment? A. Statistically, in the long run, properties in more sought after locations will [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING February 8, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES BROKERS SUSPENDED IN LIBOR INQUIRY More than a dozen traders and brokers in London and Asia have been fired, suspended or put on leave by their employers as a multinational probe into alleged manipulation of crucial global lending rates accelerates. Regulators have been investigating US and European banks that help set interbank lending [...]
FTSE gains fuelled by miners February 28, 2012 The FTSE 100 tracked overnight gains in Asia fuelled by lower oil prices and rising metal prices. Brent crude futures slipped to below $124 a barrel after a surge which had been triggered by fears over supply from the Middle East. A shortage would threaten to derail global growth and investors have been eyeing oil [...]
FTSE gains fuelled by miners February 28, 2012 The FTSE 100 tracked overnight gains in Asia fuelled by lower oil prices and rising metal prices. Brent crude futures slipped to below $124 a barrel after a surge which had been triggered by fears over supply from the Middle East. A shortage would threaten to derail global growth and investors have been eyeing oil [...]
Barratt sees first half profits rising January 12, 2012 HOUSEBUILDER Barratt Developments yesterday reported a surge in first-half operating profit and a rise in sales. A focus on margins is helping UK housebuilders recover their footing after several difficult years, supported by new and cheaper land and a shift from apartments towards houses, which is lifting average selling prices. Barratt, one of the larger [...]
Tesco set to unveil bleak Christmas January 8, 2012 TESCO is set to deliver its worst Christmas trading performance for decades this week after the supermarket’s £500m price cutting campaign failed to gather pace in the fierce battle for supermarket sales. Deutsche Bank, a house broker to Tesco, is forecasting a two per cent decline in like-for-like sales from UK stores in the six [...]
Higher costs dent Furniture Village earnings January 26, 2012 FURNITURE Village has reported a 41 per cent slump in annual pre-tax profits, but said sales had remained solid despite a torrid UK retail environment. The retailer’s turnover rose 4.8 per cent to £180.7m in the year to 3 April 2011, according to its Companies House filings. The rise was partly down to three new [...]