Osmond in talks for APR June 12, 2011 HUGH Osmond, the co-founder of Pizza Express and Punch Taverns, is poised to buy a controlling stake in US power supply firm APR Energy. The City financier is in advanced talks with funds backed by George Soros, the US hedge fund billionaire, and Madeleine Albright, former US secretary of state, over a purchase. Osmond will [...]
Gold at record on US budget impasse July 27, 2011 GOLD reached a fresh all-time high across the pond yesterday, as the US was hit by gloomy economic news and yet another day of political feuding over the debt ceiling. The precious metal – often seen as a safe haven for investors in times of strife and unstable currencies – reached $1,628 an ounce after [...]
Commodity shares lift FTSE on sunny US and China stats July 7, 2011 COMMODITY stocks led the FTSE 100 sharply higher yesterday, as US jobs data boosted confidence that the world’s biggest economy was showing signs of picking up heading into second-half. Integrated oils rose along with crude oil as reports showed US private employers stepped up hiring in June and the number of Americans filing for jobless [...]
Commodity shares lift FTSE on sunny US and China stats July 7, 2011 COMMODITY stocks led the FTSE 100 sharply higher yesterday, as US jobs data boosted confidence that the world’s biggest economy was showing signs of picking up heading into second-half. Integrated oils rose along with crude oil as reports showed US private employers stepped up hiring in June and the number of Americans filing for jobless [...]
Commodities dent FTSE 100 despite strong banking stocks February 15, 2011 BRITAIN’S s top share index closed lower yesterday as strength in banking stocks, inspired by forecast-busting results from Barclays, was outweighed by a broad retreat in the mining sector on commodity price wobbles. The FTSE 100 index closed down 23.01 points, or 0.4 per cent, at 6,037.08. The FTSE 250, FTSE 350 and AIM 100 [...]
Private sector recovery still on track November 1, 2010 WHAT a day for the global economy. In Britain, China and America, manufacturing surveys surged ahead, in every case beating consensus estimates and suggesting strong private sector growth over the next few months. Yesterday’s jump in the global purchasing managers indices were undoubtedly the most bullish indicator I have seen in a long time. The [...]
BG Group’s new project could be revolutionary November 1, 2010 THE coverage of third quarter oil company earnings published today will mask a more interesting story for the energy sector. Natural gas giant BG Group announced on Saturday that it had been given the go ahead to become the first company to liquefy gas from coal deposits. The new venture will have the capacity to [...]
Banks propel FTSE upwards after interest rates decision December 9, 2010 BANKS helped Britain’s top shares rise yesterday after the Bank of England kept interest rates and quantitative easing measures unchanged, while US jobs figures raised hopes that a recovery was under way. The FTSE 100 was up 13.43 points, or 0.2 per cent, at 5,807.96, eradicating Wednesday’s losses, though gains were muted, with some traders [...]
So much for the knowledge economy – industry is back January 9, 2011 MAKING things had been thought to have gone out of fashion not that long ago. As the proportion of output and number of jobs devoted to manufacturing and heavy industry in most Western economies seemed to be on a relentless decline, many commentators began talking about “post-industrial societies”, and politicians about “the knowledge economy”. How [...]
So much for the knowledge economy – industry is back January 9, 2011 MAKING things had been thought to have gone out of fashion not that long ago. As the proportion of output and number of jobs devoted to manufacturing and heavy industry in most Western economies seemed to be on a relentless decline, many commentators began talking about “post-industrial societies”, and politicians about “the knowledge economy”. How [...]