Don’t forget about volatile silver: it is a decent alternative to gold May 16, 2010 AS ONE might have expected, renewed risk aversion and fears about sovereign debt have sent the price of gold sky high. The precious metal hit a record high last week of $1,242.70 as investors scrambled for perceived safe havens. But with all the attention lavished on gold, the recent strength of silver has gone remarkably [...]
THE TIPSTER March 31, 2010 SATELLITE communications provider Inmarsat was one of the worst performers on the FTSE 100 on Tuesday after hopes faded that its largest shareholder, Harbinger Capital, will be able to afford a takeover. After rising to a high of 797p earlier this year, this pullback could push the stock as low as 650p if any more [...]
What the Sound of Music tells us about bubbles April 11, 2010 NOW stay with me on this one – sometimes, insights into the financial markets come from unlikely sources. In my case, I was reminded of the dilemmas now facing policymakers while enjoying a yodel down memory lane, watching The Sound of Music. It was when I reached one particular verse that it came to me: “How [...]
Pru in urgent push to seal AIA takeover May 17, 2010 HARVEY MCGRATH, Prudential’s experienced chairman, describes the group’s intention to buy the largest pan-Asian insurer for tens of billions of dollars as a “shock and awe” deal. London was indeed stunned when it awoke to weekend reports of a $35.5bn (£24bn) swoop on AIA. But since then it is Prudential’s management that has looked shellshocked, [...]
UK media group may sell Peppa Pig to Nickelodeon October 11, 2010 SHARES in Entertainment One soared yesterday, fuelled by speculation of a deal to screen the hit children’s TV show Peppa Pig on Nickelodeon in the US. Its shares closed up eight per cent at 85.5p, a year high, as investors hoped the firm could replicate Peppa’s smash-hit success in the UK. Chief executive Darren Throop [...]
ITV returns to profit and predicts ad recovery March 3, 2010 ITV returned to profit during 2009 and has tipped advertising revenues to rise this year. The broadcaster made a £25m pre-tax profit for the 12 months to December 31, compared with a £2.73bn loss in the previous year. It said it anticipates advertising revenues rising by as much as 7 per cent in the first [...]
Digital Economy Bill set to pass into law April 6, 2010 HOPES for a last minute reprieve from “draconian” new anti privacy legislation appeared to fade yesterday as the government’s Digital Economy Bill (DEB) passed through to “wash-up.” This means the bill, which contains some heavily debated elements, enters a period where legislation is rushed through in the gap between Parliament being dissolved and a new [...]
City: Hung house is most likely result May 4, 2010 THE City believes a hung parliament with the Tories as the biggest party is the most likely election result. A staggering 58.3 per cent of the City A.M./PHI panel believe there will be a Tory minority after the votes are counted. A Tory overall majority came second in the poll, with 37.5 per cent of [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 1, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES OPTIONS TRADING REACHES RECORD VOLUMES Options trading volumes in the US soared to a record last month as market volatility and the “flash crash” added to secular growth in the industry. Nearly 406m listed options contracts were traded in May, according to figures released by the Options Clearing Corporation, up 29 per cent [...]
Virgin mulls free football March 16, 2010 VIRGIN Media is considering plans to give away Premier League matches for free as part of a package including its broadband, TV subscription and telephone services. It joins BT Vision, which is also considering offering top flight matches as part of its existing “bundle” deal, according to industry sources. If the firms go ahead it [...]