Alliance Trust turns to equities November 24, 2009 INVESTMENT company Alliance Trust said it remains “cautiously optimistic” about its prospects as it pumped up its exposure to equities. The firm increased its exposure to equities to 90.6 per cent in the three months to October 31 with a focus on stocks that will benefit from an upturn in economic activity. BP, HSBC, Rio [...]
King: Deficit must be cut more rapidly November 24, 2009 BRITAIN’S next government will need a credible plan to reduce the country’s structural deficit over the lifetime of just one parliamentary term, Bank of England governor Mervyn King warned yesterday. Testifying in front of the Treasury Select Committee, King said: “I don’t think there’s any immediate risk, but the longer there isn’t a credible plan [...]
Banks report mortgage approvals at two-year high November 24, 2009 THE number of new mortgages approved by the main banks rose to its highest level for nearly two years in October. The British Bankers’ Association said 42,238 loans were approved last month – nearly double the number seen last October at the height of the crisis. This was a slight increase on the September figure [...]
Investment by business falls November 24, 2009 BUSINESS investment in Britain fell three per cent between July and September compared with the previous three months, according to official data released yesterday. The Office for National Statistics said investment was 21.7 per cent lower compared with the same period last year at £28.393bn. The third quarter spending drop by companies, for goods ranging [...]
Germany sees output growth November 24, 2009 A RISE in output helped German manufacturing activity expand for the second month running in November, driving an increase in private sector growth in Europe’s largest economy, a survey showed yesterday. A flash estimate of the Markit composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI), which surveys the services and manufacturing sectors, showed growth for the fourth month [...]
Supermarkets and food staples have a family feel November 24, 2009 BrandIndex asks general questions about brands, but sometimes it’s useful to look at more specific qualities. YouGov recently conducted research on the associations between brands and family values. The recent Family Brands report, conducted for advertising agency Isobel, suggests that association with family values is a useful differential by which we can measure different types [...]
The prezzies kids will really want to find under the tree this year November 23, 2009 THE TOY WORLD has been set alight by a renewed desire for gift-buying after a year of belt-tightening and anxiety. And boy is there demand – John Lewis is doing a roaring trade (up 15 per cent on last year at this time), helped by sales of its toys of which the bestseller is the [...]
Indulge with a basket of gourmet treats November 23, 2009 IN the season of excess, hampers overflowing with foodie favourites and boozy delights have become central to our idea of seasonal indulgence. And these days they’re better than ever – the organic revolution and revival of interest in quality local food means that the best hampers are bursting with variety and class. Artisan cheeses, mouth-watering [...]
Brown and Cameron clash over recovery November 23, 2009 GORDON Brown and David Cameron battled for the business vote yesterday as they set out contrasting visions of how to tackle the debt black hole. In rival speeches at the CBI conference, the party leaders accused each other of putting the economy at risk and clashed on when to end fiscal stimulus. The Prime Minister [...]
Four business leaders tell the CBI of their vision for the future November 23, 2009 SERCOCHRIS HYMAN“To have transformative change in any government we need to see some bravery. We need brave and radical thinking. I see a vast need for services to improve everywhere from education to infrastructure. For too long the delivery of public services has focused on the delivery rather than the user.” PFIZERJEFFREY KINDLER“The political environment [...]