Rate revaluation spells tax hikes for businesses January 3, 2010 FIRMS across England and Wales are facing the prospect of dramatic tax hikes in April after changes to Government business rates. County cricket grounds, lifeboat stations, petrol filling stations, football stadia, coaching inns, golf driving ranges and zoos and safari parks will be among the hardest hit. Pubs, shops and restaurants will also see increases, [...]
MPC to hold rates and QE January 3, 2010 POLICYMAKERS are this week expected to err on the side of caution at the monthly meeting of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), after they warned last month that it would be impossible to identify with confidence the turning point in the economic cycle. The MPC, led by Bank governor Mervyn King, is [...]
Japan Airlines gets state loan doubled January 3, 2010 THE Japanese government has agreed to double the offer of statefunded credit to Japan Airlines (JAL) to 200bn yen (£1.3bn), it emerged yesterday. A state-run bank offered JAL aid of 100bn yen in November, and has already paid out more than half of that. Shares in JAL, which made a loss in four of the [...]
It will be another volatile year for the markets January 3, 2010 Making predictions about the year ahead is an exercise that more often that not results in the author ending up looking pretty foolish. The last few years have proved that even some of the best minds on the planet have a pretty poor record in plotting the future. On the other hand, this does mean [...]
Iceland keen to scrap UK payment deal January 3, 2010 But public bodies including police forces, charities and local councils were not protected. The government agreed to pay the money back after months of tortuous negotiations but the bill has not yet been signed into law by the President. Icelanders are furious that they will be repaying the loan for at least 15 years but [...]
M&A activity prompts further flurry of delistings from London’s Aim market January 3, 2010 LONDON’s junior stock market saw the flood gates reopen in the final quarter of last year as the number of companies delisting rose almost 16 per cent, new research from law firm Trowers & Hamlins and accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young has shown. The unexpected jump in firms leaving the Aim market up to 73 [...]
London must not be sacrificed in age of austerity January 3, 2010 As was recently reported, I am taking a hands-on approach to the Mayoralty – from basting the family Christmas Turkey down in the kitchens of Mansion House to defending the City’s interests against Nicholas Sarkozy’s plans for European domination, I am not afraid to get my hands dirty! That is why, if I were to [...]
Dubai shares sent upwards by skyscraper January 3, 2010 SHARES of firms in the troubled Gulf state of Dubai began 2010 on a high yesterday ahead of today’s opening of the world’s tallest building. The emirate’s stock index closed at its highest level for two weeks as investors predicted the official launch of the Burj Dubai will lift earnings at developer Emaar Properties. Emaar’s [...]
NEWS | IN BRIEF January 3, 2010 Ski breaks hit by the recession Almost 20 per cent of UK consumers intend to sacrifice their annual winter sun or ski break this year to combat the financial pressures of the recession, research from accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has shown. But consumers will balance their winter thriftiness with a travel spending spree in the summer, [...]
Seasonal trends can hurt FTSE100 January 3, 2010 IT’S worth remembering that seasonal trends can cause some unexpected moves in the financial markets. So far this decade January has been a bad month for the equity markets. The FTSE 100 has declined seven times out of the last 10 Januarys and lost on average more than 5 per cent during this seasonal trend. [...]