House sales jump as Help to Buy kicks in November 6, 2013 British house building company Persimmon has posted an increase in weekly private sales of 45 per cent in the third quarter. The firm attributed a large part of the stronger growth to the government's Help to Buy scheme, which the company says "has proved particularly attractive." Persimmon sold 3,000 homes under the first phase of [...]
Moneysupermarket shares spike on news that energy supplier switching will see it beat earnings expectations November 6, 2013 Price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com Group has put its strong fourth-quarter start down to households switching energy suppliers, and said that this would help it beat its earnings forecast for the financial year. Shares have rocketed on the news. (Release) The company saw reported revenues in the first weeks of October up 25 per cent like-for-like, [...]
Experian expands healthcare reach as it buys up Passport Health Communications November 6, 2013 Experian has signed a deal to buy another US company, Passport Health Communications, for $850m (£528m). The announcement comes a month after the information services group acquired US-based fraud protection provider 41st Parameter. (Release) Passport Health Communications, a data and software provider, services over 2,500 hospitals and 9,000 other healthcare providers. The deal will see [...]
What you need to know before the open – 06/11 November 6, 2013 With central bank meetings and US payrolls data looming, markets are ebbing back from their recent highs, as investors become slightly cautious. The UK saw Markit's services PMI hit a 16-year high yesterday, although the EU saw some minor growth downgrades. European markets are, however, expected to open slightly up today after a positive session [...]
There is sadly mass support for nationalisation and price controls | City A.M. November 6, 2013 SLOWLY but surely, the public is turning its back on the free market economy and reembracing an atavistic version of socialism which, if implemented, would end in tears. On some economic issues, the public is far more left-wing than the Tories realise or that Labour can believe. If you think I’m exaggerating, consider the findings [...]
AA wins licence to enter legal services sector November 6, 2013 THE AA has become the latest company to enter the legal market after being granted an alternative business structure (ABS) licence. The motoring services giant announced today it has won approval from the Solicitors Regulation Authority to operate its own legal services arm, AA Law. The new business, a joint venture with solicitors Lyons Davidson, [...]
Eight things to take away from Carney’s speech November 6, 2013 1. The Bank of England is pleased with banks’ liquidity buffers – it has pushed banks to make sure they can survive market strains. 2. The authorities had been concerned banks would tap up the Bank of England’s liquidity facilities instead of getting liquidity in the market, so they made it expensive to access the [...]
Services PMI rockets to 62.5 – its highest for 16 years November 6, 2013 The UK’s services industry has seen a huge boost, with services PMI for October flying past expectations at 62.5 – the highest rise in activity since May 1997. Expectations were 60.4, from September’s 60.3. The sharp rise was supported by a strong increase in new work, with backlogs of work and employment both increasing markedly. [...]
Europe recovery draws in investors November 5, 2013 But some fund managers are now seeking to rein in this enthusiasm WHILE the Eurozone has been plagued by macroeconomic and political uncertainty over the past few years, the case for investing in Europe may be strengthening. European bourses have performed strongly this year, boosted by news that the Eurozone returned to growth in the [...]
Turbo-charge your portfolio by investing in rising dividends November 5, 2013 But investors should also keep a close eye on valuations ONE OF the simplest ways of accelerating long-term capital growth is the old trick of reinvesting dividends. According to BlackRock, £100 invested in a FTSE All-Share index fund in 1987 would have been worth almost £900 at the end of 2012 with dividends reinvested, compared [...]