Short-term leases for start-up stores January 13, 2013 FIGURES from the British Retail Consortium tell a story familiar to any casual high street visitor. As of November 2012, 11.3 per cent of all UK shops lay empty, with shopping centres laid waste by the collapse of Woolworths, Comet, and Jessops. This isn’t exactly good news for newer retailers. The reasons behind the fall [...]
Great value mortgages are making their way to market January 13, 2013 A BLEAK wider economic picture has made the mortgage market difficult in recent years. Nonetheless, mortgage lending is set to expand by 8.3 per cent in 2013, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). And since the Funding for Lending credit easing scheme was introduced last summer, there has been an increase in the [...]
Junk bonds remain risky for investors in search of yield January 13, 2013 HIGH-yielding bonds have been very popular with investors recently. Uncertainty and the challenging investment environment have pushed investors into fixed-income. But because of increased demand, yields on good quality fixed-income investments have collapsed. Investors have had to look further afield to achieve returns. The UK’s 10-year government debt yield now stands at around 2 per [...]
Profit-taking cannot halt FTSE as it hits highest close since May 2008 January 10, 2013 BRITAIN’S top share index closed above the 6,100 resistance level for the first time since 22 May 2008, yesterday, recovering from a late wobble after a choppy trading session. The FTSE 100 index was up 2.86 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 6,101,51, having seen some late profit-taking erased in the closing auction, but the [...]
Bullish Chinese data sends US shares upward January 10, 2013 US stocks rose yesterday and the S&P 500 ended at a fresh five-year high as stronger-than- expected exports from China spurred optimism about global growth prospects. Buying accelerated late in the day after the S&P 500 broke through technical resistance at 1,466.47, which was the market’s closing level last Friday and the highest level since [...]
Banking and mining shares drive FTSE to highest level since May ‘08 January 9, 2013 BRITAIN’S blue-chip stocks hit their highest level since May 2008 yesterday, with gains led by banking stocks and miners after a reassuring start to the US earnings season boosted demand for riskier assets. The FTSE 100 broke through a near two-year high at 6,105.77 in afternoon trade, following a strong opening on Wall Street, peaking [...]
Strong earnings boost appetite of US investors January 9, 2013 US stocks rose yesterday, rebounding from two days of losses, as investors turned their focus to the first prominent results of the earnings season. Stocks had retreated at the start of the week from the S&P 500’s highest point in five years, hit last Friday, on worries about possible earnings weakness. Shares of Alcoa were [...]
A new year’s career: How an MBA can boost your CV January 9, 2013 Despite a struggling economy, business schools are continuing to see a high number of applicants for their MBA programmes, as candidates seek career change and acceleration. This month will see a flurry of applications as either the January blues or a New Year’s resolution – or both – give candidates the final nudge they need [...]
FTSE slips over bearish expectation for Chinese data and US corporates January 8, 2013 BRITAIN’S blue chip shares slipped yesterday, hampered by profit taking on mining stocks ahead of economic data from China, and as the US corporate earnings season came into focus. Miners shed 0.7 per cent as investors, gearing up for data out of top metals consumer China in the next two weeks, including fourth-quarter GDP, moved [...]
Results season start drags on cliff euphoria January 8, 2013 US stocks fell yesterday, retreating from last week’s rally on the “fiscal cliff” deal in Washington, as companies started to report results for the fourth quarter. After a 4.3 per cent jump in the two sessions around the close of the fiscal cliff negotiations, the S&P has declined a bit, with investors finding few catalysts [...]