Doddering fiscal cliff talks prevent FTSE from jumping towards 6,000 December 20, 2012 BRITAIN’S top share index steadied around nine-month highs yesterday, pausing within reach of the 6,000 points mark. Investors were discouraged from pushing the market too much higher by the lack of progress by US politicians on a deal to avoid a “fiscal cliff” of planned tax hikes and spending cuts that threatens the health of [...]
Fiscal cliff fight dampens gains on Wall Street December 19, 2012 US stocks sold off late in the day to close at session lows yesterday as talks to avert a year-end fiscal crisis turned sour, even as investors still expect a deal. The S&P 500 slipped after a two-day rally that took the benchmark index to its highest close in two months. Defensive-oriented shares led the [...]
US budget hope and Christmas cheer push FTSE close to 6,000 December 19, 2012 BRITAIN’S blue-chip share index scaled fresh nine-month highs yesterday on growing expectations of a US budget deal, and nearing tough technical resistance levels en-route to the 6,000 mark. Although the US political ping-pong continued, the main parties looked to be closing in on an agreement to avoid the “fiscal cliff” of tax hikes and spending [...]
Business networking has been transformed December 19, 2012 NETWORKING has always played an important role in career and business progression, but it has seen a significant transformation in recent years. The most notable change has come in the way professionals network: from a face-to-face business card exchange to making hundreds of connections on, for example, LinkedIn. Executives at global companies no longer need [...]
Embracing new technology gets companies ready for the future December 19, 2012 DIRECTOR UK ENTERPRISE, CISCO Q How have advancements in the internet and online networking helped businesses through the difficult economic period? A Three of the key reasons for any company to use the internet are business model innovation, reaching more customers, and reducing costs. To quote Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive of Amazon.com, “the [...]
SMEs need an online presence to prosper December 19, 2012 LIKE all smaller companies, FusePump has found networking technology essential for gaining business as well as enabling it. The internet, in particular, has meant that even smaller businesses like ours can have a global reach, with companies now conducting meetings and business transactions online without having to be in the same country. FusePump, for example, [...]
Stocks rally to cap off best run in a month December 18, 2012 US stocks rallied on strong volume yesterday, capping off the S&P 500’s best two-day run in a month, on confidence that a deal would be struck in Washington to avoid painful spending cuts and tax hikes that could hurt the economy. Banks, energy and technology – sectors that would benefit during economic expansion – led [...]
Signs the US will steer away from fiscal cliff help to push FTSE higher December 18, 2012 BRITAIN’S share index rose yesterday, led by gains in risk-sensitive commodity issues on signs of progress towards a political compromise on the US fiscal cliff. The FTSE 100 closed up 23.75 points, or 0.4 per cent, at 5,935.90 but failed to hold above last week’s nine-month closing peak of 5,945.85 which was within 20 points [...]
Japan is ready to try anything to weaken yen December 18, 2012 JAPAN’s Liberal Democrat Party (LDP) emphatically took control of the country’s lower house on Sunday. The outcome was anticipated by currency traders, who expected the dovish LDP leader Shinzo Abe to walk into the job of Prime Minister, becoming Japan’s seventh leader in as many years. Although many believe that the LDP’s victory heralds a [...]
US markets up on hopes of economic deal December 17, 2012 THE S&P 500 ended at its highest level in almost two months yesterday on rising hopes that negotiations over the “fiscal cliff” were making progress and that a deal could be reached in days. After weeks of stalemate, President Barack Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner met at the White House, raising hopes that [...]