Confidence in UK economy may be short-lived after production data October 28, 2012 CONFIDENCE in the UK economy may take a knock this week, with manufacturing data unlikely to match the strong GDP news released last week. After last week’s upbeat news that the UK has officially exited recession, the manufacturing purchasing managers’ survey (PMI) due on Thursday is expected to show the sector contracted again in October. [...]
Presidential vote is focus for investors October 28, 2012 EARNINGS season may be only half over, but the focus on profits should subside this week as investors turn their attention to the coming presidential election and Friday’s jobs data – the last major economic indicator before the 6 November contest. More bellwether companies are set to report results in what will be another “peak [...]
A will is an important way to protect your loved ones October 28, 2012 IN THE event of your death, your loved ones will not need the added stress of dealing with your estate. And making a will in advance is the most effective way of making a difficult situation easier. Not only does a will help to efficiently distribute your assets to people of your choice, it’s also [...]
What you need to know about inheritance tax planning October 28, 2012 WEALTH taxes have remained high on the political agenda in recent months. After the latest party conferences, it seems increasingly unlikely that we will see any new measures introduced in the immediate future. So, we are left with the UK’s only existing form of wealth tax: inheritance tax (IHT). Rather than being an annual tax [...]
A look inside Google’s Tech City Campus for start-ups October 28, 2012 GOOGLE Campus is a seven floor work and event space in the City’s eastern fringe on Bonhill Street, EC2, designed to encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs. It’s an open-source building, with floors run by individual partners – each with a different take on what a start-up needs to thrive. Anyone can join the Campus [...]
Chairman of the board: Learning to shake the hand that bites you October 28, 2012 THE chairman of the board looked at me condescendingly and said, “Don’t let yourself get too excited about that, Richard. We will just have two wait and see. These things are never certain.” I was slightly shocked at his response to my question about a potential large order, particularly since it was included in our [...]
Negotiating your way to success October 28, 2012 WE’RE a nation of innovators and inventors, we’re told. The march of the makers, the white heat of technological innovation, the slogans roll off the tongues off our politicians in a constant barrage of optimism – close to or devoid of reality, depending on your view. But we’re not a nation of negotiators. Or so [...]
Wall St treads water on weak earning reports October 25, 2012 US stocks eked out small gains yesterday in another uninspiring session on Wall Street, with worries about weak business spending keeping investors wary. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 26.34 points, or 0.20 per cent, to 13,103.68 at the close. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 4.22 points, or 0.30 per cent, to finish [...]
FTSE flat as poor corporate results overshadow positive news on GDP October 25, 2012 BRITAIN’S top share index was fractionally higher yesterday as gains by banks on strong UK GDP figures were countered by some mixed corporate earnings. Banks added 0.8 per cent on news that Britain pulled out of recession in the third quarter, with its strongest quarterly economic growth in five years, boosting expectations that lending conditions [...]
Weak results sour views of US economy October 24, 2012 US stocks ended lower for a second day yesterday as investors soured on another round of underwhelming corporate results and the Federal Reserve said it would stick to its stimulus plan until the job market improves. The S&P 500 has lost 3.6 per cent over the past five sessions, hurt by weak earnings outlooks and [...]