CHINA SENDS WALL ST DOWN March 20, 2012 A warning about China’s growth sparked selling in energy and industrial shares yesterday, but the broad market’s losses were contained, a sign of resilience for US stocks. The S&P energy index fell 1.4 per cent and ranked as the worst performer among the S&P 500 sectors. Global mining giant BHP Billiton said it saw signs [...]
Predicting post-budget direction for sterling March 20, 2012 IG MARKETS CHRIS BEAUCHAMP Given that the Chancellor has engaged in the now obligatory routine of leaking almost the entire Budget ahead of the actual speech, there seems little chance of much excitement for sterling. A slight increase in UK growth forecasts from the Office for Budgetary Responsibility will be welcome news, but Osborne remains [...]
AUSSIE DOLLAR CAUGHT IN A TUG-OF-WAR March 20, 2012 FINANCIAL FEATURES WRITER GIVEN its usual position as a proxy for risk and its draw as a high-yielding currency in a sea of near-zero yields, the Aussie dollar ought to be surging against its pairs. A tug-of-war is ongoing between carry trade demand for yield and European economic weakness on the one side and a [...]
THE TIPSTER March 20, 2012 A BIT of risk aversion set in yesterday causing the euro to suffer some losses. Euro-dollar couldn’t add to the decent gains it has seen so far this week, as a sell off in equity markets, driven by concerns about Portugal, knocked the shine off the single currency. Capital Spreads quotes a price of $1.3200-$1.3201 [...]
How a worldwide sponsor captures every dimension of the 2012 Games March 20, 2012 COUNTDOWN TO THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES 128 DAYS TO GO Q.WHAT WAS YOUR BRAND’S PRIMARY REASON FOR BEING INVOLVED WITH THE GAMES? A.We’ve been involved with the Games since 1984. When the top sponsor programme started in 1988, we were one of the first to join at that level, but our earliest involvement was [...]
What George Osborne’s Budget could mean for individuals and businesses March 20, 2012 Later today, George Osborne will take to his feet for his third Budget since the coalition took office in 2010. The economy is still shaky and coalition disagreements have had a very public airing. Ahead of the Budget, the papers, blogs and airwaves have played host to suggestions of mansion taxes, tycoon taxes, and plans [...]
Changes to the tax code should be driven by the broader theme of simplification March 20, 2012 HEAD OF TAX, ACCA THE loudest pre-Budget negotiations this year have been over changes to the tax system. Broadly, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have been having public disagreements over which taxes to cut – removing the temporary 50p rate for high earners and/or raising the personal allowance threshold to £10,000 – and how to [...]
It is imperative that the chancellor delivers a budget today for the long term March 20, 2012 SENIOR SME POLICY ADVISER, ACCA ANOTHER year, another Budget, another gloomy picture for British enterprise. If the chancellor was hoping for the private sector to pick up the slack left in the economy by spending cuts then he must be disappointed. Among small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), it’s a story of low demand and flagging [...]
Attempts to boost Britain’s small businesses will fail or succeed on the devilish details March 20, 2012 HEAD OF ACCA UK LOOKING to turn the tide of not-entirely-successful business support schemes, in the run-up to this Budget, the Treasury and the Department of Business, Innovation, and Skills unveiled two new projects aimed at boosting Britain’s small businesses. The first, the National Loan Guarantee Scheme, reduces the interest rates of bank loans taken [...]
Dim view of banks puts the brakes on FTSE 100’s rally March 19, 2012 BRITAIN’S top shares eased back from last week’s 2012 highs yesterday, as weakness in banks after recent strong gains overshadowed a late-session recovery from miners, with investors awaiting the next catalyst to drive the market. The benchmark FTSE 100 index closed down 4.47 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 5,961.11. Banks, which spearheaded the FTSE [...]