FTSE 100 swings up on rosy corporate earnings November 2, 2011 BRITAIN’S top share index rose yesterday, regaining half the previous day’s fall and bucking a three-day slide, buoyed by earnings news and US data in a volatile session that was overshadowed by the hazy Eurozone debt-crisis outlook. Mining and oil firms were among the best performers, helped by rising crude and metals prices, as well [...]
Wall Street makes gains in spite of low trading volumes November 2, 2011 US stocks rebounded from two days of sharp losses yesterday after the Federal Reserve said it is prepared to do more for the economy if conditions warrant, helping to stanch the panicky reaction to Europe’s debt crisis. Trading volume was light, however, possibly signaling that worries about Greece hold greater sway than the Fed at [...]
Keep a cool head – put a lock on greed November 2, 2011 AS ANY elite athlete will tell you, timing is everything. It is just as true for investing. When you get in and out of a market is often vital for returns. As Warren Buffett – before his foray into advising the US government on taxation policy – said in a sage piece of advice: “Be [...]
Junior Isas no panacea November 2, 2011 ON TUESDAY, a new product was born. For months, providers have been working overtime, trying to enthuse parents with a desire for Junior Isas. The table shows the offerings on the cash side, with the big banks yet to step into the ring. Junior cash Isas don’t match up to current inflation at 5.2 per [...]
Why managed accounts are an investor’s best friend November 2, 2011 Amit Mehta says institutions should opt for hands-on professional management Recent scandals, such as the Madoff disaster, have burnt investors over recent years, and the recession, which has led to a strong distrust of the banking sector, are among the main drivers behind the trend of investors opting for managed accounts instead of traditional hedge [...]
Sick with stress: It can happen to us all November 2, 2011 LLOYDS Banking Group boss Antonio Horta-Osorio shocked us all when he announced that he would be taking time off due to fatigue. The pressure seems to have finally got to the high-flying chief executive known for his fast-paced style. So severe is Horta-Osorio’s condition that doctors have given him orders to rest until the end [...]
Improve your speech with five minutes prep November 2, 2011 CAREERS COACH FOR those put on the spot at short notice and those too lazy to prepare, decide, and then stick to, what you are trying to achieve with the speech. Do you want to inform or persuade? What defines the speech’s success? Remind yourself that you are not there to fill time with noise [...]
Shock of Greek referendum sends financial stocks down November 1, 2011 FINANCIAL stocks led Britain’s FTSE 100 sharply lower yesterday, after the Greek Prime Minister’s call for a referendum on the bailout package agreed last week sent shockwaves through markets and heightened tensions over debt contagion. London’s blue chips fell 122.65 points or 2.2 per cent to 5,421.57, echoing similar falls across the globe as investors [...]
Torrent of EU news batters Wall Street November 1, 2011 US stocks tumbled yesterday after investors were blindsided by a surprise call for a Greek referendum on an EU bailout plan, casting doubt on the sustainability of the recent market rally. The S&P 500 has slid more than five per cent so far this week in moves reminiscent of the stomach-churning market swings seen over [...]
Japan can’t scare off safe haven status November 1, 2011 THE yen will continue to strengthen against major currencies. No matter the actions of Japan’s authorities, attempts to bring it down are destined to fail. It is not as though Japan’s leaders haven’t been trying – the economy has been mismanaged for decades. But interventions and gargantuan government debt have done nothing to dissuade the [...]