Think about how you hand over the keys October 2, 2011 THE CORPORATE FINANCE NETWORK Management buyouts (MBO) seem to have fallen out of favour. You just need to look at the recent Experian Corpin figures to see that there have been huge reductions in recent years. From 2005 to 2011 the number of businesses involved in MBOs has halved from 403 to 217. The figure [...]
Plotting the growth of the market October 2, 2011 WHEN spread betting started in 1974, it was set up to get around the strict price controls that were in place in the UK – at the time it was illegal for retail investors to speculate on gold. Unemployed stockbroker Stuart Wheeler hit upon the idea of creating an index giving investors a way of [...]
THE WEEK AHEAD October 2, 2011 COMPANY NEWS ● James Halstead announces today. Its flooring can be found near and far: from the Scott Base in Antarctica, to the Svalbard Hotel on the edge of the polar icecap. ● Tomorrow, Wolseley will deliver its full year results. The FTSE 100 heating and plumbing distributor operates in 25 countries, with 4,400 branches [...]
THE TIPSTER October 2, 2011 IT is a busy week this week for retailers with Tesco and several others updating the markets with their latest trading statements. Tesco has been wobbling like an errant trolley between 355p and 385p for nearly two months now. Until this range is broken, look to sell at the top and buy at the bottom. [...]
FTSE falls on worries of China and copper losing momentum September 29, 2011 BRITAIN’S leading share index fell back yesterday, bucking firmer trends from both US and European equity markets and under pressure from big falls by heavyweight miners on lower copper prices amid concerns over future demand. Traders highlighted some anxiety over growth from major metals consumer China ahead of official September PMI numbers, due out on [...]
Wall Street closes up after rocky day September 29, 2011 US stocks mostly rose in a volatile session yesterday as stronger-than-expected economic data and German approval of a beefed-up Eurozone crisis fund relieved two of the worst fears hanging over the market. But the Nasdaq was knocked lower by a brutal sell-off in US-listed Chinese stocks on news of a probe into accounting practices and [...]
FTSE weakens on anxiety ahead of new Greek audit September 28, 2011 BRITAIN’S top shares ended lower after a choppy session yesterday, with investors nervous ahead of an audit of Greece’s finances to determine whether it has done enough to secure a new batch of aid. Integrated oils helped limit the FTSE 100’s losses, with BG Group up 3.4 per cent, grabbing the top spot on the [...]
Wall St slides on weak commodities September 28, 2011 COMMODITY related stocks drove Wall Street lower yesterday as stiff declines in energy and metals prices underscored investor concerns about global economic weakness and Europe’s festering debt crisis. The down draft, which comes after three days of gains, put the S&P 500 on course for its worst quarter since the depths of the financial crisis [...]
Rising sun set to shine again September 28, 2011 THERE is a strong argument that Japanese equities are undervalued. Although the macro situation remains bleak, this doesn’t preclude companies from turning a profit – particularly on the back of Chinese demand. A GOOD DEAL Ben Seager Scott of Bestinvest says “Japan is looking like a fairly attractive investment opportunity at the moment, with cheap [...]
FIVE OF THE BEST MONEY-SAVING SMARTPHONE APPS September 28, 2011 RED LASER Ever wondered if you can buy something cheaper online? Now you can know. Red Laser is a barcode scanning app that allows you to compare like-for-like products on shopping websites such as TheFind, Google Product Search, eBay and Half.com. Free, available on iPhone and Android. SPOTIFY That good old money-saving classic for your desktop [...]