THE TIPSTER March 20, 2011 WITH world soft commodity prices rising, there is one that has been difficult to get exposure to – rice. Origo, a private equity investor in China, has acquired approximately a 25 per cent stake in China Rice. This firm, a processing and distribution group, plans to create a nationwide brand associated with good margins. Exposure [...]
It pays to know HMRC’s stance on trading gains March 20, 2011 ONE of the biggest draws of spread betting over traditional share dealing is the former’s tax status. Although the Treasury is currently searching under each and every rock and stone in the search for revenue, it is highly unlikely that spread betting will lose this position. Spread betting is tax free for the consumer in [...]
VOLATILITY IN OIL REQUIRES A STRATEGY March 20, 2011 HEAD OF INTERTRADER.COM THE latest turmoil in the Middle East has sparked a rally in oil prices, introducing daily changes and overall volatility we haven’t seen since 2008. It’s only in the last few years that oil trading became readily available to retail traders, allowing us to benefit from changes in price, if we get [...]
Consultancy from the business commandos March 20, 2011 DAMIAN McKinney rings me from his boat off the coast of Guadalupe. This ex-Royal Marine commando turned entrepreneur tells me that he has always wanted to have a video conference from a boat, wearing a shirt and tie, pretending he’s in the office. “This is close enough,” he laughs. After a 20-year military career in [...]
THE RISE OF THE BRAND ASSASSIN March 20, 2011 SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR AFTER receiving a healthy sum of birthday money from his rather indulgent grandparents, my son resolved to spend it on an Xbox 360. PC World was a full £25 cheaper than my usual first stop shop, Amazon. Deal done, order placed, but no item arrived. Days passed, phone calls were made, confusing emails [...]
Commodities drive FTSE 100 higher as prices tempt buyers March 17, 2011 COMMODITY stocks powered a bounce in Britain’s top shares by close yesterday, as heavy selling this week made equities look attractive from a technical perspective, with volatility set to persist. The FTSE 100 index closed 97.88 points or 1.8 per cent, higher at 5,696.11. It had fallen in each of the previous six sessions and [...]
Bargain hunters help lift Wall St March 17, 2011 WALL Street rebounded after three days of declines yesterday, but the advance could be temporary as concerns about Japan’s nuclear crisis persisted. The S&P 500 recovered after giving up the year’s gains on Wednesday, but options activity showed traders are increasing hedges against another decline in stocks. “As the headlines come out of Japan, there [...]
How business education is adapting to globalisation March 16, 2011 SINCE their very beginnings, business schools have focused on international trade. When the Aula do Comercio was set up in Lisbon in 1759, one of the four subjects taught was the “study of weights and measures from different countries [and] methods for the exchange of currencies.” The Imperial Export Academy in Vienna was created in [...]
BUSINESS SCHOOL NEWS IN BRIEF March 16, 2011 FS STILL NUMBER ONE It might not be the politicians’ favourite sector, but MBA graduates are still pretty keen on the financial services. In its 2011 Alumni Perspectives Survey GMAC (the Graduate Management Admission Council) says that 22 per cent of MBA graduates went to work in the financial services, up on 15 per cent [...]
Nuclear power falls as Vix gauge jumps March 16, 2011 US stocks sank for a third day yesterday as worries about Japan’s nuclear crisis escalated, and analysts saw more volatility ahead for the market. The S&P 500 fell more than one pe cent and was within a few points of turning negative for the year after the UN nuclear watchdog chief said the situation at [...]