Economic worries stall Wall St gains August 26, 2010 US stocks sagged yesterday and the Dow closed below 10,000 a day ahead of an expected downward revision in US second-quarter economic growth and a major speech by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. Major technology shares were among the biggest losers, with the Nasdaq falling more than the Dow and S&P 500. Tech shares have [...]
A more subtle way to show your wealth August 26, 2010 THERE was a time, not so very long ago, that bling was in. Fast cars, sleek super yachts, and private planes were fundamental to living the jet-set lifestyle which was the City dream for much of the Noughties. But then the markets collapsed and sunning yourself on your yacht in the Caribbean became little more [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS August 26, 2010 RECESSION FLAT SHARE ANYONE? According to a new survey by easyroommate.co.uk there has been a surge in the number of people looking for flat shares in the wake of the recession. It found that flat sharing was up 59,000 since the start of the crunch and now the total number of people who flat share [...]
Baking up a name for herself August 26, 2010 SHE’S been called the “Bentley” of cakes by Gordon Ramsay and was in the kitchen of her flat when she received the orders to make wedding cakes for Madonna and Pierce Brosnan. Mich Turner has spent the last decade building the Little Venice Cake Company (LVCC) that is now a by-word for luxury. She partly [...]
Start-ups affected by internet debate August 26, 2010 IF YOU haven’t heard of the net neutrality debate then you soon will. The debate centres on whether internet service providers (ISPs) have the right to charge different prices for various services on the internet. For example, downloading a video might cost more than just opening a web page. The debate stepped up a gear [...]
CONTROLLING COSTS August 26, 2010 Q.I am thinking about selling my business in the near future. How do I go about finding a buyer? A.The most common route is to get in touch with corporate finance advisers, says Jenny Robertson, senior associate at Stevens & Bolton, a law firm. “The first thing you need to do is to get a [...]
Be prepared for the turbulent autumn ahead August 25, 2010 INVESTORS fed up with volatile, range-bound markets that apparently have little sense of clear direction will be cheering the end of the summer and the dust being swept off the City trading floors. But those hoping for an immediate return to normality and a bullish rebound are likely to be sorely disappointed. The FTSE 100 [...]
Getting a grip on listed products August 25, 2010 TOO much choice can be a problem for investors these days. Online consumer champion Which? singled out structured products as being some of the most confusing instruments on offer and was particularly unhappy about their lack of transparency, particularly when it comes to counterparty risk. The UK Structured Products Association hit back at the research [...]
LISTED PRODUCT NEWS August 25, 2010 ETP TURNOVER 10PC OF EQUITY ACTIVITY The latest figures from BlackRock’s exchange-traded fund (ETF) division show that exchange-traded product turnover was 10.45 per cent of equivalent equity market activity but was down 8.8 per cent on the previous week at €10bn. Country-related products saw the greatest turnover at €2.1bn, an increase of 1.8 per cent [...]
THE TIPSTER August 25, 2010 DESPITE the yawning deficit in Britain’s public finances, 10-year gilts have been finding favour thanks to the ongoing theme of risk aversion. The flight from equities has seen yields dropping dramatically in recent days. Although attention is now focusing on a break-out, this could struggle to find support unless bargain hunters move back into equities. [...]