THE TIPSTER May 9, 2011 SAINSBURY’S, the third largest supermarket by market share after Tesco and Asda, is expecting a rise in pre-tax profit by eight per cent to £659m when it reports on Wednesday. The top three chains have all dropped market share since April 2010, which suggests shoppers may be looking for cheaper alternatives such as Aldi and [...]
Sell-off in Europe likely today May 8, 2011 A sell-off is expected on European bourses this morning, following a weakening in US markets on Friday from the highs reached after the strong US jobs data. In out-of-hours trading, GFT is forecasting the UK index to open down 66 points from last week’s close, at around 5,910. The German DAX is quoted to open [...]
WALL STREET WEEK AHEAD May 8, 2011 US stock investors head into this week with added worries about the sustainability of the recent rally and a desire to reduce risk, as shown by the stampede out of commodities on Thursday. Stocks also will begin to lose the support they have enjoyed from stronger-than-expected earnings, with the first-quarter reporting period nearing an end. [...]
For Cheapflights, profits go with sky-high growth May 8, 2011 INTERNET businesses are rarely fast growing and profitable at the same time,” David Soskin tells me. He should know: he once headed up the media sector of ABN Amro’s corporate finance wing. But as Soskin proudly points out, this has never been the case for the flight price comparison website Cheapflights – the company he [...]
The new paradigm: raising capital in 2011 May 8, 2011 TO BE a successful entrepreneur you have to gain an unfair advantage over your competitors. While this can come in any number of forms depending on your business, it is indisputable that superior knowledge and contacts will give you an edge over your rivals. This is no easy business, but, fear not, City A.M. can [...]
TRY WRITING LIKE A HUMAN, NOT A BUSINESS May 8, 2011 PEOPLE tend to speak differently depending on who they’re talking to. Ask any American tourist who comes out with a brogue he never knew he had while visiting Ireland for the first time. It’s born out of a good instinct: the desire to connect with those we speak to. When you talk like your conversation [...]
Four reasons why the Eurozone may survive – and two reasons it won’t May 8, 2011 1 COMMITTED TO AUSTERITY Despite (well denied) rumours at the end of last week about a Greek pullout from the euro, Greece, Spain and Ireland are less opposed to reform and austerity than many in the media would have us believe. In Ireland, the electorate remember the prosperity of the Celtic Tiger years and want [...]
Commodity dive is a correction not a complete collapse May 8, 2011 DESPITE last week’s precipitous fall in commodities, not all fell equally and not all will stay low. Excepting the case of silver, this wasn’t the sound of bubbles popping. As such, investors and traders should not exit the whole asset class. Sentiment has certainly shifted, but the fundamentals behind the price and prospect of each [...]
THE WEEK AHEAD in association with GFT May 8, 2011 COMPANY NEWS ● Today, energy company Centrica delivers a trading statement and holds its AGM. ● Also today, HSBC delivers its first quarter trading update. The update includes more financial details than previous quarterly updates. Pre-tax profits are expected to rise. ● Serco also holds its AGM today. The FTSE 100 company was founded in [...]
Upward trend in crude hasn’t been terminated: Oil’ll be back May 8, 2011 AFTER a long sustained period of rising oil prices, many traders had their fingers burnt in last week’s commodity crash. Though with 20-20 hindsight it is easy to say that there was inevitably going to be a bump in the road for the black gold, many are smarting from the hit. This year has seen [...]