FTSE 100 sinks again over fears of Middle East unrest February 23, 2011 POLITICAL turmoil in Libya and the threat of contagion across the Middle East and North Africa sent Britain’s leading shares lower yesterday, testing seven-month technical support levels. The FTSE 100 index was 73.23 points, or 1.2 per cent, lower at 5,923.53, extending its declines to more than 2.5 per cent on the week. London’s blue [...]
US stocks drop on volatile oil prices February 23, 2011 US stocks dropped for a second straight session yesterday as Libya’s violence sent oil prices up briefly to $100 (£61.69) a barrel and tech shares sank, adding credence to calls for a market correction. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 107.01 points, or 0.88 per cent, at 12,105.78. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lost [...]
Choppier waters sailed in quest for high returns February 23, 2011 WITH the UK equity income sector underperforming over recent times, equity funds have struggled to attract the same interest as fixed income funds. However, with the base rate so low, investors are increasingly leaving the safe waters of bond based fixed income funds in favour of the choppier waters of equity income funds, lured by [...]
Six things to check before setting up the family’s financial safety net February 23, 2011 PERSONAL insurance premiums are set to rise this year, as the market vies to boost profitability. That was the prediction last week from Axa, after it unveiled a drop in 2010 underlying earnings to £131m from £235m in 2009. So what better time to make sure you’re covered? While hunting down a competitive deal is [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS February 23, 2011 YOUNG FEMALE DRIVERS WILL PAY MORE The EU gender directive ruling, which is expected on 1 March this year, will decide whether or not it is legal for insurers to charge different premiums based on gender. Under the current rules, young female drivers pay less for their insurance than young men, based on the fact [...]
Be liked to be more successful February 23, 2011 PEOPLE are more likely to want to do business with you if they like you. But are there things that you can do to foster that chemistry? Yes, says American business writer, entrepreneur and investor Guy Kawasaki, in his new book Enchantment. Enchantment, he says, is “the process of delighting people with a product, service, [...]
Making decisions in the real world February 23, 2011 IN a letter to the English chemist Joseph Priestley, the 18th-century American polymath Benjamin Franklin set out a rule for making decisions: “Divide half a sheet of paper by a line into two columns, writing over the one Pro and over the other Con. I put down under the different headings short lists of the [...]
THESE THINGS I KNOW | TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN THE CITY February 23, 2011 Keep control over your career rather than allowing yourself to be railroaded by events or other people’s opinions and perceptions. Too often, we simply react to opportunities that happen to come our way. Being clear about what you want is the first step to making sure you achieve it. Once you know what you are [...]
FTSE falls below 6,000 level as Middle East woes weigh February 22, 2011 BRITAIN’S top share index closed lower yesterday as troubles in the Middle East clouded sentiment, but bumper consumer confidence figures from the US spurred a late rally and boosted commodity stocks. The FTSE 100 closed down 18.04 points or 0.3 per cent lower at 5,996.76, having finished at a two-week closing low on Monday. “The [...]
Worst Wall Street drop since August February 22, 2011 WALL Street suffered its worst day since August yesterday as investors dumped stocks on turmoil in oil exporter Libya, in what could be the start of a long-anticipated pullback after a lengthy rally. Rising volatility and heavy volume added heft to the possibility of a larger pullback. With 9.76bn shares traded on the New York [...]
