THE TIPSTER July 11, 2010 AFTER this column tipped a sell of dollar-Canadian dollar at C$1.0675 on Tuesday of last week, the loonie rallied hard against the greenback late in the week and dropped all the way down to C$1.0303 by Friday afternoon. The market has suddenly started to price in a possible interest rate hike in Canada following the [...]
SPREAD BET GURU July 11, 2010 MARKET STRATEGIST josh@cityindex.com Q. Dear Josh, which are the major companies announcing this week and what is the sentiment likely to be for the new earnings season? A. This week marks the start of the second quarter US earnings season and already we have started to see equity prices fluctuate in anticipation of results. Last [...]
Bidding war for state’s banking assets boosts FTSE 100 as financials rally July 8, 2010 BANKS lifted Britain’s top shares yesterday, with Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group top performers on reports that a new bid vehicle will seek to buy British banking assets. The FTSE 100 index was up 90.63 points, or 1.8 per cent, at 5,105.45, rising for a third consecutive day. It closed up 49.82 [...]
Wall Street up for third day as retail sales cheer July 8, 2010 WALL STREET rose for a third straight day yesterday as investors were encouraged to see jobless claims fall and a handful of large retailers report solid sales. Stocks have regained their footing after a slew of poor data had raised fears of a double-dip recession. But low market volume suggested investors are still skeptical, and [...]
Safeguard your possessions July 8, 2010 FROM “an Englishman’s home is his castle” to “keeping up with the Joneses”, there are plenty of old adages evoking Britons’ love for their houses and their possessions. Combine this with our customary practice of preparing for the worst and you might think that we would be rather conscientious about insuring our homes and their [...]
Store up your miles to jet off on holiday July 8, 2010 CREDIT cards can offer a whole range of rewards, from shopping vouchers to money off your bills. For City workers who are frequently jetting off on business, there are great opportunities to store up airmiles to be redeemed on flights for your next holiday. Here are three of the best at offering air travel rewards. [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS July 8, 2010 MILLIONAIRE PROPERTIES ARE BACK According to new research from Santander Mortgages, Britain has seen a 393 per cent increase in the number of property millionaires since 2000. While 43,000 homes lost their value to take them under the £1m mark during the credit crunch, the numbers have risen again to nearly 147,000, the level they [...]
Bringing panache to lunchtime July 8, 2010 THE eureka moment for a new business idea can strike at any time. For Mark Lilley it was while he was eating fresh sushi with his wife in downtown Sydney in the middle of a round-the-world trip in 2002. The result was a ticket home and opening Abokado, a cross between a sushi bar and [...]
Is the age of small businesses ending? July 8, 2010 A GROWING divide is emerging between the fortunes of the UK’s large and small businesses. While UK Plc has seen strong profits and is sitting on record high cash piles, life has been harder for small businesses and entrepreneurs. According to a survey from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (Nesta), venture [...]
INSURANCE July 8, 2010 Q. What are the basic kinds of insurance required of a small business? A.Business insurance requirements depend on the firm’s type, but at the bare minimum you will require public liability insurance, business motor insurance and liability insurance for any employees. While public liability insurance isn’t necessarily legally mandated, most serious businesses cover themselves for [...]
