The global boom in commodities is a long term story May 21, 2012 But there will be plenty of risks and challenges along the way INVESTING in natural resources offers the potential for high returns for investors, but risks are ever present. Both the demand and supply sides need to be assessed. What are the main challenges for resource companies at this moment and how best should the [...]
BEARS GAINING GROUND AS GREECE PUSHES FTSE SLIDE May 21, 2012 CHIEF MARKET STRATEGIST THE impending arrival of Facebook into global markets did little to shore up optimism last week, as markets tracked relentlessly lower for the entire week. As with the preceding week, Greece remained the centre of attention, dragging Spain and Italy into its mire. Better German GDP figures provided only the briefest relief [...]
FOLLOWING THE PROFESSIONALS May 21, 2012 Though the large commodities funds can be taking position sizes in the hundreds of millions, spread betting and contracts for difference can allow the retail investor to take positions on commodities and still see returns. Taking a position on gold bullion would usually take a huge amount of capital to take advantage of a $10 [...]
LONDON WEEK AHEAD May 20, 2012 GIVEN property developer British Land’s significant presence in the City, its full-year results will be closely watched this morning for signs of how the Eurozone crisis is hitting the company’s retail lettings. Budget airline Ryanair will also release its full-year results, as will outsourcing group Mitie. The spotlight will turn to the UK high street [...]
WALL ST WEEK AHEAD May 20, 2012 NORMALLY a big decline would set up Wall Street for a technical rebound. But that may not be the case next week, even after the market posted its worst weekly loss for the year and the S&P fell for six straight sessions. With the corporate earnings season drawing to an end and recent US economic [...]
Technical wizardry will support 2012’s Paralympic Games May 20, 2012 Wheelchair Rugby: Defence Invented in 1977, this intense Paralympic sport is a mixture of aspects from basketball, handball and ice hockey. Fast-paced and full-contact, it is a sport that demands robust chairs to stand up to the crash of action. Ottobock’s Wolturnus wheelchairs, suitable for wheelchair rugby and basketball, use the latest alloys to create [...]
Why Sainsbury’s is backing the Paralympics: Jat Sahota May 20, 2012 Q Sainsbury’s is the first-ever Paralympic Games only sponsor. Is this a breakthrough year for the Paralympics as an event? A Being the first standalone partner of the Paralympic Games is something we are extremely proud of. We have the ambition to make it the best Paralympic Games ever through driving awareness and engagement. We’re [...]
A modest shirt-maker with an inspiring outfit May 20, 2012 IT’S not uncommon for successful entrepreneurs to be modest, but it rarely comes across as entirely genuine. The self-effacing Nicholas Charles Tyrwhitt Wheeler is the real deal. For Wheeler, the customer is king. He says: “One of the defining moments in my whole life was when I worked at Harrods and they put me in [...]
Your idea to make millions is worth much less than you think May 20, 2012 PLEASE ensure you’re sitting down because I want to shock you. Despite the popular wisdom, most “amazing” and “brilliant” business start-up ideas and inventions are worthless. Yours, mine, and just about everyone else’s. They have no value. Scream and shout all you like, but after backing over 80 start-ups and reading more than 10,000 business [...]
Venture capital can come at a high cost May 20, 2012 DRAGON’S Den might make entertaining television, but it delivers a warped view of venture capitalism. A new paper from Coutts, The Price of Growth, suggests entrepreneurs have a much more distant relationship with venture capital than the one portrayed by the media. The standout findings are: ■ 72 per cent of entrepreneurs do not believe [...]
