The chancellor needs his economic policies to start working fast April 17, 2012 THE first three months of 2012 saw economic confidence among UK consumers grow, and last month we saw the YouGov HEAT (Household Economic Activity Tracker) at its highest level since June 2010. In March the index was up 10 points compared to December – was positive momentum building? Today sees the release of the interim [...]
More women in jobs as men lose out April 17, 2012 WOMEN in the workforce have strongly outperformed men through the financial crisis, according to analysis published today by a leading employment body. There are now 387,000 fewer men in work than there were at the start of the recession, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), compared with a decline of just [...]
Japan pledges extra $60bn in new bailout loans to the IMF April 17, 2012 JAPANESE finance minister Jun Azumi yesterday announced that Japan would provide $60bn (£37bn) in loans to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) amid renewed concerns about Europe’s debt woes, a move that it hopes will encourage other countries to contribute. Finance ministers from the G20 group of major economies will meet this week in Washington to [...]
OAP planners boost savings April 17, 2012 SAVING money is more of a priority than splashing the cash ahead of retirement, according to research from Prudential, published today. Six out of 10 Brits due to retire this year said that saving money to ensure they had enough to live on would be one of their top priorities, compared to four in 10 [...]
Japanese confidence jumps April 17, 2012 The mood of Japanese consumers improved to a one-year high last month, according to a cabinet office survey published yesterday. Consumer confidence was boosted by hopes for support from post-quake reconstruction, following last year’s devastating natural disaster. The survey’s index showed that views on income and jobs averaged 40.3 in March, up from 39.9 in [...]
India cuts its interest rates April 17, 2012 India’s central bank cut the interest rate for the first time in three years yesterday in an attempt to boost its sagging economy. The Reserve Bank of India cut rates by 50 basis points, double the expected 25 basis point cut and leaving its main interest rate at eight per cent. The news was well-received, [...]
CITY MOVES WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS April 17, 2012 Symvan Securities The corporate finance house has announced that Shamim Mansoor has joined as a mining analyst. Mansoor arrives from HSBC, where she served as vice-president global metals and mining. She previously worked for five years at Investec. CapQuest CapQuest, specialists in the purchase, management and collection of consumer debt, has appointed Bill Flynn as [...]
BEST of the BROKERS April 17, 2012 HIKMA UBS has upgraded the pharma group from “neutral” to “buy” with a target price of 755p, saying that a recent fall in the share price seems to already reflect expected changes to 2012-13 consensus. The broker still sees downside risk of 10 per cent and six per cent for 2012/13 respectively, but sees the [...]
London will star in the Games April 17, 2012 TO MARK 100 days to go, Populous, the official architectural and overlay design services provider for London 2012, showed us how this summer’s venues will look in use. Populous has 10 Olympics in its portfolio and is currently working on 35 of the London 2012 venues. The temporary venues have been designed with the city [...]
It’s party time: Something for every Londoner April 17, 2012 THE Olympics isn’t just about sport. Under the banner of the Cultural Olympiad, London will also host a multi-month arts festival. The London 2012 Festival will run from 21 June (Midsummer’s Day) until 9 September – the last day of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. There will be something to tempt anyone who first turns [...]