Government housing data provides further cause for market optimism June 9, 2009 THE DEPARTMENT of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) was yesterday the latest to announce improving data for the UK housing market. Between March and April there was a rise of 1.1 per cent in the prices index of properties bought, putting the price of an average UK house at £189,215, compared to £187,193 a month [...]
Spas for the mind are the new cure-all August 10, 2009 NOT long ago I found myself lying on a Freudian-looking couch in a small, neat room. Rather than a psychoanalyst sitting by my head with a clock and a contemplative expression, there was a lithe young woman at my feet, skimming over my bare soles with her fingers, asking me in a soft voice about [...]
Spas for the mind are the new cure-all August 10, 2009 NOT long ago I found myself lying on a Freudian-looking couch in a small, neat room. Rather than a psychoanalyst sitting by my head with a clock and a contemplative expression, there was a lithe young woman at my feet, skimming over my bare soles with her fingers, asking me in a soft voice about [...]
Quality brands are becoming more popular again June 16, 2009 FOR a while we saw the march of the “value” brands, as the recession helped Aldi and co make advances on their more expensive rivals. The graph shows what actually happened to brand values. We have created two baskets of brands – seven associated with lower-end or “value-for-money’ (Aldi, Morrisons, Primark, Matalan, RyanAir, Walls, Subway), [...]
Pension threat to firms must be eased, says CBI May 25, 2009 THE government must lengthen the period over which it assesses the health of company pension schemes, according to the CBI. The employers’ organisation is today pushing for “urgent action” to extend the rule forcing the Pensions Regulator to investigate firms’ funding plans where deficit repayments will take more than ten years to 15 years. It [...]
Poundland profits up on slump June 1, 2009 EUROPE’S largest single price discounter, Poundland, will today prove that it is continuing to buck the retail gloom and report a 47 per cent jump in annual operating profit. The group said for the year to 29 March operating profit rose to £11.8m from £8m the year before. And earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and [...]
Share sale aids BoA to speed TARP payback May 20, 2009 BANK of America (BoA) moved halfway to finding the $33.9bn (£21.9bn) the US government has demanded it raise yesterday as it said it had sold $13.4bn worth of shares since Friday. America’s largest bank said in a statement after the closing bell that it had sold 1.25bn common shares at an average price of $10.77 [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING July 9, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMESSTRATEGIC REVAMP FOR LLOYD’SLloyd’s of London has begun the biggest strategic review it has undertaken this decade in an attempt to ensure the more than 320-year-old insurance market does not fail in exploiting the gaps in the market thrown up by the financial crisis. The institution, which deals in insurance risks from all over the [...]
Forex traders are focusing their attention on the pound June 30, 2009 TOP of the agenda for many forex traders at the moment are two things – the future of the pound in the face of expansionary quantitative easing and a ballooning UK budget deficit. Indeed, these issues were among the most keenly discussed at the forex breakfast co-hosted by City A.M. and Alpari UK last Friday, [...]
Trainee problem threatens pyramid June 30, 2009 THIS year is turning out to be one of the worst to be a trainee lawyer. This September Clifford Chance will axe 21 of its 70 trainees on qualifying, giving the firm a retention rate of 70 per cent. Last year the firm kept on 95 per cent. American firm Jones Day will keep on [...]