The tech sector recovery will leave some behind July 23, 2009 WHEN Apple sneezes, the whole technology industry catches a cold. That’s why its stunning results earlier this week saw analysts reaching for their rose-tinted spectacles. With the news coming hot on the heels of a bullish outlook from chipmakers Intel and Texas Instruments, several pundits called an end to the technology sector’s woes. Yesterday’s Gartner [...]
B&Q owner boosted by summer sun July 23, 2009 KINGFISHER, the owner of DIY chain B&Q, yesterday reported a surprise rise in like-for-like sales in the second quarter, as cash-strapped consumers snapped up summer accessories thanks to a spell of barbeque weather. Kingfisher, which also operates Castorama in France, said it grew its market share in the 10 weeks to 11 July, but that [...]
City Moves who’s switching jobs July 23, 2009 Stephenson HarwoodThe international law firm has hired Duncan Stiles to its corporate practice, specialising in public and private M&A transactions, primarily for FTSE 100 and 250 clients. Stiles joins from rival Ashurst, where he spent over 18 years and became a partner in 2000. In addition to building up a successful M&A practice, he also [...]
Best beach reads July 22, 2009 MY SOUL TO TAKE by Yrsa SigurdardottirHodder, £11.99This Icelandic thriller is cooler than most from the get go. Where else could you find a ballsy Reykjavik lawyer with little time for nonsense called upon to investigate a haunting at a plush but doomed new age hotel on the wild Icelandic coast? A gruesome murder kicks [...]
In a bubbly mood July 22, 2009 BAB – short for “bonuses are back” – has replaced “doh” as the word on the City’s streets, following revelations that bankers raked in end-of-year payouts like the credit crunch was all just a bad dream. But whatever the reality for those outside the gilded top offices of the Square Mile and Canary Wharf, there [...]
WHERE TO DRINK CHAMPAGNE IN THE CITY July 22, 2009 VERTIGOTower 42, EC2NShowy and high glam, this is a devoted champagne bar with the best views in town – perched right at the top of Tower 42 (pictured right). There is a fantastic choice of bubbly, including Veuve Delaroy Brut (£46), Georges Vesselle Bouzy Grand Cru (£66), two Bollies, a Krug (£385) and several Laurent [...]
Pick wisely and small cap firms could prove a real goldmine July 22, 2009 INVESTING in small companies has traditionally been seen as a risky business, reserved only for those with plenty of experience and deep pockets. But with global diversified blue-chip stocks running into trouble, it is no surprise that investors have started to see the lower echelons of the FTSE index as more attractive. Indeed, only last [...]
Post-crisis, the carry trade is a new beast to contend with July 22, 2009 IT WAS once the most popular trade in the foreign exchange market and helped fuel the boom in global asset markets until 2007. But with the advent of the sub-prime, and subsequently the full-blown, financial crisis, the carry trade was unwound as investors became risk-averse and piled into safe-havens such as the US dollar and [...]
UNCERTAINTY KEEPS LID ON ASSET PRICES July 22, 2009 GEORGE TCHETVERTAKOVHEAD OF MARKET RESEARCH, ALPARI UK FINANCIAL markets continue to remain in a state of flux as conflicting indicators and persistently unpredictable macro events sway sentiment. The frothy risk-rally in equities, commodities and FX that started in March hit a wall of doubt in mid-May leading to a sense of overextension amongst investors as [...]
UK DEBT WILL UNDERMINE STERLING RISE July 22, 2009 JANE FOLEYRESEARCH DIRECTOR, FOREX.COM EARLIER this week one news service ran the headline that out of the S&P companies that have already announced their quarterly results, 71 per cent have produced positive surprises. These better earnings were consistent with a push into risky assets that not only supported the stock market but also knocked the [...]
