London Report: ARM’s fall drags blue chip index to another drop February 4, 2014 THE UK’S top equity index fell for the 10th time in 11 sessions yesterday, as a drop in the share price of chip designer ARM kept the market near a two-month low. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed down by 0.3 per cent, or 16.39 points, at 6,449.27 points – its lowest close since ending [...]
New York Report: Relief as stock prices rebound in US markets February 4, 2014 WALL Street stock prices rose yesterday, helping world shares steady after they hit a near four-month low, while the yen and US and German government debt prices fell as jitters over emerging markets retreated. Renewed bids for US equities bolstered the dollar and oil and pared the safe-haven demand for gold. Monday’s sharp decline on [...]
Brussels is trying to bury the City by forcing it to play by warped EU rules February 4, 2014 IN BRUSSELS, you can hear the dull sound of hammer on iron: the EU driving nails into a coffin. There may be plenty of zombie banks in the Eurozone, and an undead currency walking the corridors of the European Central Bank, but it’s the City that Brussels wants to bury first. There were two examples [...]
Against the Grain: Myths and reality of Valentine’s Day: It’s more than just a marketing ploy February 4, 2014 VALENTINE’S Day is almost upon us. Many readers may recall a time when its main purpose was for love-struck teenagers to communicate, anonymously or otherwise, with the objects of their desire. Now it is big business. It is hardly possible to enter a pub or restaurant without being exhorted to publicly display fidelity and love [...]
The frightening reality of the welfare state we’re in February 4, 2014 IF TV’S Benefits Street raised a fuss, James Bartholomew’s The Welfare State We’re In should cause an earthquake. Never mind a few scrounging scallywags, Bartholomew’s book (just republished) gives us the total historical horror of the welfare state in living Technicolor. Bartholomew is a Redbull double-espresso to Iain Duncan Smith’s limp chamomile tea. Forget reforming [...]
Letters to the Editor – 05/02 – Civil service, More cuts, Best of Twitter February 4, 2014 Civil service [Re: Would political appointments to the civil service increase government effectiveness? Yesterday] Public bodies are largely run by people who have an instinctive opposition to enterprise, standards and choice. No wonder senior Tories are now realising that they need to make drastic changes. It would be nice to return to a world of [...]
How to find value in a volatile market February 4, 2014 A correction can be a good time to add on weakness – but capital protection should still be key OVER the course of last month, investors pulled around $12.2bn (£7.5bn) out of emerging market (EM) equity funds, according to EPFR data. And this month’s headlines have been no less dramatic, with the S&P 500 suffering [...]
Hedge your stocks with short-term bonds February 4, 2014 AFTER a volatile start to 2014 for equities, with the MSCI world index yesterday down more than 5 per cent year-to-date, investors will understandably be thinking about capital preservation. And while the prospect of monetary tightening in the West will be problematic for fixed-income, a careful selection of bonds could help to dampen portfolio volatility. [...]
Pietersen’s agony after England axe February 4, 2014 AXED batsman Kevin Pietersen last night revealed his sorrow at having played his final match for England. The 33-year-old learned in a meeting with the England and Wales Cricket Board that he would not be considered for the forthcoming one-day international and Twenty20 series’ against West Indies, or the World T20 tournament in Bangladesh, bringing [...]
Laudrup sacked by Swansea as board seek stable future February 4, 2014 SWANSEA chairman Huw Jenkins sacked manager Michael Laudrup due to doubts over his long-term commitment, the club revealed last night. The 49-year-old helped Swansea win the first trophy in their history when they lifted the Capital One Cup last season, but has since overseen just eight wins from 35 Premier League games. Laudrup was openly [...]
