London Report: FTSE 100 rises to October high amid debt talks October 15, 2013 THE UK’S top share index rose to its highest level so far in October yesterday, buoyed by signs of a deal on the US budget and debt ceiling stalemate that has weighed on stock markets. Miners and banks were lifted after US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, said Senate leaders had made “tremendous [...]
New York Report: Default worry preoccupies US markets October 15, 2013 US stocks fell in a volatile session yesterday as the impasse over the debt ceiling in Washington continued with very little sign of progress towards a resolution. Despite some key corporate earnings, traders held off on making big bets given the political uncertainty. Selling accelerated during the afternoon after Senator Richard Durbin said Senate negotiations [...]
A troubling marriage between the EU and big charities is damaging Europe October 15, 2013 SHOULD government work hand in glove with charities? It’s a question that is becoming increasingly controversial. We usually think of charities as independent bodies, funded by voluntary donations in the pursuit of good causes. These are traditionally quite separate from government programmes – which is why they deserved our philanthropy. Yet the line that used [...]
Against the Grain: We may be finally tackling the economic dilemma central to grade inflation October 15, 2013 YOUNG adults in England have scored almost the lowest results in the developed world in international literacy and numeracy tests. According to a recent study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), out of 24 countries, England’s 16-to-24-year olds rank 22nd for literacy and 21st for numeracy. New Labour and the educational establishment [...]
Gold-plated rules stop Londoners getting the homes they most want October 15, 2013 HOUSE prices in London are soaring, with the Office for National Statistics identifying a 8.7 per cent rise in the past year alone. But on top of this, Londoners are not getting the homes they most want – terraced houses and flats. According to research we’ve just published, London’s gold-plating of national housing standards is [...]
Letters to the Editor – 16/10 – Rational markets, EU relationship, Best of Twitter October 15, 2013 Rational markets [Re: What the latest Nobel Prize winners in economics can teach us, yesterday] Of course rational market theory assumes investors use all information in a detached and continuous way, and completely ignores behavioural finance. And the idea of mean reversion is correct in theory, but in practice often there are new informational disturbances [...]
Investment opportunities despite stubborn inflation October 15, 2013 It is not just equities that are providing real growth for investors INFLATION remains static at 2.7 per cent on the consumer price index, the 46th month it has sat stubbornly above the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target. Coupled with historically low interest rates, this has led millions to turn to bond, equity [...]
Free tools seek to fill advice gap as DIY investors rise October 15, 2013 But the evidence still suggests that financial advisers are key to long-term financial planning THE TREND towards DIY investment is accelerating. On top of the rising popularity of low cost execution-only investment platforms, some think that the Financial Conduct Authority’s retail distribution review (RDR), which came into effect at the beginning of 2013, has intensified [...]
Ethical investing: The principles or profits trade-off October 15, 2013 Annabel Palmer on the risks involved in adopting “socially responsible” strategies WE ARE now mid-way through this year’s National Ethical Investment Week – designed to inform the public that they have “sustainable and ethical options” in their financial decisions. In recent years, low opportunity cost – driven by low interest rates and the struggle to [...]
ACCA Comment: The EU debate is critical for business October 15, 2013 Accountants are well placed to understand implications of UK exit MEMBERSHIP of the EU remains a critical topic of debate among UK politicians. But now and then, someone in Westminster says something that makes a lot of sense, and shifts the debate away from politics and into the economic arena. This is exactly what Nick [...]
