Biotech and healthcare drag on shares – New York Report April 27, 2015 US STOCKS ended down yesterday, led by losses in biotech shares after disappointing news from several companies. The Nasdaq Biotech Index sank 4.1 per cent, its biggest daily percentage loss since 25 March, while the S&P Healthcare index, down 1.8 per cent, was the biggest drag on the benchmark S&P 500 index. Amgen shares led [...]
UK biotech can match the US – if we end the investment valley of death April 27, 2015 The Personalised Medicine World Conference, where industry leaders in the life sciences and biotech sectors present their latest research to peers, patients and investors, took place at Oxford University earlier this month. Personalised medicine has captivated business leaders and investors globally, and the conference’s migration from its original home in Silicon Valley suggests that the [...]
Labour’s manifesto marked its final retreat in the fiscal stimulus debate April 27, 2015 Which school of economic thought has been vindicated by the macro-economic performance of the UK over the past five years? Given that economists, historians and politicians are still busy analysing the events of the 1930s and the Keynes-Hayek debate of that period, we are unlikely to get a consensus any time soon. But while Keynesians [...]
Miliband’s disappointing stamp duty pledge won’t make the tax less stupid April 27, 2015 Housing, and its affordability crisis, is a bigger issue at this election than in any other for decades. Sadly, that hasn’t translated into policies that could effectively solve the problem, and yesterday’s announcements by Labour leader Ed Miliband will not change that. Labour plans to introduce a three-year stamp duty exemption for first time buyers, [...]
As talks drag on, would calling early elections pave the way to a final agreement for Greece? April 27, 2015 Christian Schulz, senior economist at Berenberg, says Yes It was always clear that Prime Minister Tsipras could not satisfy his party’s hardline left-wingers and international creditors at the same time. Greece needs a third bailout this summer to stay in the Eurozone in the long term. The Eurozone would offer that help, but with more [...]
How traders can profit from the global grain price slump April 27, 2015 Declines in soft commodities may not last long. A glut of grains on the world market has meant plummeting wheat, corn, and soybean prices. Last year, great weather coincided with high levels of planting in key growing regions around the world, leading to record harvests. Some analysts had worried that sanctions on exports [...]
How not to trade the UK’s General Elections – CNBC Comment April 27, 2015 One month after each of the last six UK General Elections, the average return of the FTSE 100 has been 1.85 per cent. Meanwhile, sterling has fallen by an average of 3.06 per cent against the US dollar. So the lesson is simple: buy the FTSE and sell the pound, right? Clearly – not so. [...]
What the General Election could mean for sterling – DailyFX Tips & Picks April 27, 2015 THERE are many ways the UK General Election could affect the financial markets. But since most FTSE 100 companies have an international exposure, most agree that the effect will primarily be felt by small cap businesses. Unless we get a Tory coalition with Ukip, that is. This could lead to an EU referendum and a [...]
The cost of charismatic leadership: Strong personalities can be distracing April 27, 2015 Companies are better off relying on old-fashioned expertise and openness to feedback. General Electric’s former chief executive Jack Welch is often posited as the archetype of the successful “charismatic” business leader. He rose to fame for setting big goals and communicating them with confidence, and his influence on business more generally has been substantial. [...]
Car review: The Phantom’s little bro grows up – meet the Rolls-Royce Ghost II April 27, 2015 Drive the Rolls-Royce Phantom for any length of time, as City A.M. did last August, and there’s a strong chance you’ll come away deeply impressed. Your CEO may well own one and, you’ll undoubtedly agree, he/she is a person of great taste. Alan Sugar has a Phantom. So does Simon Cowell, Kim Kardashian and [...]
