FTSE boosted by utilities to reach near record high – London Report April 23, 2015 BRITAIN’S top equity index pushed higher yesterday, boosted by a bump-up for utilities stocks just two weeks before the General Election, while mining stocks also outperformed. United Utilities climbed 1.1 per cent, SSE advanced 1.4 per cent and National Grid rose 0.6 per cent after investment bank Citigroup said the sector would be favoured as [...]
Nasdaq beats its dotcom bubble record – New York Report April 23, 2015 THE Nasdaq Composite, the US market index most closely associated with technology stocks, closed at an all-time high yesterday, surpassing a 2000 record set just before the dotcom crash. Its record close of 5,056.06 capped a slow, unsteady climb from a 2002 low of 1,114.11 that spanned a recession, the rise of biotech and social [...]
The outsider myth: How misfits can succeed in a world run by insiders April 23, 2015 Here's a quiz for you. What do Steve Jobs, JK Rowling, Franz Kafka, Marie Curie and Tracey Emin have in common? They’ve all considered themselves to be outsiders: misfits, not belonging to their various social groups. Of course, the current zeitgeist suggests that this is a good thing – an enabler – offering compelling (if [...]
The parties’ deficit plans all miss a crucial element: A clear vision for growth April 23, 2015 If you have been following the election campaign so far, you will have heard all the main parties sign up to cutting the deficit. We have been assured over and over that there are plans to tackle and tame the deficit monster. There have been long-term plans, costed plans, credible plans, sensible plans, and fair [...]
The EU is finally cooling on banker bashing: Lord Hill is the man to thank April 23, 2015 At last, there is a positive sign. After so many years of reputational damage, the financial services industry has been extended an olive branch by its regulatory masters – and it is one that should be grasped. The most encouraging indication in many years that financial services has the opportunity to restore its reputation came [...]
After its PMI figures disappointed in April, is France Europe’s real problem country? April 23, 2015 Anna Stupnytska is global economist at Fidelity Worldwide Investment, says Yes @AnnaStupnytska The tick-down in France’s PMIs this month is likely to be more a reflection of Greece-related uncertainty weighing on confidence, and still-subdued global demand. The fall in Germany’s reading confirms that April’s weakness is broad-based, not necessarily to do with country-specific factors. However, [...]
High season at Ten Trinity Square: Architect Suzette Vela Burkett on restoring a grand Tower Hill landmark April 23, 2015 One of the city’s finest buildings, Ten Trinity Square, is set to re-open at the end of 2016 as a Four Seasons Hotel, with luxury residences on top. It was opened by Prime Minister David Lloyd George in 1922 as the Port of London Authority and it took 11 years to build. It also hosted [...]
Cook up a storm in Barnes: Scarth House is a rare period property with kitchen space for four ovens April 23, 2015 London is fortunate enough to have a multitude of Victorian and Georgian houses that are still in a good enough condition to be a decent family home. But you don't hear so much about houses that were built in the reign of William IV, who was king for only seven years between 1830-37. But [...]
London barometer: Home buyers and sellers shrug off General Election uncertainty April 23, 2015 It appears that buyers and sellers are getting bored of political uncertainty and this is reflected in the consistent flow of properties coming to the market. Perhaps this will come as a surprise to many people, but the number of offers being agreed is what we’d usually expect at this time of the year. [...]
A vision for the future of King’s Cross: Show apartment is unveiled at The Plimsoll Building April 23, 2015 King’s Cross is one of the largest and most exciting regenerations currently underway in London, and visitors got their first taste of what it would be like to live in one of its apartments last week. The interior-designed show flat at The Plimsoll Building was unveiled on the site next to Regent’s Canal and [...]
