Stalemate in Brussels hurts FTSE markets – London Report February 16, 2015 THE FTSE 100 index retreated from five-month highs yesterday, with leading companies such as miner Fresnillo and utility Centrica hit by broker downgrades. Investors adopted a cautious approach as debt-laden Greece and European Union paymaster Germany drew firm battle lines yesterday in talks on the future of Greece’s unpopular international bailout. After the FTSE closed, [...]
Euro stocks hit by Greek loan indecision – Europe Report February 16, 2015 GREEK shares fell and pan-European indexes slipped yesterday as investors tempered their expectations that Eurozone finance ministers meeting in Brussels would find common ground with Greece’s new government. The currency bloc’s finance ministers were meeting in Brussels to discuss what the Greek government, elected last month on promises of ending austerity and onerous credit terms, [...]
UK house prices: A return to optimism? – CNBC Comment February 16, 2015 The UK housing market is a favourite topic of conversation – a national pastime, even. But an abundance of different data types mean that statistics can swamp and confuse anyone looking to gauge the current climate. Property website Rightmove just announced its busiest ever month for house hunters, while Halifax saw its biggest January monthly [...]
How to choose the market that matches your convictions – DailyFX Tips & Picks February 16, 2015 MOST people have a fairly good idea of what is driving the financial markets. But much of the time, only a few are any good at choosing the right market to express their views of what’s going on. A good example of this is the overly bearish view of the Eurozone throughout 2013 by professional [...]
Smart materials: Why the future face of manufacturing matters to investors February 16, 2015 The traditional resources services sector had a challenging year in 2014. While growth rates have trended positively in most parts of the world, resources equities and commodity prices, including oil and gold, declined because of uncertainties and increased supply. Longer term, population growth and demographic shifts will alter consumption patterns and place additional strain on [...]
Universal credit holds promise – but it is just the beginning of welfare reform February 16, 2015 Forget all the populist welfare crackdowns dominating the election headlines over the past week. These are small fry compared to the gargantuan task of rolling out the government’s long-awaited “universal credit” – a project that it insists will transform welfare forever. The scheme, which merges six benefits, including jobseekers’ allowance, tax credits and housing benefit [...]
Professional services must act now and join the digital revolution February 16, 2015 No industry is immune from digital disruption. And any business would be foolish to think that it is a phenomenon limited to specific sectors or models. The possibility of being ousted by an innovative startup is just as applicable to an industry like professional services as it is to, say, media and communications – or [...]
Car review: The new Porsche Cayenne GTS is a two-tonne ballerina on ice February 16, 2015 Ice, snow and a 434bhp, 163mph SUV might seem like a combination best suited to a disaster movie, but this is no ordinary SUV. Porsche has brought its latest Cayenne in GTS form to its winter driving centre in Skellefteå, northern Sweden, even though in the UK it’s more likely to experience a nice heated [...]
Not convinced? February 16, 2015 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… BMW X5M PRICE: £73,583 0-62MPH: 4.2 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 258g/km MPG COMBINED: 25.4mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Three Stars PERFORMANCE Five Stars PRACTICALITY Four Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Five Stars MERCEDES-BENZ ML63 AMG PRICE: £86,920 0-62MPH: 4.8 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 276g/km MPG COMBINED: 23.5mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Four Stars PERFORMANCE [...]
Three new ways you can improve your networks February 16, 2015 To expand your contacts, you may have to refresh your tactics. There are countless anecdotes that teach the importance of building a strong network. And whether you’re talking about old boys clubs or the ever expanding world of social media, the adage “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” has never been more [...]
