Testing time for franc after Hildebrand quits January 10, 2012 MANY market watchers are questioning whether the eventual successor to Philipp Hildebrand will continue where he left off – aggressively defending the Swiss franc – or whether this will be used as an opportunity to allow the SFr1.200 floor put in place in September to expire. The supervisory council of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) [...]
WHY EURO IS NOT ABOUT TO FALL JUST YET January 10, 2012 ITALIAN yields on benchmark 10-year bonds are once again above 7 per cent and Ireland may be the new sovereign debt hot spot in the Eurozone – Citibank economist and former BoE member William Butler suggests that the Emerald Isle is need of a second bailout. Yet, despite the turmoil, euro-dollar has rallied as the [...]
The i40: great for visiting the in-laws January 10, 2012 There are a number of criteria that make up the ideal family car. First of all, it needs to be big enough to carry gifts from the opposing sides of the family you’re obliged to visit, plus any bulky items you manage to raid from what’s left of the January sales. It’s also got to [...]
EPISODE 41 – WHAT DID YOU GET FOR XMAS, DAVID? January 10, 2012 Daddy, isn’t it that Santa’s too fat to get down chimneys these days? Daddy, can I have a Millennium Falcon for Christmas? David, what time are your parents coming for lunch on Boxing Day? David? Oh, hello, it’s Juliette. Sorry to trouble you at home. I’m afraid I didn’t get around to sending cards this [...]
CAR TALK January 10, 2012 ECONOMICAL C1 GETS A REFRESH Citroen’s smallest car gets a fresh look for 2012. The latest C1 is cleaner and greener and boast more than 65.7mpg, emitting just 99g/km of CO2 and making it Congestion Charge exempt. It goes on sale in April. NEW MONDEO SHOWS OFF ASTON MARTIN-LIKE GRILL Ford revealed its latest Mondeo [...]
Nomura executive Bhattal quits after heavy losses January 10, 2012 Jesse Bhattal, the highest-ranking ex-Lehman Brothers executive at Japanese investment bank Nomura Holdings, has resigned after the wholesale division he led suffered heavy losses. The loss of Bhattal is the latest blow to Nomura’s ambitions to join the elite ranks of global investment banks following its acquisition of Lehman’s European and Asian operations after the [...]
Tesco loses market share in run-up to Xmas January 10, 2012 Britain’s biggest retailer, lost grocery market share in the run-up to Christmas as rivals fought back against its price-cutting campaign and cash-strapped shoppers flocked to discount stores, according to new data. Market researcher Kantar Worldpanel said grocery sales rose 4.8 per cent in the 12 weeks to 25 December. That lagged a 5.9 per cent [...]
Resource stocks stoke FTSE gains January 10, 2012 The FTSE 100 saw solid gains this morning as resource and energy stocks were boosted by upbeat forecasts from US aluminium giant Alcoa and figures showing growing demand from China. Alcoa, the largest US aluminium producer, reported fourth-quarter revenue that beat Wall Street expectations, even though it registered a loss. The earnings news had a [...]
Recruiter Hays hit by domestic slowdown January 10, 2012 Tough economic conditions have hit the confidence of employers and jobseekers alike in recent months, British recruitment company Hays said in reporting a drop in business in its home market and a slowdown in growth overseas. Hays, which specialises in placing office workers such as accountants, IT workers and secretaries, said on Tuesday net fees [...]
High speed rail line gets the green light January 10, 2012 A new £32bn high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham has been given the go ahead by the government. Transport Secretary Justine Greening has announced extra tunnelling for sections of the 90-mile (140km) link in response to environmental concerns. This first phase of High Speed Two (HS2) could be built by 2026. The first phase [...]
