FTSE 100 swings up on rosy corporate earnings November 2, 2011 BRITAIN’S top share index rose yesterday, regaining half the previous day’s fall and bucking a three-day slide, buoyed by earnings news and US data in a volatile session that was overshadowed by the hazy Eurozone debt-crisis outlook. Mining and oil firms were among the best performers, helped by rising crude and metals prices, as well [...]
Wall Street makes gains in spite of low trading volumes November 2, 2011 US stocks rebounded from two days of sharp losses yesterday after the Federal Reserve said it is prepared to do more for the economy if conditions warrant, helping to stanch the panicky reaction to Europe’s debt crisis. Trading volume was light, however, possibly signaling that worries about Greece hold greater sway than the Fed at [...]
Time to reach for the stars: Britain’s new space industry has the potential to blast off November 2, 2011 SIR RICHARD Branson opened the world’s first commercial spaceport last month. As his new venture Virgin Galactic recognises, space is an industry where the sky’s not the limit. For too long the domain of superpower rivalry between America’s Nasa and Russia’s Federal Space Agency, space is now giving way to the private sector, funded by [...]
To secure credit in the future we need clear rules November 2, 2011 THE latest uncertainty over a Greek referendum to agree debt writedowns demonstrates, now more than ever, that reliance needs to shift from banks to the securities market for the risk capital needed to fund future economic growth. The G20, which meets today, therefore needs to take steps to revive risk capital markets to support growth, [...]
If the City didn’t exist, we’d need to invent it November 2, 2011 WHAT have financial services ever done for me? It is a question that the Occupy the London Stock Exchange protesters could well ask themselves, as they bring the church (rather than capitalism) to its knees. The public debate about financial services has focused on bonuses and risks, but there has been virtually no discussion of [...]
RAPID RESPONSES November 2, 2011 Rites and wrongs I think Allister Heath [Why the Archbishop has got it wrong, yesterday], fails to understand the Church of England. There is plenty of room for Anglicans to disagree. Indeed, the Church of England was founded on dialogue. Moreover, theology is not much interested in the capitalism versus socialism debate. Rather, Rowan Williams [...]
Keep a cool head – put a lock on greed November 2, 2011 AS ANY elite athlete will tell you, timing is everything. It is just as true for investing. When you get in and out of a market is often vital for returns. As Warren Buffett – before his foray into advising the US government on taxation policy – said in a sage piece of advice: “Be [...]
Junior Isas no panacea November 2, 2011 ON TUESDAY, a new product was born. For months, providers have been working overtime, trying to enthuse parents with a desire for Junior Isas. The table shows the offerings on the cash side, with the big banks yet to step into the ring. Junior cash Isas don’t match up to current inflation at 5.2 per [...]
Why managed accounts are an investor’s best friend November 2, 2011 Amit Mehta says institutions should opt for hands-on professional management Recent scandals, such as the Madoff disaster, have burnt investors over recent years, and the recession, which has led to a strong distrust of the banking sector, are among the main drivers behind the trend of investors opting for managed accounts instead of traditional hedge [...]
Sick with stress: It can happen to us all November 2, 2011 LLOYDS Banking Group boss Antonio Horta-Osorio shocked us all when he announced that he would be taking time off due to fatigue. The pressure seems to have finally got to the high-flying chief executive known for his fast-paced style. So severe is Horta-Osorio’s condition that doctors have given him orders to rest until the end [...]
