Software firm SAP sees higher 2010 sales and profits amid tough market January 27, 2010 GERMAN software maker SAP yesterday said it expects to increase core sales and operating margins in 2010 but cautioned that market conditions are still tough because companies remain wary about investing. “What we see is that the markets are still cautious … but what we see in 2010 is it’s going to be a very [...]
Praise for German minister January 27, 2010 Germany’s economy minister yesterday said Axel Weber was doing an excellent job as Bundesbank president but declined to comment on whether he should succeed European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet. A German government spokesman said last week the government had not yet made a decision on who it would like to succeed Trichet as ECB [...]
United losses in fourth quarter January 27, 2010 United Airlines parent UAL posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss as it cut costs to cope with falling demand and said revenue continued to improve. The carrier yesterday said its fourth-quarter net loss narrowed to $240m (£148m), or $1.44 per share, from $1.32bn, or $10 per share, a year earlier.
West End’s strong performance January 27, 2010 London’s West End theatres enjoyed a record year in 2009, shaking off the recession and earning more than £500m for the first time, figures showed yesterday. Attendances reached 14.3m last year, a rise of 5.5 per cent on 2008, and overall box office revenue for central London’s theatreland was £505m, a 7.6 per cent increase.
Moral hazard meets Greek tragedy for EU January 27, 2010 MOORAD CHOUDHRY HEAD OF TREASURY, EUROPE ARAB BANK THE public sector deficit issue in Greece appears to be heading for a dénouement with the market getting jittery about Greek government bonds and wondering whether the country will default, or even withdraw from the Eurozone. A sovereign default is a serious issue at the best of [...]
Only the severest policy can restore confidence January 27, 2010 IN ALL the furore surrounding Greece, it has been easy to forget about the other Eurozone members struggling to stay afloat. Portugal, Spain and Ireland have all been suffering from ballooning deficits and rapidly rising unemployment, to the extent that all three have experienced government debt downgrades by at least one ratings agency. But while [...]
Not all tracking is equal, and it can pay to know which your ETP uses January 27, 2010 ONE of the biggest attractions of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is that they track indices such as the FTSE 100, giving investors exposure to the performance of these benchmarks without requiring them to hold actual shares. In order to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible, the fund has to include exposure [...]
Apps that can keep you connected when you’re travelling for business January 27, 2010 THEY may not be able to check your luggage in for you, but there’s a growing number of apps designed to help take the stress out of travel. One of the most comprehensive is Flight Update (£2.99), which allows you to enter the details of pretty much any flight, track its status and glean lots [...]
BUSINESS TRAVEL TIPS | HOW TO GET AN UPGRADE January 27, 2010 WHEN you’ve been on the road for a while, the worst thing in the world is clambering on to an aeroplane where you will sit breathing in recycled air and getting kicked in the back for five hours by the child in the seat behind you (when he’s not crying, that is). The best thing [...]
BUSINESS TRAVEL TREND | PREMIUM ECONOMY January 27, 2010 THIS week, Air New Zealand announced that it is to beef up the premium economy seating in its forthcoming fleet of B777-300ERs, by adding a “lie-flat” bed that will means passengers will not have to sleep sitting up. They are also adding new conventional convection ovens, so that staff will be able to whip up [...]
