No Valentine’s Day love for Euro sovereign debt February 14, 2012 THE move made by Moody’s this week to downgrade a number of Eurozone sovereigns, as well as putting the UK and France on the naughty step, caused more of a political fall-out than any real effect on the markets. Politicians squabbled like teenagers as to whose economic policies were the object of Moody’s affections, but [...]
CABLE RALLIES DESPITE JUMP IN QE NUMBER February 14, 2012 THE Bank of England (BoE) voted on 9 February to maintain its reserve rate at 0.5 per cent and to increase the size of its asset purchase program by £50bn to a total of £325bn. This increase reflects concern that slower 2011 growth and a 0.2 per cent fourth quarter contraction of GDP raises the [...]
One sponsor is helping everybody else onto the Olympic springboard February 14, 2012 COUNTDOWN TO THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES 163 DAYS TO GO CBS Outdoor’s UK head explains why it is the official outdoor advertising services provider for 2012 Q. WHAT WAS YOUR BRAND’S PRIMARY REASON FOR BEING INVOLVED WITH THE GAMES? A. CBS Outdoor felt very heavily involved in the pitch for London 2012. We worked [...]
Fortwo: a good scooter but not a car February 14, 2012 Historically, automakers partnering with fashion labels to design “cool” cars have had mixed results. Take this Smart limited edition Fortwo micro car, for example. It’s been given a makeover by British streetwear label Boxfresh. Whether your average Boxfresh fan a) has their eye on a two-seater Smart, b) can afford this limited edition two seater, [...]
CAR TALK February 14, 2012 MEET THE FIAT 500’S BIG BROTHER Fiat is launching a bigger, crossover version of its super-successful 500 city car at the Geneva motor show in March. The five-seater 500L (L stands for Large) will offer MPV-like space with an SUV-like drive and will be sold with a choice of TwinAir or 1.4-litre petrol engines or [...]
US retail sales rise less than forecast in January February 14, 2012 US retail sales rose less than expected in January as consumers cut back on car purchases and did less online shopping. Total retail sales increased 0.4 per cent after being flat in December, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. The government had initially estimated that sales rose 0.1 per cent in December, and on Tuesday [...]
Eurozone industrial output falls February 14, 2012 Output at factories in the Eurozone tumbled at the end of 2011, data showed, reflecting the sick European economy, but policymakers and economists expect a recovery in 2012. Industrial production in the 17 countries sharing the euro fell 1.1 per cent in December from November, marginally less than the 1.2 per cent slide forecast by [...]
Moody’s UK warning hits FTSE 100 February 14, 2012 The FTSE dipped this morning after debt rating agency Moody’s warned it could downgrade top-rated sovereigns including Britain. Moody’s grim assessment sapped some of the confidence of investors who had been encouraged by Greece finally agreeing a package of austerity measures to steer it away from a default. The move put the UK’s rating in [...]
Inflation drops to 3.6pc February 14, 2012 British inflation fell sharply in January, supporting Bank of England forecasts for a hefty decline in 2012, after a rise in sales tax a year earlier dropped out of the data, official figures showed on Tuesday. The Office for National Statistics said that consumer price inflation fell to 3.6 per cent in January from 4.2 [...]
Lloyds of London takes £1.4bn hit from Thai floods February 14, 2012 Severe flooding in Thailand last year is set to cost the Lloyd’s of London insurance market $2.2bn (£1.3bn), with claims for the industry as a whole likely to reach $15-20bn. The final bill from the Thai floods may vary, but Lloyd’s is financially strong enough to cope, chief executive Richard Ward said. “Paying these claims [...]
