BLUE SQUARE WINTER CARNIVAL January 12, 2012 THE first round of the Blue Square Sprint Series last weekend was split into two divisions and it’s the same again in round two tomorrow. Both of last Saturday’s winners, SPEAK THE TRUTH and Captain Dimitrios are back for more in the second division (2.10pm) and it’s the former who looks to have the best [...]
ECB says Eurozone banking woes easing January 12, 2012 The European Central Bank’s flood of cheap three-year money is helping the Eurozone’s banking system substantially and supporting confidence in the bloc’s economy which is showing some signs of stabilisation, its president said. The ECB left interest rates on hold, pausing to assess the impact of back-to-back cuts and a slew of other measures it [...]
Interest rates held January 12, 2012 The Bank of England today held interest rates on hold at their record low of 0.5 per cent and did not trigger any more quantitative easing. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will keep its quantitative easing programme at £275bn.
Banks steady FTSE but retailers dive January 12, 2012 The FTSE 100 index saw modest rises this morning as banks performed well in stark contrast to the retail sector which was pulled down by a string of poor results from heavyweights including Tesco. Investors were also digesting the results of a Spanish sovereign debt auction which showed yields going in a positive direction. Spain [...]
British Gas cuts price by 5 per cent January 12, 2012 British utility Centrica said it will cut household electricity prices by five per cent with immediate effect, one day after rival EDF Energy announced plans to slash gas bills, also by five per cent. The utility, which owns Britain’s largest gas supplier British Gas, said it was unable to cut gas bills as long-term costs [...]
Spain’s borrowing costs drop January 12, 2012 Spain’s borrowing costs fell at an auction of government bonds on Thursday that saw solid demand in 2012’s first real test of appetite for debt from the euro zone’s bruised periphery. But Spain still faces huge challenges this year to meet tough European deficit targets after the government missed its 2011 cost-cutting goal and the [...]
UK industrial output falls in November January 12, 2012 British industrial output posted a surprise fall in November as oil and gas extraction and electricity production were scaled back sharply, official data showed, raising the prospect the overall economy contracted in the final quarter of 2011. The figures from the Office for National Statistics confirm recent weak business surveys and boost concerns that Britain [...]
Ashmore sees modest rise in assets January 12, 2012 UK fund manager Ashmore Group reported a small rise in assets in the fourth quarter, helped by inflows into debt products and a recovery in its core emerging markets. Ashmore said on Thursday assets grew 2.5 per cent to £39.4bn. A rocky period for emerging markets last year hit Ashmore’s asset base and the fees [...]
Ocado trading strong over festive period January 12, 2012 Online grocer Ocado reported a 16 per cent rise in sales in December, a slowdown from the 26.7 per cent posted a year ago, but said its focus on service and an absence of 2010’s snow helped it deliver nearly all orders on time. The company, which mostly sells the products of high-end supermarket chain [...]
Tesco hit by dismal Christmas January 12, 2012 Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, reported its worst Christmas sales performance for decades on Thursday and warned it would see minimal profit growth next year as it invests in winning back shoppers. The world’s third-largest stores group said on Thursday it now expected minimal trading profit growth for 2012/13 against analysts’ forecasts for a 10 percent [...]
