Fed is ahead in the battle of the central banks January 29, 2013 ALTHOUGH the US has shown signs of rebounding, a scratch beneath the surface reveals that there are still issues dragging on the world’s largest economy. By historical standards, the pace of its current recovery is feeble. Research from Bank of America Merrill Lynch points out that the average annual growth rate of this recovery is [...]
Why the FTSE has rallied strongly in January January 29, 2013 THE FTSE 100 index has gained nearly 7 per cent since 2013 got underway, almost a month ago to the day. This is one of the most impressive starts to a year on record. Only two previous Januaries since the FTSE 100 was formed have beaten the current month (as of the time of writing). [...]
The sporty but sensible Mazda 6 January 29, 2013 With the price of fuel about to go up again, it’s no surprise so many of us now consider fuel economy one of the most important considerations when buying a new car. It’s the latest front to open up in the battle to attract car buyers and Mazda has made a massive effort to ensure [...]
Car talk January 29, 2013 Aston Martin ushers in an even faster supercar Aston Martin has introduced a faster, more agile four-door Rapide supercar. The Rapide S luxury GT has a more powerful, though more efficient, 6.0-litre V12 engine. Power is up by a massive 80bhp to 550bhp shaving 0.3 seconds off its 0-62 mph time; down to just 4.9 [...]
Iceland let off £2bn debt to UK January 28, 2013 ICELAND’S government will not have to pay back the UK for bailing out depositors who lost money in the country’s banks in 2008, a top court ruled yesterday. The move leaves the UK £2bn out of pocket, and the Treasury is likely to have to wait for years to get the money back as the [...]
FTSE breaks 6,300 mark – as sterling slides to deeper lows January 28, 2013 THE FTSE100 index rose through the 6,300 barrier to a 56-month high during yesterday’s trading, just as sterling dived to a 13-month low against the euro, and a five-month low versus the dollar. The index closed up 9.96 points – 0.2 per cent – at 6,294.4, with more than half of that coming from a [...]
Zombie firm massacre as lenders scare January 28, 2013 TENS of thousands of firms could close unnecessarily, taking with them a million jobs, if banks cut back the support they offer to zombie companies, the Institute for Turnaround (IfT) warned yesterday. The group said that after years of helping struggling firms banks are running out of patience and looking to sell on their loans. [...]
MPs say coalition budgets have been omnishambles January 28, 2013 THE TREASURY Select Committee (TSC) this morning slammed coalition budget policy as unclear, confused and generating uncertainty. The MPs on the committee, led by Andrew Tyrie, used the report to criticise the government for turning the Autumn Statement into a second budget; for giving out unclear signals on plans for fuel duty; and for leaving [...]
Zombie firms, tax hikes and HS2 all dragging the UK down January 28, 2013 THERE is much that the coalition has done that is helping the economy. Its reforms to education and welfare will, over time, improve the workforce’s skills and reduce the number of people trapped in dependency. Cutting the top rate of tax, which kicks in in April, and the increases to the personal allowance, which have [...]
What the other papers say this morning January 28, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES RBS tips UK back into bonus debate George Osborne is braced for a new political backlash over bank bonuses, as state-controlled Royal Bank of Scotland prepares to pay as much as £250m to staff at an investment banking division heavily implicated in the Libor-rigging scandal. The chancellor’s discomfort has been amplified by the [...]
