BEST OF THE BROKERS December 5, 2011 PETRA DIAMONDS Goldman Sachs initiates coverage of the Africa-focused miner with a “buy” rating and a target price of 200p, seeing its recent underperformance as a compelling entry point. The broker sees Petra as having a strong growth profile, and says the diamond market is set to enter a period of prolonged tightness. Goldman forecasts [...]
FTSE hits a five-week high on hope of a euro debt plan December 5, 2011 BRITAIN’S FTSE 100 hit a five-week closing high yesterday with optimism rising that politicians can finally agree a deal to solve its debt crisis in a crunch week for the Eurozone. European Union leaders, urged on anxiously by the United States, are seeking agreement on a convincing rescue plan that has eluded them for two [...]
US stocks drop on S&P rate warning December 5, 2011 HOPES that policymakers are working toward a solution to the debt crisis lifted global shares yesterday, but a late-day credit warning from Standard & Poor’s underscored what was at stake. Reports that the warning was coming caused US stocks to cut gains in the afternoon, while the euro retreated. S&P said after the closing bell [...]
Opening up the Oyster card beats charging ahead with TfL’s expensive alternative December 5, 2011 LAST week the London Assembly Transport Committee (LATC) released its report on the future of ticketing in the capital. No big deal, you might think – if you assume the Oyster card seems to function rather well. The heart of the problem is that Oyster is not only far too expensive, but has become so [...]
Why I backed the City A.M. charity appeal December 5, 2011 IF WE’RE serious about tackling global poverty, then aid alone isn’t going to do it. It is the power of private enterprise that can tip the scales. 90 per cent of the jobs created around the world are provided not by governments but by the private sector. Currently, more than 2.5bn people have no bank [...]
Competing currencies versus freed markets December 5, 2011 THE UK hasn’t always had a floating exchange rate, and a reasonably free market in foreign exchange is not to be sniffed at. But is competition always a step in the right direction? According to Friedrich Hayek, the rational choice in monetary regimes is between one of two alternatives – either a free banking system [...]
RAPID RESPONSES December 5, 2011 Paving the way Scott Wilson outlines a new vision for transport [Time to bring our roads into the market economy, Friday]. I congratulate him on opening up the debate. However, he is effectively proposing a long term solution; in the current economic climate, acceptance by government of the need for a redistribution of large annual [...]
Pig out on the rebound December 5, 2011 WHEN six central banks staged a coordinated intervention last week to lower the cost of dollar swap rates, they gave the European markets a breath of life on the hope that this would sow greater liquidity into the interbank market. The injection of dollar liquidity into the market sent investors trotting out of dollar positions [...]
A CHANGE OF FORTUNES FOR RISK ASSETS December 5, 2011 WHAT a turnaround last week. We saw an extraordinary rally in equity markets which saw them recoup the losses from the sell-off that had persisted through much of November. Personally, I believed that the major stock indices were on the point of a major break to the downside which would only be averted by a [...]
Prepare for party season with a choice treatment December 5, 2011 Dunhill: Instant Eye Repair This gem of a spa is located at the luxury clothier’s emporium at Bourdon House in Mayfair. There are a range of treatments for men (and lately, women too) but for party season we think this one will pack a great punch for the busy Mayfair-ite – after all, fresh and [...]
