CWC hit by Caribbean woes February 9, 2011 CABLE & Wireless Communications (CWC) said while there had been no major improvement in its key Caribbean market, it still expected to end its year broadly in line with forecasts. The group, which also trades in Panama, Macau and Monaco, said that while tourist numbers were beginning to recover in the Caribbean, many were on [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS February 9, 2011 42 PER CENT PREFER DOG TO PARTNER It is a sad day for British romance when 42 per cent of British people prefer their dog or cat to their partner. A survey conducted by M&S Pet Insurance shows that when it comes down to the “me or the dog” question, 42 per cent would always [...]
CSR hits targets but lags in smartphone market February 9, 2011 CHIPMAKER CSR posted fourth-quarter results at the top end of its guidance yesterday and said it would grow revenue in 2011. It was bolstered by new products targeting phone makers and auto companies. The maker of GPS, bluetooth and wi-fi chips posted fourth-quarter revenue of $184.8m (£131m) , ahead of consensus forecasts, but down from [...]
Record UK trade deficit as planes halted by snow February 9, 2011 EXPORTS fell in December, widening the UK trade gap in goods to a record £9.2bn from £8.5bn the month before, official data revealed yesterday. The deficit in services narrowed slightly, to £4.4bn, from £4.5bn in November, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported. As well as the debilitating effect of December’s freeze, the trade in [...]
Making the most of a mentor February 9, 2011 During Andy Murray’s disastrous loss at the Australian Open final last week Boris Becker said that what the young Scot needed was a mentor. Mentoring is increasingly common in the world of business, but is often done badly. But what is the big idea? And how do you get the most out of a mentor? [...]
ECONOMISTS’ VIEWS: IS THE TRADE DATA BAD NEWS FOR THE RECOVERY? February 9, 2011 ANDREW GOODWIN | ERNST AND YOUNG ITEM CLUB You have to bear in mind the extent of disruption caused by snow, with airports shut for several days and problems on many roads, so it would be unwise to draw any conclusions from the monthly figures. The figures for the fourth quarter as a whole suggest [...]
What bees can teach you about business success February 9, 2011 WHAT can bees teach us about business? On the face of it, the life of the hive might have few similarities with the rat race. But on closer inspection, they can teach us a lot, especially about the sorts of organisations that are succesful and what you should look for in an employer. If the [...]
ODD JOBS February 9, 2011 THINK about the word “business”. There’s lots of busy-ness in business, but not much stop-and-thinky-ness. My job as the “Corporate Philosopher” is all about helping people in business stop and think about what they’re doing; why they’re doing it; and whether it’s right or wrong. As you might imagine, I’m now in high demand after [...]
Bernanke says QE has created 3m jobs February 9, 2011 AMERICA’S programme of quantitative easing (QE) has stimulated the creation of up to three million jobs, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke defiantly claimed yesterday. Facing a barrage of questioning over the controversial scheme during a testimony at the House of Representatives, Bernanke cited “credible” simulation studies that show QE boosting the economy. Yet the outlook [...]
Inflation fears turn up heat ahead of Bank rate decision February 9, 2011 RISING inflation expectations are adding pressure on the Bank of England to lift interest rates, ahead of today’s latest decision by the monetary policy committee (MPC). “Inflation expectations have soared since the last quarter,” said researcher Monica Insoll yesterday, referring to a survey of investors conducted for the ratings agency Fitch. Over half the respondents [...]
