London report: FTSE nudges down despite China boost for mining sector July 23, 2013 THE FTSE finished off seven-week highs yesterday, with China’s reassurance on growth lifting miners but failing to provide enough momentum for the broad index to overcome technical resistance. Basic materials, the third-biggest sector in the FTSE 100 and the market’s clear laggard this year, outperformed after the Chinese premier made a commitment to maintain growth [...]
New York report: S&P slips from its record high July 23, 2013 THE S&P 500 snapped a four-day winning streak last night and pulled back from Monday’s record closing high, while healthy earnings from United Technologies gave the Dow a slight lift. Earnings as a whole, though, were lukewarm and held back the broader market. Technology shares weighed on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. Yet Apple’s [...]
How an ageing Britain can grow old and avoid a looming longevity crisis July 23, 2013 BRITAIN’s future is getting greyer. In its most recent fiscal sustainability report, the Office of Budget Responsibility recognised that we are living longer and need more care. But we haven’t saved enough. The state won’t be able to keep us, and the dependency ratio will only worsen as fewer workers struggle to fund more pensioners. [...]
Against the Grain: Detroit – like Europe – will have to learn that defaults are never a free lunch July 23, 2013 POTENTIAL defaults in Europe have reignited fears that the Eurozone crisis could flare up again. In Portugal, the ruling coalition parties and the main opposition Socialists have been unable to agree on a EU-led bailout plan after days of talks. Yields on the country’s ten-year bonds approached 7 per cent, compared to just 1.5 per [...]
Geeks and hackers are transforming healthcare and saving our economy July 23, 2013 THE future of healthcare is taking shape. But it’s not being invented in drug company labs or planned by the NHS. Amateurs, obsessives and hackers are leading the charge. It’s a movement that will help us live longer – and could save the economy. It’s all happening through a combination of new gadgets, the power [...]
Letters to the editor – 24/07 – Commuter towns, Internet publishing, Best of Twitter July 23, 2013 Commuter towns [Re: We must urgently fix Britain’s horribly broken housing market, Friday] A good piece. With population exploding, demand is rising inexorably in the South East, and new supply is coming from private landlords relentlessly subdividing houses into smaller flats. This is a problem, and is worsening people’s quality of life. We need a [...]
How to best invest for your child’s future July 23, 2013 Make sure you maximise tax-free saving for your newest addition THE Royal parents may have few financial woes, but the cost of raising a child for most extends far beyond nappies or baby food. The current average cost of a wedding is £18,244, the average first-time buyer deposit is £26,956, and student debt for 2013 [...]
Capital comment: Tracker funds aren’t the only way to trade the FTSE 100 July 23, 2013 HAVE you reached that point in life where your outgoings are still more than incomings, and you need to grow up a little? Join the club. With company pensions affording you little more than a year’s subscription to your local golf club upon retirement, it is obviously important to put money away for the future. [...]
Planning for the education of your little prince and princesses July 23, 2013 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL fees have risen by an average of 3.9 per cent in the past year according to research by the Independent Schools Council. While this is the lowest annual rise since 1994, paying for your children’s education remains costly. Educating a child born at the same time as the new prince, at one of [...]
Villas-Boas scotches talk of Bale £50m deal with Real July 23, 2013 TOTTENHAM manager Andre Villas-Boas has reiterated the club have no intention of selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid this summer, despite reports in Spain that the forward has agreed a bumper €60m (£51.6m) contract to move to the Bernabeu. Uncertainty over the Player of the Year’s future reared its head again yesterday when Spanish newspaper [...]
