The Debate: After reaching its highest point since 2008, can the FTSE 100 continue its recent rally? January 30, 2013 YES Tom Stevenson As the FTSE 100 share index moves safely back into pre-financial crisis territory, the question is whether its recent performance can continue for the rest of 2013. We analysed the performance of the index since its inception in 1984, and found that it has risen in the first month of the year [...]
Letters to the editor January 30, 2013 Heathrow vs HS2 [Re: HS2 cost-benefit is a worrying mix of naive projections, Tuesday] The comparison we should make is between HS2 and a third runway at Heathrow. The former requires a fortune of borrowed taxpayers’ money, will find it difficult to recover the cost of capital, and is a massive transfer from the bulk [...]
Remote working: A new approach to 9-5 January 30, 2013 LAST November, Nick Clegg hit headlines when he made a speech on flexible working. His proposal may only have extended the right to request flexible working hours to all employees, but this phenomenon is here to stay. And it won’t exclusively be for the benefit of those with children. Flexible working can be an appealing [...]
How to tackle the challenges of bring your own device January 30, 2013 DIRECTOR UK ENTERPRISE, CISCO Q How has “bring your own device” (BYOD) helped companies and their employees? A BYOD is helping companies attract the talent they need to prosper. Increasingly, graduates and early career individuals will select a company based on its flexible working arrangements and the freedom to connect to work away from the [...]
City firms can fix the flexibility conundrum January 30, 2013 WORKING culture in the UK has seen a notable change in recent years. No longer are we focused on a prescriptive work mentality, where 9-5 hours and a career for life are the norm. Instead, it’s now about making the “how”, “when”, and “where” factors of our job work for us, rather than the other [...]
BlackBerry in last chance saloon… January 30, 2013 Blackberry – the company formally known as RIM – yesterday unveiled the handsets it hopes will help keep it in the smartphone space. The new devices, the touchscreen Z10 (out today) and the physical keyboard Q10 (expected in April), are also loaded with BlackBerry’s new operating system, BB10, in the biggest shake-up at the firm [...]
Google has a taste of Raspberry Pi January 30, 2013 Raspberry Pi is the sub-£22 PC that this week got a boost from internet giant Google, which will fund the distribution of 15,000 free units to schools around the UK. The plan follows news that the company has already sold 1m Raspberry Pi units in less than a year on sale. Google hopes the device [...]
FTSE 100 rally continues January 30, 2013 The FTSE 100 rally showed signs of continuing this morning, as the blue chip index edged up 0.1 per cent, despite a slew of weak trading statements from large-cap companies. Oil and gas services firm Petrofac topped the blue chip loser board, shedding more than seven per cent. Other large-cap fallers dropped on the back [...]
Phoenix in £250m share placing January 30, 2013 Phoenix Group Holdings, the closed life assurance funds group created by entrepreneur Hugh Osmond, this morning confirmed plans to raise £250m in a share placing. The placing will enable the firm to reduce its debt pile, from £2.36bn to £1.85bn, as part of a major restructuring. Phoenix declared a final dividend of 26.7p a share, [...]
United Utilities on track for targets January 30, 2013 Waste and water group United Utilities said today that it is trading in line with expectations, although it said that revenue had increased at a rate slightly below the regulated price rise. This reflected the ongoing impact of a tough economic climate, the FTSE 100 utility firm said this morning. Depreciation, power and other costs [...]
