Best of the Brokers October 21, 2012 BARCLAYS Canaccord has cut its rating on the bank from “buy” to “hold” while keeping its price target at 280p. The broker reckons a shake-up at Barclays Capital to make it more independent could bolster the shares. REDROW Panmure Gordon keeps its “hold” rating and 152p target on the house builder after takeover talks failed [...]
UK set to celebrate the official end of the recession after Games boost October 21, 2012 THE UK is this week expected to officially exit recession, with news from the Office of National Statistics set to confirm the double dip is over. The ONS will publish its first estimate of third quarter GDP, with analysts predicting impressive growth, due in part to the Olympics. Howard Archer, of IHS Global Insight, said: [...]
Jittery market awaits deluge of Q3 earnings October 21, 2012 US earnings started the quarter on the wrong foot, and things have only got worse. Expectations for the third quarter were dismal, with forecasts for a decline in profits from a year ago. But a recent flurry of high-profile reports has investors scowling at the weak revenue numbers, adding to worries about the state of [...]
Elected police chiefs should be given more powers to protect us October 21, 2012 IN LESS than a month, all communities in England and Wales outside of London will undergo radical democratic change. On 15 November, 41 Police and Crime Commissioners will be elected with the one objective of cutting crime in their local areas. London isn’t being left out: the Mayor already has similar powers. Police and Crime [...]
The City is poised to benefit from economic development in Latin America October 21, 2012 SOON after taking over as lord mayor last November, I had the honour of hosting the President of Colombia at Mansion House. In his thoughtful lecture, Juan Manuel Santos outlined the striking progress that his country, and Latin America more generally, has made in recent years – across governance, security and economic management. He also [...]
Why stammering didn’t hold back my career at E&Y October 21, 2012 WHAT do Moses, George VI, Sir Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin, Emily Blunt, Bruce Willis, and Julia Roberts have in common? They all suffered, or suffer, from a stammer. Today is International Stammering Awareness Day. And an increasing number of organisations in the UK are now waking up to the potential that stammerers hold. They’re taking [...]
After China’s growth rate fell to 7.4 per cent last quarter, can we expect a hard landing? October 21, 2012 YES Detlev Schlichter The international consensus is not bearish enough on China. Its strong growth rates since 2008 have been the result of massive state intervention, particularly through huge money printing and state-sponsored investment spending, possible on this scale because China is still Communist. Its money supply has doubled since 2008 and is still growing [...]
Rapid responses October 21, 2012 Start-up nation [Re: Google’s awful day reminds us it is becoming less special, Friday] I was interested to read Allister Heath’s comments on Google settling down to mundane normality. I have started half a dozen tech businesses in my time, and I agree that turning a tech start-up into a successful company is a path [...]
Diversifying your holdings will protect you from blips October 21, 2012 IT IS an apt time for investors to revisit how they are managing risk within their portfolio; not only because of last week’s twenty-fifth anniversary of Black Monday, but also because of current risks, like the Eurozone crisis. Risk isn’t inherently bad. The more risk you take, the more return you might get. Of course, [...]
What Black Monday taught me about stock valuation October 21, 2012 TEN days after Black Monday a colleague returned from a holiday in central Africa, oblivious to what had been going on. He saw the ashen faces around him and exclaimed “at these valuations, why the hell aren’t you all buying?” He was right. The market crash had been a wonderful buying opportunity and the UK [...]
