Debenhams caught in icy blast from shareholders January 12, 2010 THE cold snap wasn’t quite over for high street stalwart Debenhams at its annual general meeting yesterday as the board came under fire from beleaguered shareholders keen to know when their pockets would be padded with dividends once again. At the company’s London-based meeting, chairman John Lovering worked hard to reassure investors that the company [...]
Game Group issues profit warning January 12, 2010 COMPUTER games retailer Game Group yesterday cut its full-year profit forecast following poor Christmas sales, which were hit by growing supermarket competition and a slowing video games market. The results bucked the trend elsewhere for healthy festive spending. A survey showed British retailers enjoyed the biggest rise in total sales in a December since 2005. [...]
ARE THE TESCO FIGURES A SIGN OF BETTER TIMES AHEAD? January 12, 2010 SAM HART | CHARLES STANLEY “We continue to believe that conditions in the UK food retail industry remain relatively benign and expect a tail wind of higher food price inflation to return later in 2010. As such, we expect Tesco to continue to deliver high single/ low double-digit growth for at least the next three [...]
Go against the grain and take a punt on the buck January 12, 2010 INVESTORS have found plenty of reasons to sell the dollar in recent months, including a terrible fiscal outlook in the US and a central bank that remains wedded to stimulus measures and low interest rates. Added to that list this week was a weak start to the US earnings season after aluminium producer Alcoa reported [...]
CHINA BUBBLE IS A RISK FOR YEN SHORTS January 12, 2010 BORIS SCHLOSSBERG DIRECTOR OF CURRENCY RESEARCH, GFT ASK FX strategists what their favourite trade for 2010 is and the chances are most will say long dollar-yen. The conventional wisdom in the forex market – despite last Friday’s disappointing US jobs data – is that US short-term rates will inch higher. Their choice of trade is [...]
Revaluation of the yuan bad news for the Aussie dollar January 12, 2010 PRESSURE has been building on China to let its currency, the yuan, appreciate against the US dollar, to which it is pegged. This week, these calls only intensified after China posted strong trade data, putting the country firmly on course to usurp Germany’s position as the world’s number one exporter. But while Beijing so far [...]
THE TIPSTER January 12, 2010 WHEN it comes to economic growth, China has been stealing the limelight in recent years. But India’s economy is also forecast to power ahead in 2010, with the IMF forecasting an annual growth rate of 6.4 per cent. The country’s more liberal environment (compared to China’s) should encourage investors into Indian assets and boost the [...]
Disappointing results from Alcoa rock mining stocks January 12, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index closed 0.7 per cent lower yesterday as commodities and banks led the retreat over concerns that China’s move to tighten banks’ reserve requirements may slow global economic recovery. The FTSE 100 index closed down 39.36 points at 5,498.71, dropping back after hitting a 16-month intraday peak at 5,600.48 on Monday. China’s [...]
Banking levy hangs over S&P financials January 12, 2010 US stocks slid in a broad sell-off yesterday as investors pummeled financials on concerns about a potential government levy on banks, while Alcoa’s disappointing results tempered optimism about the economic recovery. The benchmark S&P 500 broke a six-day streak of gains as banks led the financial sector lower, sending the KBW bank index down almost [...]
French set for Camelot bid scrutiny January 12, 2010 THERE are “major questions” over a bid for National Lottery operator Camelot by a French state-run company, according to the European Gaming and Betting Association. La Française des Jeux, which is eyeing a bid within the next month, has a complete monopoly in its domestic market. European bodies and rival bidders are looking into whether [...]
