Inflation hits businesses by £10bn a year September 25, 2011 BRITISH businesses are losing £10.6bn a year due to stubbornly high inflation, research released this morning has revealed. Low interest rates and strong inflation are eroding companies’ bank deposits, according to accountancy group UHY Hacker Young. “While many larger corporations may have treasury departments responsible for managing the company’s cash, most small businesses cannot afford [...]
Gloomy outlook getting worse as confidence falls September 25, 2011 CONFIDENCE data from around Europe will be released over the course of this week, with analysts expecting the worst. Figures to be announced in the UK include the Confederation for British Industry’s (CBI) distributive trades survey, out tomorrow, which measures short-term trends in UK retail and distribution. Weak or falling sales are expected by economists. [...]
Investors defy equities crash in savings drive September 25, 2011 BILLIONS in losses over the summer have not put off retail investors as private buyers sought to take advantage of the current lows in the market, according to new research from Capita Registrars. Small investors lost £20bn in shares from May to August, but still bought £1.3bn-worth over the three month period — the largest [...]
ANALYST VIEWS: WILL CONFIDENCE BOUNCE BACK SOON? September 25, 2011 SAMUEL TOMBS | CAPITAL ECON “No – conditions may be deteriorating further. We expect figures from surveys like the CBI’s Distributive Trades Survey, which comes out in the UK tomorrow, to maintain the gloomy tone. And while August’s household borrowing figures, released this Thursday, may reveal a rise in mortgage approvals, we predict a fall [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS September 25, 2011 West Pioneer Properties The developer and operator of shopping centres and mixed use developments in west and south India has appointed Chris Hough as a non-executive director. Hough, 52, has a career spanning 34 years, both in the UK and overseas. Hough has worked on the Broadgate development and the Imperial War Museum, and has [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS September 25, 2011 WILLIAM HILL Numis told investors to “hold” William Hill shares. It said the bookmaker’s plans for mobile services, social media and in-store self-service terminals could help offset pressure from the weak economic outlook. However, risks remain as its efficient core operations may leave little room to react to cyclical business pressures. Also, it warned of [...]
Volatile trading and uncertainty are set to persist September 25, 2011 AFTER another roller-coaster week, which was the second-worst of the year for the FTSE 100, the only really safe call this morning is for the volatility to rumble on. Despite repeated international assurances that action will be taken to preserve financial stability and restore economic growth, the markets start another week without anything definite on [...]
WALL STREET WEEK AHEAD September 25, 2011 EARNINGS forecasts for US companies are starting to feel the pain on Wall Street and in the broader economy as the odds of another recession rise. Intense fear that global debt issues and stagnant growth cannot be resolved has pummelled market confidence in the past couple of months. Earnings have been one of the market’s [...]
Medvedev hit by snub from finance chief September 25, 2011 FINANCE minister Alexei Kudrin has ruled out taking a job in Russia’s next government, citing irreconcilable policy differences with President Dmitry Medvedev, who is likely to become premier in a job swap with Vladimir Putin. Kudrin (below) is the longest serving finance minister in the Group of Eight and has won the respect of investors [...]
Buy-outs slump as morale takes a knock in 2011 September 25, 2011 WEAKENING business confidence has seen the value of UK buy-outs slump this year, according to research published yesterday. Buy-outs in the first three quarters came to £7.8bn, down from £13bn over the same period last year, the Centre for Management Buyout Research said. The three months to September have seen the most significant drop in [...]
