Dow closes above 13,000 milestone February 28, 2012 THE DOW closed above 13,000 for the first time since May 2008 yesterday and the Standard & Poor’s 500 also hit a milestone, as buoyant US consumer confidence data and a sharp drop in oil prices nudged the nearly five-month rally forward. The S&P 500 closed above 1,370, its May 2011 intraday high, a move [...]
Don’t blame the Depression on the gold standard – but don’t expect it back either February 27, 2012 TWO of America’s Republican candidates – Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul – have dared to toy with the idea of bringing back the gold standard. Their remarks have in turn triggered a fusillade of indignant replies, from pundits and professional economists alike, the general theme of which is that no one fit to be America’s [...]
US stocks slide on doubts over credit February 22, 2012 BANKS led US stocks lower yesterday as the S&P 500 stalled near a 10-month high after signs of weak European business activity rekindled concerns about a recession overseas. US banks were the S&P 500’s worst performing sector. Investors feared that weak Eurozone growth would hamper countries dealing with heavy debt loads and the banks exposed [...]
Google offers real-time LSE data for free February 21, 2012 GOOGLE is taking on the world’s leading financial data firms after striking a deal to provide real-time prices of stocks on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) for free. The agreement means that users of the Google Finance website can now view a live feed of the “last trade price” – a service that was previously [...]
CPP says FSA probe risks firm’s future February 20, 2012 CREDIT CARD insurance firm CPP says the Financial Services Authority (FSA) could force it out of business, after the regulator asked for a retrospective review of sales tactics. The company suspended its shares on the London Stock Exchange yesterday after declaring that the new demands “are disproportionate and threaten the viability of the business”. The [...]
SAS AUTHOR FIXES CITY ROLES FOR MILITARY February 20, 2012 THRILLER writer Andy McNab is juggling more than one deadline. When the former SAS hardman is not working on his latest novel – a Channel Tunnel thriller starring his new character Tom Buckingham – McNab is fixing jobs in the City for service leavers as a director of military recruitment agency ForceSelect. McNab, who has [...]
Apple drags Wall Street into the red February 15, 2012 US stocks fell yesterday for the third session in four, with market direction largely dictated by the swings in shares of Apple, the largest company in the world. The S&P 500 appeared set for a strong move off a nine-month high as Apple shares gained three per cent in early trading, helped by Tuesday’s disclosures [...]
Wall St steady as shopping stats flat February 14, 2012 US stocks erased losses to end little changed yesterday after a Greek government source said the conservative party leader was expected to deliver a letter of commitment to the country’s international lenders. And US retail sales fell short of forrecasts, rising 0.4 per centin January. A sign of Greece’s commitment to the tough austerity measures [...]
Modest gains for Wall Street stocks February 9, 2012 US stocks rose modestly for a third straight day yesterday after Greece reached a deal to secure a financial bailout, but investors were cautious after weeks of gains. Tech shares, led by Apple, gave a lift to the Nasdaq index and were the session’s strongest sector. Skepticism that Greece would follow through on promised austerity [...]
Grey trading on the Facebook IPO price February 6, 2012 AS THE buzz continues about the Facebook public offering later this year, IG Markets is offering grey market trading on the social networking site’s market cap. The grey market allows shares to be traded on an unofficial market ahead of the IPO expected in May. When it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on [...]