All roads to all people June 1, 2010 The Audi A4 Allroad has been launched into another new segment that Audi seems to have created. You can probably count the number of four-wheel drive estates you know of on one hand. The others are Audi’s own A6 Allroad, the Subaru Forester and the Skoda Octavia Scout which at its heart is an Audi [...]
FTSE closes above 5,000 led by miners who now may not face Aussie tax hikes May 26, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index recovered to close above 5,000 points yesterday, led by miners after reports the Australian government may relax punitive tax measures, while Burberry jumped after strong earnings. The FTSE 100 ended up 97.40 points or 2 per cent at 5,038.08, having tumbled 2.5 per cent on Tuesday to its lowest close since [...]
Don’t be caught unawares by bank volatility May 26, 2010 FEARS of sovereign debt contagion within the Eurozone have quickly turned into concerns about a European banking crisis. As if investors needed any further confirmation about the fragility of European banks, regional Spanish bank CajaSur was seized last weekend by the Bank of Spain after it had been crippled by property loan defaults. Plenty of [...]
Sport & spark May 25, 2010 THE EX37 is perplexing. Most cars are remarkably easy to understand. With one look at the exterior and a sit inside and you can pretty much get a grip on what kind of car you’re in and have some idea of the kind of person it has been designed for. But not this one. It’s [...]
Rio Tinto boss warns Aussie tax is big risk May 24, 2010 GLOBAL miner Rio Tinto yesterday said it is reviewing all investments in Australia due to a proposed new tax, describing the country as its top sovereign risk concern and sending a weak Australian dollar even lower. Australia, which accounts for the bulk of Rio’s revenue from iron ore, coal and other commodities, had been considered [...]
THE TIPSTER May 23, 2010 BHP BILLITON hosts its AGM on Monday. The decision by the Australian government to impose a 40 per cent tax on mining profits, the rise in the value of the dollar and the general slump in commodity prices has seen BHP Billiton’s shares fall nearly 23 per cent in less than a month. With the [...]
FTSE hit by German ban on shorting May 19, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares fell steeply yesterday, as commodity-linked stocks and banks were hit by Germany’s attempt to stop speculators driving down the euro, bonds and share prices by limiting short-selling. The FTSE 100 closed down 149.26 points, or 2.8 per cent, at 5,158.08, having added 0.9 per cent on Tuesday, as Germany’s move shook markets [...]
The heat is on for the steel price this year May 19, 2010 THE price of industrial metals has been hit during the recent bout of market turbulence. But against this backdrop pressures have been building that could drive the price of steel higher again. The industrial metal, widely used for the production of infrastructure, is being bolstered by several factors. The first is supply and demand. Supply [...]
LISTED PRODUCT NEWS May 19, 2010 COOKING UP A WINNER AT ISHARES The ETF provider iShares launched a new educational campaign this week in novel fashion. If you were around the City earlier this week then you may have seen two chefs, former contenders on MasterChef no less, cooking up a storm to promote the benefits of ETFs. The chefs used [...]
French fancy May 18, 2010 PEUGEOT is targeting Audi TT, VW Scirocco, even Mini Cooper S buyers with its new 2+2 seater sports car. Even if you’re the kind of car buyer that usually allows your head to rule your heart the RCZ may still be the car for you. Not only do you get the fun of a sports [...]