Pulling MACHINE October 6, 2009 AS I write this, I am sitting watching the sunset across the Gulf of St Tropez, about to drive back to Blighty towing a photographer friend’s two-tonne boat. My friend Kos, you see, is a yacht photographer who uses a Range Rover Sport to tow her boats to sailing regattas around Europe. She is looking [...]
Upbeat economic sentiment boosts FTSE to above 5,000 October 5, 2009 THE FTSE 100 closed higher yesterday after US Institute for Supply Management non-manufacturing data came in better than forecast, with miners and banks the best performing sectors. The index closed up 35.63 points, or 0.7 per cent, at 5,024.33, after tumbling nearly 60 points on Friday to a near three-week closing low below the 5,000 [...]
How M&A-spotters can make big bucks October 4, 2009 F OR those of us trading the financial markets over the last two years, large mergers and acquisitions may now be a distant memory. Figures from markets analyst Dealogic indicate that acquisition volumes are down 55 per cent in Europe and 61 per cent in the US compared to this time last year. So much [...]
FTSE100 ends its best ever quarter with profit taking September 30, 2009 THE top share index closed lower yesterday with energy stocks, banks and miners among the biggest laggards on the last session of a record quarter. The FTSE 100 closed down 25.82 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 5,133.90 as investors locked in profits after the index put in its best quarterly performance since it was [...]
Audi’s dream-mobile September 29, 2009 IS it me or have Audi toned down their design approach? They used to love a bit of flared wheel arch where possible, stance and statement arriving hand in hand. Has the recession blunted their flair? I’ve recently spent a week with another of thier cars, the awesome S3, which for me offers one of [...]
THE LONDON REPORT September 28, 2009 BRITAIN’S leading stock index closed 1.6 per cent higher yesterday, with heavyweight banks, miners and energy stocks reversing early losses, helped by a strong opening for the US market. The FTSE 100 rose 83.5 points, or 1.6 per cent, to close at 5,165.70, after rising 0.1 per cent on Friday. “It wasn’t until the US [...]
Three bids made for Churchill Mining as it denies BHP link September 28, 2009 COAL group Churchill Mining yesterday said it had received three separate approaches yesterday, but denied speculation that one of its suitors was mining giant BHP Billiton. Two of the approaches were for the possible acquisition of specific projects, the Aim-listed group said, while the third was a potential offer for the whole company, which has [...]
THE LONDON REPORT September 24, 2009 BRITAIN’S leading share index lost 1.2 per cent yesterday as a weak US housing report and cautious comments from the Bank of England governor raised investor concern over the pace of economic recovery. At the close, the FTSE 100 was 60.10 points lower at 5,079.27, finishing below the 5,100 level for the first time in [...]
THE LONDON REPORT September 23, 2009 THE leading share index closed lower yesterday as falling commodity prices stung oil firms and miners while investors stayed cautious ahead of the conclusion of a US Federal Reserve policy meeting. The FTSE 100 ended 0.1 per cent, or 3.23 points, lower at 5,139.37, erasing gains from earlier in the session as shares on Wall [...]
BHP boss nets $10m package September 23, 2009 BHP BILLITON’S chief executive Marius Kloppers was paid 51 per cent more this year, the group’s annual report showed yesterday, despite the mining giant’s profits slumping by 62 per cent last year. Kloppers’ remuneration package came in at more than $10m (£6.3m) for the 12 months to June. Last year he received $6.8m. His pay [...]