Market lifted by upbeat view of Christmas retail – London Report January 19, 2015 BRITAIN’S main share index rose yesterday, extending a strong run, with retailers such as Tesco among the biggest gainers from a more upbeat view of the sector after a better-than-expected Christmas period. Electronics retailer Dixons Carphone rose 4.4 per cent, the top riser on the FTSE 100 index, with traders citing optimism ahead of the [...]
Car review: The new Aston Martin Vanquish Volante – the same but better January 19, 2015 The new model Vanquish Volante shows that the only thing better than an Aston Martin is another Aston Martin. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that the Volante version of the Aston Martin Vanquish is a relatively new car. It first appeared late in 2013, with UK sales kicking off early in 2014, so [...]
Ever wished you’d been a Formula One driver? You still can, today, by lunchtime January 18, 2015 The road to becoming a grand prix driver is lined with potholes big enough to swallow those lightweight, yet thunderous racing cars. There are 22 seats available on the Formula One grid and to earn one you need huge amounts of talent, money, luck, and quite often a blood relative who’s already been there before [...]
Copper market chaos hammers mining stocks January 14, 2015 COLLAPSING copper prices and the continued decline of the oil market hammered stocks in the commodities sector yesterday. Copper fell as much as eight per cent to a five-year low of $5,522 per tonne, a move that analysts attributed to growing excess supply in the market, with China accounting for 40 per cent of global [...]
Best of the Brokers for 15 January 2015 January 14, 2015 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com BHP BILLITON S&P Capital has downgraded Anglo-American metals, mining and petroleum firm BHP Billiton from a “buy” to “hold” rating. “We expect weaker commodity prices to increasingly impact on group profits as hedges expire and see currency headwinds from a stronger US dollar,” [...]
Mining meltdown: Antofagasta, Glencore and Anglo American share prices plummet amid copper selloff January 14, 2015 Miners led the FTSE 100's biggest fallers in morning trading after a sudden collapse in copper prices knocked oil off the top of the commodities watch list. The metal plunged by more than six per cent after the World Bank slashed its global growth forecast for 2015. Antofagasta was the biggest faller, with shares dropping [...]
Car review: The Audi RS Q3 is turbo-charged evolution in motion January 12, 2015 Most people were mightily surprised when Audi decided to squeeze its turbocharged five-cylinder engine into its smallest SUV. They were even more shocked when they drove it and found that it was a winning formula, so Audi has kept the updates to a minimum this year. Among these are the new grey surround for the [...]
Car review: Porsche 911 Carrera GTS – could it be the greatest yet? January 5, 2015 The flagship of any car range is rarely the best of the bunch. The sweet spot invariably falls around the middle, where there’s neither too much flash nor cash. There certainly aren’t any duff Porsche 911s lurking in the price lists, but a new addition to the range might just be the one to go [...]
FTSE 100 edges up as oil and metals recover – London Report December 17, 2014 Energy and mining stocks rallied to help the UK’s top share index end slightly higher after a sharp decline earlier in the session, buoyed by a recovery in crude oil and industrial metals prices. Expectations the European Central Bank will take fresh measures to support the region’s economy and that the US Federal Reserve’s final [...]
Plunging oil prices weigh heavily but Carpetright soars – London Report December 15, 2014 London stocks fell yesterday, with the FTSE 100 down for a sixth consecutive session, as equities markets failed to hold on to an early rally as fears about sliding oil prices and demand for other basic commodities took hold once more. The FTSE 100 ended down 1.9 per cent, or 117.91 points, at 6,182.72, with [...]