Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton are dented by UBS forecast June 25, 2012 MINING heavyweights Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton saw their shares slide yesterday after UBS reduced its forecasts for the pair. UBS said that the companies’ Australian tax liabilities will be A$1.8bn (£1.1bn) in the 2013 fiscal year and A$1.4bn in 2014. The bank cut its estimates for profits at both BHP and Rio by four [...]
The cup may overflow at Greene King June 25, 2012 INVESTORS will be hoping that final results from Greene King will allow them to raise a glass in celebration, with the company building on good figures for the fourth quarter. Sales at this particular publican have outstripped rivals, which could mean that some special figures are brewing. IG Index quotes 529p-532p for Greene King. The [...]
Banks and miners peg FTSE back June 25, 2012 Miners and banks led the FTSE 100 lower in early trading as fears over stalling global growth took their toll. With the grim scene in the Eurozone still casting a shadow investors were shying away from riskier assets. Spain today formally requested a bailout loan for its banking sector from its eurozone partners. The loan [...]
Market report: FTSE drops after Moody’s downgrade banks June 22, 2012 The FTSE was down this morning following poor global growth forecasts and the decision by credit ratings agency Moody’s to downgrade some of the world’s biggest banks. Last night Moody’s lowered the credit ratings of 15 of the world’s biggest lenders to reflect the risk of losses they face from volatile capital markets. But the [...]
Rio Tinto bets $3.7bn on iron ore in Australia June 20, 2012 RIO Tinto said yesterday it will spend $3.7bn (£2.4bn) to increase iron ore output in Australia by a further 25 per cent to 353m tonnes a year by 2015, shrugging off forecasts of waning demand and a global supply glut. Rio Tinto, the world’s second-largest miner of iron ore after Brazil’s Vale, currently runs its [...]
Lexus makes automotive alchemy June 19, 2012 Believe it or not, this is the fourth generation Lexus GS model, a car that has been in production since 1993, quietly going about the business of offering buyers a unique alternative to the more familiar premium saloons like the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Jaguar XF. Unique? Really? Well Lexus does things a [...]
CAR TALK June 19, 2012 Porsche’s special Club Coupes Porsche is building 13 special 911 Club Coupes to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first Porsche enthusiast clubs. Based on a 911 Carrera S, each car has a 30bhp improvement on the standard car – up to 424bhp – meaning 0-62mph is possible in four seconds flat. Painted in “Brewster [...]
Gold mining firms push FTSE higher despite fears over Spain and Greece June 13, 2012 BRITAIN’S benchmark share index closed higher yesterday as gains in heavyweight gold-mining companies enabled the market to outperform rival European bourses, which fell on persistent worries over the Greek and Spanish debt crises. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index ended up 10.07 points, or 0.2 per cent, at 5,483.81 points. However, trading volumes remained relatively thin [...]
CAR TALK June 12, 2012 Meet Rolls’ Phantom Series II Last week Rolls-Royce Motor Cars introduced 100 of its customers to the latest Phantom Series II by turning its Goodwood assembly line into a dining room. For the “dine on the line” event, guests arrived in chauffeured Rolls-Royce Phantoms or by helicopter, then tucked into a banquet in the red carpet-lined [...]
Banks and miners lead FTSE lower June 8, 2012 Miners and banks led the FTSE down in early trading as investors shunned riskier assets and ran for cover as global economic growth stutters. The fall tracked losses on Wall Street yesterday and Asia overnight despite an initial boost after China cut its interest rates in an attempt to accelerate its growth. But US Federal [...]