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 [...]
Constrained times ahead for banks as regulators piece together Basel III May 19, 2010 SINCE the banking crisis occurred, every major regulatory authority, central bank and government has been developing ideas for improving bank regulations, with some already imposed. Meanwhile, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, which produced the original 1988 Basel Accord regulating capital requirements for banks and its subsequent revision, Basel II, ploughs on with a new [...]
FTSE lifted by banks and commodities as investor fears over Eurozone recede May 18, 2010 BANKS and commodity-linked stocks pushed Britain’s top share index higher yesterday, with risk appetite returning among investors as Eurozone debt fears ebbed, and Man Group recouping the previous session’s losses. The FTSE 100 ended up 44.80 points, or 0.9 per cent, at 5,307.34, but after retreating from an earlier session high of 5,341.41. “Any move [...]
European Central Bank moves swiftly to sterilise government bond buying May 17, 2010 THE European Central Bank yesterday laid out plans to sterilise its controversial government bond purchases, in a rapidly orchestrated move designed to quash fears the buy-ups will lead to a surge in inflation. The ECB also revealed €16.5bn (£14.1bn) worth of bond purchases had been settled by last Friday, giving markets their first true glimpse [...]
Mitie sees boost from acquisitions May 17, 2010 MITIE, the support services firm, said yesterday acquisitions had boosted full-year profits and it expected increased government outsourcing to continue to support growth. Mitie, which cleans Barclays and HSBC’s UK buildings, said the acquisitions of rivals Dalkia and EPS had increased its foothold in the social housing market and also meant it could offer more [...]
Japanese pharma firm will buy its way into lucrative US drugs market May 17, 2010 JAPANESE drugmaker Astellas Pharma has agreed to buy US biotech OSI Pharmaceuticals for $4bn (£2.8bn) in cash in a sweetened bid that will add OSI’s blockbuster cancer drug Tarceva to its line-up. Astellas has been chasing OSI as it seeks to bolster a nascent cancer drug business as a future earnings pillar amid falling earnings [...]
My corporate jet is easyJet: meet the platform boss taking on the LSE May 17, 2010 HE TALKS LOUDLY and moves fast. Alasdair Haynes, the chief executive of the pan-European trading platform Chi-X Europe, cuts a larger than life figure. The boss of the trading platform, which has grabbed a 30 per cent share of FTSE 100 trading from long-established rival the London Stock Exchange (LSE) since it was set up [...]
FTSE ends day flat on debt jitters as Vodafone rises and travel groups fall May 17, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares ended flat yesterday as jitters over Europe’s debt eroded early gains, with miners weak on demand concerns and travel firms hit by the Icelandic ash cloud. The FTSE 100 closed down 0.3 points at 5,262.54 after it fell 3.1 per cent on Friday, punished by anxiety over the euro zone debt crisis. [...]
BP May 16, 2010 IT doesn’t rain it pours. Or in the case of BP, it spills. The situation facing the oil major goes from bad to worse. Chief executive Tony Hayward, initially credited with changing the firm’s reputation in the wake of the Texas oil refinery explosion, limps from one public relations disaster to the next. Analysts from [...]
Don’t forget about volatile silver: it is a decent alternative to gold May 16, 2010 AS ONE might have expected, renewed risk aversion and fears about sovereign debt have sent the price of gold sky high. The precious metal hit a record high last week of $1,242.70 as investors scrambled for perceived safe havens. But with all the attention lavished on gold, the recent strength of silver has gone remarkably [...]