US shares rise in light trade as vote looms November 5, 2012 US stocks advanced modestly yesterday in light trading in one of the year’s quietest sessions on the day before the US presidential election. Whatever the outcome of the race between incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, the election’s resolution will finally end the uncertainty that has kept the market stagnant for the [...]
The fiscal cliff looms dangerously over the US presidential campaign November 1, 2012 AS THE US presidential election approaches, one issue has been singularly absent from the campaign. And it’s the issue that worries US investors the most. According to a recent survey by Macro Risk Advisors, Americans are increasingly concerned about a looming “fiscal cliff”, over which the US is set to hurtle on 2 January 2013. [...]
Will a merger between Penguin and Random House better place the firm to tackle Amazon? October 29, 2012 YES Lizzie Carr The merger of Penguin and Random House is ultimately about the survival of the fittest. Publishing is going through revolutionary changes, and this merger shows just how much some brands will need to adapt to survive in today’s marketplace. Given the size of the two companies, there are some obvious cost-savings the [...]
Drug maker needs a high October 29, 2012 PHARMACEUTICAL giant GlaxoSmithKline will announce its third quarter trading results tomorrow. The drug maker has had a mixed year, and shares currently lie towards the middle of their 52-week range. GSK has appointed headhunters to find a replacement for Sir Chris Gent, who had been chairman since 2005, and traders will want details about when [...]
The calm before the fiscal storm October 29, 2012 AS HURRICANE Sandy hits the eastern seaboard of the US, just how much will it rock the markets? And could it be a game changer for the presidential elections – now only a week away? According to an analyst note by the chief investment strategist of S&P Capital IQ, Sam Stovall, history says that hurricanes [...]
As the US presidential election nears, would a Mitt Romney victory be good for markets? October 28, 2012 YES Nancy Curtin A Mitt Romney victory would be a positive step for markets, given his opposition to capital gains tax increases, his support for immediate corporation tax cuts, and his business friendly, supply-side approach. We need to move away from a scenario where the government picks winners and losers in the corporate world, to [...]
What the other papers say this morning October 24, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES Walker plans Barclays clear-out Sir David Walker is planning a clean sweep of Barclays’ board after he formally becomes chairman of the scandal-tainted bank next week and will also oversee the replacement of some executive positions. The City grandee has been sounding out top figures over their suitability to join the bank in [...]
The markets are still a swing voter October 22, 2012 DOES the stock market vote Republican or Democrat? The US presidential elections are now only two weeks away. And as with any major event, there is no shortage of people who think that it will have an effect on the markets one way or another – usually in line with their own political bent. Traditionally, [...]
We need to do more to encourage firms to spend in the UK October 22, 2012 THIS is the week Britain will finally exit its double-dip recession – or at least, so we must all hope. Barring the most extraordinary upset in the history of British economic forecasting, figures out on Thursday will show that the economy grew at least a little during the third quarter, making up some of the [...]
Rapid responses October 21, 2012 Start-up nation [Re: Google’s awful day reminds us it is becoming less special, Friday] I was interested to read Allister Heath’s comments on Google settling down to mundane normality. I have started half a dozen tech businesses in my time, and I agree that turning a tech start-up into a successful company is a path [...]