Investors: You have nothing to lose but your premiums October 27, 2010 BACK in 2002, covered warrants were launched on the London Stock Exchange with grand fanfare. And nobody cared. The products turned out to be something of a flop, with only £886,000 changing hands in the first week of trading. There is nothing intrinsically bad about covered warrants, however. In fact, they are quite remarkable – [...]
We’ve had the cuts – now it’s time for growth October 24, 2010 So we’ve had the cuts, now it’s time for the growth. That’s the message at today’s annual CBI conference and it’s the right one. George Osborne may have hinted at some pact with the Bank of England whereby more QE offsets the government’s austerity drive, but what we really need is a supply side transformation. [...]
Credit Suisse profits latest to be felled by trading fall October 21, 2010 Swiss institution is the latest bulge bracket bank to report a decline in investment banking revenues A SLUMP in investment revenues yesterday passed over from the US banks to Credit Suisse, as the Swiss bank said group income had slumped by 62 per cent over the third quarter of the year. Credit Suisse said net [...]
At a glance: George Osborne’s first comprehensive spending review October 20, 2010 SPENDING FIGURES This fiscal year current expenditure will be £637.3bn. In 2011-12, current spending will be £651.1bn, followed by £664.5bn in 2012-13, £678.6bn in 2013-14 and then £692.7bn in 2014-15. The government will pay £43.3bn of gross government debt interest this fiscal year followed by £46.5bn in 2011-12, £52.4bn in 2012-13, £57.8bn in 2013-14 and [...]
There was no other choice – now George Osborne must hold his nerve October 20, 2010 IT was a timely reminder that action is desperately required to tackle Britain’s out of control budget deficit. At 9:30 yesterday morning, a full three hours before George Osborne got up to deliver his spending review to the House of Commons, the latest monthly budget deficit figures popped up on traders’ screens across the City. [...]
Spending Review Reaction October 20, 2010 THE GILTS EXPERT Killik & Co provides advisory services to private investors of all sizes. It offers advice on a wide range of financial matters, including CFDs, equities, fixed income markets and funds of funds INVESTMENT STRATEGIST PATRICK GORDON “The gilts market reaction has been fairly muted to the spending review although we did see [...]
Johnson: tax bankers to soften cuts October 18, 2010 ALAN Johnson yesterday unveiled Labour’s strategy for reducing the deficit, backing his predecessor’s plan to halve it within four years but arguing for higher taxes on banks to soften the blow of spending cuts. Speaking to an audience of accountants at KPMG’s headquarters, the shadow chancellor said Alistair Darling was right to plan to halve [...]
Be tax savvy with investing October 14, 2010 HOLDING all your money in cash when inflation is running at 3 per cent or more and interest rates are a meagre 0.5 per cent is probably not a good idea. And when the best cash ISAs are offering a rate of 2.8 per cent, the real value of your money is being eroded. So [...]
Thailand and China try to stem inflows October 11, 2010 ASIAN authorities anxious about currency appreciation moved to stem foreign capital inflows yesterday while a European official stepped up rhetoric about a strong euro after IMF meetings failed to defuse tensions about exchange rates. China temporarily raised reserve requirements for six large commercial banks, a surprise move aimed at draining cash from the economy. Thailand, [...]
Walker to bid £1bn for food firm Iceland October 10, 2010 THE boss of frozen food chain Iceland is planning a £1bn takeover of the firm he founded four decades ago, although he faces a potential bid battle, it emerged yesterday. Malcolm Walker, who together with other managers owns about a quarter of the retailer, is thought to have offered to buy the remaining 76 per cent [...]