At the close: FTSE 100 enjoys best two back-to-back days since October as it closes higher as miners make gains November 26, 2015 The FTSE 100 closed higher today as miners made gains, despite BHP Billiton sliding. The UK's top blue-chip index closed 0.88 per cent up, at 6,393 points, following the 0.96 per cent gain yesterday on the back of the chancellor's budget plans that sent housebuilders' stocks higher. Glencore led the pack, closing 5.85 per cent up at 95.88p per [...]
Autumn Statement and Spending Review 2015: The verdicts on George Osborne’s proposals November 26, 2015 THE BUSINESS GROUP HEAD CAROLYN FAIRBAIRN, CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH INDUSTRY, DIRECTOR-GENERAL The apprenticeship levy will be a big extra payroll tax on employers and widening the net will hit Britain’s smaller firms. This was a good spending review for longer-term investment in the economy but there’s a sting in the tail in the size and [...]
Thomas Cook share price rises after it posts first annual profit in five years November 25, 2015 The figures Thomas Cook Group revenue increased 1.1 per cent to £7.83bn in the year ended 30 September, reflecting continued customer demand for differentiated holiday offering. The FTSE 250 listed group's profit after tax crept to a positive £19m, up from a £115m loss in 2014, marking its first positive annual profit after tax since 2010. And while Thomas Cook temporarily [...]
Chinese insurers to splurge $73bn on real estate November 25, 2015 Chinese insurers could splash out as much as $73bn (£48.4bn) on the global real estate market by 2019, new research shows, as companies look to protect themselves from volatile equity markets and take advantage of relaxed rules on overseas investment. According to Cushman & Wakefield, top insurance companies in China had just 0.8 per cent of [...]
How much is Uber worth? More than Twitter, Netflix and LinkedIn after latest reported funding round values taxi app at up to $40bn November 24, 2015 Uber, the never-far-from-controversy taxi app, has raised a new round of funding, giving the firm a higher valuation than tech superstars such as Twitter, Netflix and LinkedIn. The new funding round of at least $1bn from new and existing investors gives the five-year-old startup a valuation of up to $40bn, according to Bloomberg. The new sum [...]
Santa Clause ain’t coming to town: Why you shouldn’t expect stocks to rally – CNBC Comment November 24, 2015 Last week was the year’s best for the S&P 500. October also saw a very strong bounceback from the late summer malaise. I’ve been surprised by the recent recoveries in markets in the short term. When you pair that with the huge long-term gains we have had since March 2009 alongside my fundamental bearishness, [...]
Chinese brokerage firm Guotai Junan International shares fall after chief executive Yin Fung goes missing November 23, 2015 Shares in Guotai Junan International fell more than 17 per cent today at the Chinese brokerage firm after its boss mysteriously disappeared. Guotai Junan said it had been unable to get in contact with Yin Fung, chairman of the board, executive director and chief executive since Wednesday 18 November, in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock exchange today. [...]
Best of the Brokers for 20 November 2015 November 20, 2015 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com Vesuvius, a molten metal engineer, is set to feel the steel sector’s pain warns Numis, which reiterated its “hold” rating with a target price of 350p. The broker said, thanks to the group’s restructuring, margins are more resilient than in previous down-periods, which [...]
What slowdown? JP Morgan says Asian companies like Tata and Nikkei will drive global M&A boom in the quest for long-term growth November 19, 2015 The good times look here to stay for the global M&A market, as 88 per cent of Asian companies say mergers and acquisitions are vital to their growth strategy, according to a market report from JP Morgan. Over the last 12 months, deal volumes in the Asia Pacific region have grown 61 per cent $1.05 [...]
Prestigious brands suffer falling sales in China – but luxury hasn’t lost its lustre just yet November 19, 2015 Fom Hermes handbags and Tiffany jewellery, to Moet champagne and Hennessy cognac, luxury companies have had a storming run on the stock markets since the turn of the millennium. Alongside high-end brands with very exclusive products, the luxury sector also includes names considered commonplace in the West, such as Nike, L’Oreal and Swatch – which [...]