Why the FTSE has rallied strongly in January January 29, 2013 THE FTSE 100 index has gained nearly 7 per cent since 2013 got underway, almost a month ago to the day. This is one of the most impressive starts to a year on record. Only two previous Januaries since the FTSE 100 was formed have beaten the current month (as of the time of writing). [...]
Toyota regains the top spot for global car sales January 28, 2013 JAPANESE firm Toyota has retaken its crown as the world’s biggest selling car maker after its sales rose 22.6 per cent to a record 9.75m vehicles in 2012. Japan’s three biggest car companies all posted record sales yesterday, as they continue to recover from natural disasters that left the country reeling in 2011. Toyota, which [...]
Video game firms power up on prospect of end to Chinese ban January 28, 2013 SHARES in Sony and Nintendo leapt yesterday amid hopes that the Chinese government would end a ban on video game consoles. The country’s official newspaper, China Daily, said the country’s culture department was considering allowing consoles in the world’s second-biggest economy for the first time since 2000, when they were banned to protect children. This [...]
S&P 500 dips after its long winning streak January 28, 2013 THE S&P 500 eased slightly yesterday after an eight-day run of gains, while the Nasdaq edged higher as Apple shares rebounded. The index remained above 1,500, however, after closing above that level on Friday for the first time in more than five years. The S&P 500’s eight sessions of gains was its longest winning streak [...]
What the other papers say this morning January 27, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Hands to ‘move on’ with fundraiser Guy Hands, founder of private equity firm Terra Firma, aims to bolster his plans to raise funds this year by returning €3bn to investors through disposals within the next 12 to 18 months. Mr Hands is pressing ahead with a €3bn fund to buy green energy infrastructure [...]
RIM hoping that new BlackBerry will bear fruit January 27, 2013 THE long-awaited next generation of BlackBerry smartphones will be unveiled this week, in a make or break moment for manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM). The Canadian company will unveil two new devices running BlackBerry 10, the first major overhaul to its software in years. The much-needed upgrade has been beset by technical delays while RIM [...]
Wall St inches higher despite Apple’s plunge January 24, 2013 THE smallest of gains gave the Standard & Poor’s 500 its seventh straight winning day yesterday, but the index failed to hold above the 1,500 line, restrained by Apple’s worst day in more than four years. Apple slid 12.4 per cent to $450.50 a day after it posted revenue that missed Wall Street’s forecast as [...]
Chinese freeze waters down SABMiller sales January 22, 2013 AN exceptionally cold Chinese winter drove down beer sales in the country and hit growth at SABMiller. The FTSE 100 brewing giant, which makes Peroni, Grolsch and Pilsner Urquell, said it had sold three per cent less beer in China in the final quarter of 2012 than in the same period last year, when acquisitions [...]
Huawei posts a 33pc surge in its earnings January 21, 2013 CHINESE telecoms giant Huawei saw profits rise by a third in 2012, as it was buoyed by strong growth in Europe and Japan despite facing a US security investigation. The company said it anticipates further growth in 2013, as it expands its smartphone business into more developed markets. Huawei’s main presence outside of east Asia is [...]
The eurosceptic case for renegotiating EU trade relationships with caution January 21, 2013 OECD secretary-general Angel Gurría summarised succinctly, last week, the extent to which globalisation has led to the interconnectedness of countries through trade. In a speech in Paris, he said: “A good produced in the EU and exported to the US includes components from China and Japan, using raw materials and services from Australia, Russia or [...]