WALL ST THE WEEK AHEAD July 8, 2012 WALL Street has been running in circles for the past two months, and the pattern may continue despite the upcoming start of the earnings season. Quarterly report cards from blue-chips Alcoa and JPMorgan this week could fade into the background as traders jockey for position before key data from China and more central bank headlines. [...]
Doing the UK supermarket sweep July 2, 2012 THE jubilant spending during the Queen’s diamond jubilee may have given the high streets a boost, and inflation is being slowly reined in, but UK supermarkets are still facing a difficult year ahead. According to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee boosted retail sales in June, but shop sales were down [...]
Kada Technology unveils listing on Aim as China looks to London July 1, 2012 KADA Technology is this morning due to announce its intention to float on London’s Alternative Investment Market (Aim), making it the second Chinese company in a week to unveil a UK listing. The eight-year-old business, which provides components and devices for consumer electronics and the IT industry, is heading for a market capitalisation of £100m. [...]
The City has much to gain from China’s development as a financial centre July 1, 2012 THE relationship between the UK and China came into sharp focus over the past week, as Hong Kong celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty. In this time, China’s economic transformation – underlined by its ascent to become the world’s second largest economy – has been nothing short of miraculous. That much [...]
Libor: the vital number for every banker June 27, 2012 Q What is Libor? A The London interbank offered rate (Libor) is set daily for 10 major currencies and for 15 borrowing periods, ranging from overnight loans to 12 months. It is set by the British Bankers’ Association, after speaking to 16 banks and studying their data on the cost and price of lending to [...]
Slow growth to haunt Eurozone for next 2 years June 27, 2012 THE EUROZONE is set for years of stagnation and slow growth, according to Ernst & Young research published this morning. Even the best case scenario is “mild recession in 2012, depicted by the Eurozone shrinking 0.6 per cent, with a weak recovery of 0.4 per cent in 2013,” according to the latest forecast from the [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING June 25, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES EU plan to rewrite budgets The European Union would gain far-reaching powers to rewrite national budgets for Eurozone countries that breach debt and deficit rules under proposals likely to be discussed at a summit this week, according to a draft report seen by the Financial Times. State-backed cyber attack cost UK company £800m, [...]
Lenovo shares plummet on PC market worries June 25, 2012 SHARES of Lenovo Group, the world’s number two PC maker, fell by more than six per cent yesterday on market concern over the outlook for the PC market amid the global economic slowdown. Lenovo’s shares fell as much as 6.3 per cent to HK$6.26 in afternoon trading, extending earlier losses and hitting the lowest intraday [...]
The cup may overflow at Greene King June 25, 2012 INVESTORS will be hoping that final results from Greene King will allow them to raise a glass in celebration, with the company building on good figures for the fourth quarter. Sales at this particular publican have outstripped rivals, which could mean that some special figures are brewing. IG Index quotes 529p-532p for Greene King. The [...]
LOWER OIL PRICES LIKELY TO REMAIN AS GROWTH SLOWS June 25, 2012 SENIOR MARKET STRATEGIST, GFT LAST week, Brent crude oil traded below $88.50 – a level last seen in November 2010. Back then, crude was in the early stages of a rally which would take it above $126 four months later. The rally was driven, to a great extent, by the US Federal Reserve’s second round [...]