Banks propel FTSE upwards after interest rates decision December 9, 2010 BANKS helped Britain’s top shares rise yesterday after the Bank of England kept interest rates and quantitative easing measures unchanged, while US jobs figures raised hopes that a recovery was under way. The FTSE 100 was up 13.43 points, or 0.2 per cent, at 5,807.96, eradicating Wednesday’s losses, though gains were muted, with some traders [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING December 8, 2010 FINANICAL TIMES FRESH WOES FOR DE LA RUE OVER FRENCH OFFER De La Rue first received an £820m takeover approach from François-Charles Oberthur Fiduciaire, a French banknote printing rival, as long as eight weeks ago, it emerged on Wednesday. The disclosure comes as the crisis-hit FTSE 250 company defends itself against criticism from some shareholders [...]
Retailers and commodities push FTSE to three-week high December 7, 2010 Britain’s top shares closed at their highest level in over three weeks yesterday, lifted by commodity makers and retailers as equities remained the preferred asset class among investors despite macro concerns. The FTSE 100 ended up 38.17 points, or 0.7 per cent, at 5,808.45, having closed 0.4 per cent higher on Monday and 7.3 per [...]
GlaxoSmithKline looks towards China with £44.4m acquisition December 7, 2010 PHARMA’S expansion to the east took another step forwards yesterday with the news that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is to acquire Chinese company Nanjing MeiRui Pharma (MeiRui). GSK will spend $70m (£44.4m) on the acquisition, as it continues to invest in emerging markets. China is “one of the fastest growing and most significant of the emerging markets,” [...]
Bet on black: Oil prices discover fresh energy December 6, 2010 FOR a commodity used to grabbing the headlines, crude oil has been overshadowed by its cousins for much of 2010. Unlike copper, coffee or cotton, which have climbed steeply, oil remained entrenched in its trading range between $70 and $85 a barrel. Not any longer. Cold weather sweeping across Europe, strong energy demand from emerging [...]
Sarkozy signs $20bn in deals on Indian trade trip December 6, 2010 FRANCE’S President Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday said he had clinched deals worth about $20bn (£12.6bn) with India, becoming the latest among a string of world leaders jostling for a share of Asia’s third biggest economy. The business deals, which spanned atomic energy, defence and civil aviation, comfortably bettered the $10bn US President Barack Obama secured on [...]
The head of the world’s largest law firm reveals his plans for expansion December 5, 2010 The new chairman of Baker & McKenzie has a tricky hand to play. Eduardo Leite, who began his three-year term at the beginning of last month, may lead over 10,000 staff (including 4,000 lawyers) spread over 40 countries in 68 offices. And the firm may have produced the biggest revenues in the industry this year [...]
China declares shift to “prudent” monetary policy December 3, 2010 CHINA will switch to a prudent monetary policy from a moderately loose stance, the Communist Party’s top leaders decided on Friday, a change that could pave the way for more interest rate increases and lending controls. At the same time, the Politburo elected to maintain China’s proactive fiscal policy, an indication that the government wants [...]
Commodities and banks help FTSE snap its losing streak December 1, 2010 BRITAIN’S leading share index staged its biggest one day really in three months yesterday, clawing back some of the losses made in the past three sessions, with commodities boosted by upbeat Chinese data and banks rallying after being hit by sovereign debt concern. The rally was also boosted by hopes the European Central Bank (ECB) [...]
FOOD PRICES PUT FOCUS ON AGRIBUSINESS December 1, 2010 SENIOR ANALYST, ETF SECURITIES Most agriculture prices have seen double-digit gains this year, reflecting a trend towards higher and more volatile prices since 2003. For agribusiness, this could lead to stronger returns for agriculture producers and support companies, irrespective of near-term gyrations in the business cycle, if suppliers strive to boost productivity. Rising prices have [...]