IT’LL BE ALRIGHT ON THE NIGHT: THE PITFALLS OF LIVE BUSINESS TELLY December 2, 2009 So the countdown is firmly underway; but unfortunately this one doesn’t include an advent calendar or any nice surprises at the end. Or even a man with a beard. I’m talking of course about the Pre Budget Report. The midnight oil may be burning at HM Treasury as they try to work out how to [...]
Jump in cosmetic surgery December 2, 2009 The Harley Medical Group yesterday reported a surge in non-surgical cosmetic treatments in the run up to Christmas with bookings for the most popular treatments up by 14 per cent. Botox remains the most popular, accounting for 73 per cent of non surgical injectable treatments carried out during November.
Banks hired by NewLook December 2, 2009 FASHION chain New Look yesterday edged closer to a possible £1.7bn stock market flotation by handpicking banks to work on the deal. The budget fashion chain, owned by private equity firms Apax and Permira, has chosen to work with JP Morgan Cazenove, Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse. Lazard has acted as an adviser to the [...]
Dell forecasts a strong Xmas December 2, 2009 US computer maker Dell sees potential rises in consumer and commercial demand over the coming year, as well as a “moderately good” Christmas season, Dell chief financial officer Brian Gladden said yesterday. “I think the consumer cycle has been surprisingly positive this year,” Gladden said at the Credit Suisse Technology Conference. He added: “It certainly [...]
Keep your eyes on the pies December 2, 2009 CHRISTMAS without mince pies would be like a British summer without rain – simply not possible. We love our mince pies – at least before a month of over-eating them makes us a stone heavier and permanently nausceous. But they can vary in quality. At their best, they are a combination of sweet, sour, gooey [...]
…AND WINES TO MATCH December 2, 2009 CROFT’S PARTICULAR A rich Amontillado-style cream sherry like this one works well for your more traditional pie – and traditional pie eater. It’s an unusually pale sherry, which uses fino instead of oloroso as the base wine, lightening up the style overall, and adding the interesting nuances. £10.06 at Waitrose. H&H VERDELHO MADEIRASometimes, nothing beats [...]
Your attitude to risk key to 2010 trading December 1, 2009 IT WAS no surprise that the Dubai debt scare saw investors running back to safe-havens such as the US dollar, Japanese yen and the Swiss franc. Risk appetite is one of the biggest drivers of the foreign exchange markets. The story of recent months in forex markets has been one of increasing investor confidence, which [...]
A drop in temperature makes some brands hotter December 1, 2009 WE all like to “make up our own minds” about brands, and recommend to our friends those with which we have had positive dealings. However, rather than being wholly our own self-determined opinions, these recommendations tie in with the seasons much more readily than we might think. Some “seasonal brands” like The North Face and [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING December 1, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMES HIT HAMSTER RANGE LIFTS CHARACTER GROUPToymaker and distributor The Character Group has predicted Christmas shortages of its most popular lines of children’s gifts, including Go Go Pets, based on a range of battery-powered interactive hamsters. John Lewis, the department store chain, has already imposed a limit of one order per customer for the [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING November 30, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMES CARLYLE SUED OVER COLLAPSED FUNDA prominent Kuwaiti conglomerate is suing the Carlyle Group in a local court, alleging that the US private equity firm misrepresented the safety of its affiliate, Carlyle Capital Corp (CCC), a public debt fund that collapsed in 2008. The firm, National?Industries Group, invested $50m in CCC, which was marketed [...]