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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
SEASONAL THOUGHTS FROM THE CITY GIRL November 30, 2009 As 2009 comes to a close, City folk are craving a bit of fun. After being forced to keep their heads down all year amid the misery, bailouts and chaos, most bankers I know are desperate to let their hair down, get drunk and embarrass themselves. One of the things I miss most about the [...]
OUT OF OFFICE November 30, 2009 CALEDONIART SCOTS ART SHOWThere are some beautiful pieces of art on show at Caledoniart in honour of St Andrew’s Day which should delight Scots and non-Scots alike. It’s a colourful, sensual collection of 25 of Scotland’s finest contemporary artists, including work from Gregory Rankin, Robert Kelsey, Roseanne Barr and Tim Cokburn, whose enchanting Bride and [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS November 30, 2009 FOOD AND MUSIC IN CAMDENA taste of Sicily is coming to Camden Town, in the shape of new restaurant Caponata, which opens tomorrow night. And Camden being the centre of London’s live music scene, it’s got its own music and arts space, called The Forge. Signature dishes in the main restaurant will include the, um, [...]
Online organisation tools are the next big thing November 30, 2009 FREQUENTLY I find myself in discussions on panels where some well-intentioned moderator asks, “when will the advertising market come back?” Sir Martin Sorrell and other advertising executives frequently get quoted on their views on this subject, and overall, most people seem to think that the dip is cyclical, and if we wait long enough, good [...]
CAN DE BEERS REFINANCE WITHOUT HELP FROM ANGLO AMERICAN? November 30, 2009 CHARLES KERNOT EVOLUTION“Investing in De Beers would be a positive move for Anglo – there’s little opportunity to increase supply in diamonds and we are looking at a shortfall in supply over demand into 2010. As De Beers is in talks to restructure its debt, it could be that the banks want to see some [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING November 29, 2009 THE SUNDAYSThe Sunday TelegraphRATE HIKE THREATENS EXISTENCE OF RURAL PETROL STATIONSHundreds of rural petrol stations face closure if an “outrageous” increase in business rates is pushed through next April, forecourt owners have warned. Owners of the UK’s 6,000 independent petrol stations will this week launch a major MP-backed campaign to urge a government body to [...]
Spending down for Xmas November 29, 2009 SPENDING was down over the Black Friday weekend in the US, data out yesterday showed, although more people turned out to peruse the shops than last year. In the post-Thanksgiving period, which traditionally kicks off the holiday shopping rush, average spending was down 7.9 per cent a person as shoppers reined in their spending and [...]