UK set for square root-shaped recovery September 6, 2009 IT is almost official: we are out of recession. The economy is growing again, albeit at a snail’s pace, the equity and debt markets have bounced back, some firms are posting higher profits and there has been a mini-renaissance in City deal-making. All of which is great news but certainly not enough to uncork the [...]
More retailers could follow Woolies as hard times continue August 31, 2009 RETAILERS were in August their most positive since November 2007, a recent survey from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) showed. Only 2 per cent of retailers surveyed by the CBI in August are expecting the situation to get worse, despite high street sales falling for the fourth month running. And indeed, with all the [...]
Tesco’s rivals eat into its market share August 18, 2009 TESCO, the UK’s biggest retailer, is continuing to lose market share, according to new figures, despite relaunching its Clubcard. The supermarket recently beefed up its loyalty card scheme, offering shoppers two points for every £1 spent, as opposed to just one. It had hoped the tactics would stop customers shopping at rivals like Asda and [...]
The big kick-off is a blackout for some August 13, 2009 WITH the football season starting in earnest tomorrow, ESPN, the Disney-owned broadcaster, is proudly trumpeting its coverage on all four pay television platforms, BSkyB, Virgin Media, BT Vision and Top-Up TV. ESPN, which has taken over the rights to 46 live Premier League matches from the now defunct Setanta, agreed deals with all the main [...]
COLOURFUL WORLD OF CHRISTINA DOMECQ August 11, 2009 EVERYONE wants a piece of colourful entrepreneur Christina Domecq. Since her SpinVox voicemail-to-text conversion company appeared in 2003, Domecq has run the full gauntlet of whimsical public opinion – first championed by venture capitalists, then hounded by critics, and now slated by past and current employees. Don’t get me wrong, Domecq still has plenty of [...]
Whitbread’s chief weighs up options for expansion plan August 3, 2009 WHITBREAD chief executive Alan Parker yesterday revealed he will be launching an extensive international and domestic expansion plan and took City analysts by surprise by hinting he might be prepared to tap shareholders for funds before Christmas. Whitbread, which owns budget hotel chain Premier Inn and Costa Coffee, has been eyeing up prospects in the [...]
Reed share placing to be unveiled July 29, 2009 BUSINESS and scientific magazine publisher Reed Elsevier is today expected to announce plans for a huge rights issue, as it attempts to reduce its $8.3bn (£5.1bn) debt-pile. The Anglo-Dutch company’s new chief executive, Ian Smith, will unveil plans to raise up to 10 per cent of its value through a share placing, as he announces [...]
Apple to launch tablet computer July 27, 2009 Apple is set to unveil a portable tablet-sized computer that can surf the web and may also serve as an electronic book reader in time for the Christmas shopping season. The device will be able to connect to the internet and, like the iPod Touch, will have the ability to play movies. But it will [...]
SPREAD BETTING PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW July 23, 2009 THE BIG question for any football punter prior to this season is ‘can Man City break into the Big Four?’. Mark Hughes has spent millions and although it looks like he’s been unsuccessful in his bid for John Terry, people are starting to sit up and take notice. Sporting Index are predicting that City will [...]
Traders seek to lock in prices as they fight volatile market July 14, 2009 RECORD volatility and unpredictability in the foreign exchange markets during the financial crisis may have seen volumes soar and day traders profit handsomely, but if you are a longer-term positional trader dipping into the forex markets or looking to hedge your trading, whether it be in the currency markets or another asset class, then volatility [...]