World Cup fever: Why an England loss will wipe billions off the stock market June 10, 2014 THE WORLD Cup, which starts tomorrow, will spark a huge range of human emotions, from the excitement of victory to the despair of defeat. The effect of football results on national mood is so strong that it can spill over into the stock market and cause swings of billions of pounds. Why? While the World [...]
World Cup fever: Why an England loss will wipe billions off the stock market June 10, 2014 THE WORLD Cup, which starts tomorrow, will spark a huge range of human emotions, from the excitement of victory to the despair of defeat. The effect of football results on national mood is so strong that it can spill over into the stock market and cause swings of billions of pounds. Why? While the World [...]
Most UK adults do not trust any energy supplier June 9, 2014 MORE than half of British adults do not trust any energy supplier, while 36 per cent do not trust their energy bills, according to new research published today. Forty-one per cent of 10,000 respondents fear they are paying for more energy than they are using, showed a survey commissioned by the Smart Meter Central Delivery [...]
Kings of Leon: Meet fast food entrepreneurs Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent June 8, 2014 Annabel Palmer talks fast food in heaven with Leon founders Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent BRITAIN’S foodies have never had it so good. Barely a week goes by without a new fad emerging to whet their sweetbreads (most recently, the rise of American-inspired dipping and Korean cuisine); BBC One’s Masterchef becomes ever more delectable as [...]
We should always heed the law of unintended consequences June 5, 2014 THERE were two reactions to yesterday’s Queen Speech: critics dismissed it as lightweight in the extreme, a collection of reheated policies seasoned with a little trivia; supporters celebrated a government that understands that passing fewer laws is often better than frenetic legislating. Both sides were wrong. For a start, there are revolutionary pension bills in [...]
We should always heed the law of unintended consequences June 4, 2014 THERE were two reactions to yesterday’s Queen Speech: critics dismissed it as lightweight in the extreme, a collection of reheated policies seasoned with a little trivia; supporters celebrated a government that understands that passing fewer laws is often better than frenetic legislating. Both sides were wrong. For a start, there are revolutionary pension bills in [...]
Smaller firms unhappy with energy sector May 22, 2014 THREE quarters of small businesses do not think there is enough competition in the energy market, while two thirds think it is difficult to switch supplier, according to a study by the Federation of Small Businesses published yesterday. The industry body surveyed over 1,400 of its members to get their view of the energy market, [...]
London Report: FTSE ends flat as Royal Mail warns of rivals May 22, 2014 THE FTSE 100 fell slightly yesterday on the back of a mixed picture of the latest Purchasing Managers Index surveys – with China and the US reporting good results while France’s were poor. The market closed down 0.48 points at 6820.56, a drop of 0.01 per cent. The biggest climber of the day was global [...]
Why the World Cup is so bad for stock markets May 22, 2014 With the 2014 Fifa World Cup due to kick off three weeks today nerves are already starting to jangle among the City soccerati – but perhaps not for the reasons many would expect. It’s likely that all but one of the 32 teams will experience heartache in the coming weeks, but for stock markets, which [...]
What today’s Court of Appeal ruling means for FCA prosecutions May 21, 2014 Today’s ruling in the UK’s Court of Appeal has overturned the decision of a lower court to effectively halt a fraud prosecution pursued by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The regulator has applauded the ruling, stating that it “is committed to pursuing criminal action in appropriate cases” and is “pleased that this case can now [...]