FTSE 100 down as investors await US jobs report November 2, 2012 The leading share index was trading down in early trading, as investors were cautious ahead of October’s US jobs report. The key US data is forecast to show non-farm payrolls rose 125,000 last month following a 114,000 increase in September. Insurer Admiral Group was the biggest blue chip loser this morning, shedding more than five [...]
Rivals set to gain as Comet nears collapse November 1, 2012 THE FUTURE of Comet is hanging by a thread after the troubled retailer called in administrators yesterday, sending its website crashing and shares in rival electricals retailers soaring. OpCapita, the private equity firm which acquired Comet for £2 less than a year ago, confirmed it has filed its intention to appoint administrators with the view [...]
Credit Insurance Explained November 1, 2012 JULIE PALMER BEGBIES TRAYNOR The Christmas trading period is a “Russian Roulette” quarter for retailers, Julie Palmer, a partner at law firm Begbies Traynor explains. “The retailer has to decide to what level they are going to stock their stores, which places heavy demand on their cash flows to fully stock if the suppliers won’t [...]
FTSE 100 up on earnings boost November 1, 2012 The leading share index was higher in early deals this morning, buoyed by upmarket manufacturing data from China and blue chip earnings. Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Dutch Shell, BT Group, BSkyB and Legal & General all flattered the FTSE 100 in early trading. On the FTSE All-Share, credit card insurer CPP Group continued its rise [...]
Comet’s star goes out as the retailer nears administration October 31, 2012 HIGH STREET stalwart Comet is preparing to bring in administrators, as increasingly tough conditions for its consumers and suppliers have made trading almost impossible. Electricals retailer Comet, which was bought by private investment firm OpCapita for just £2 earlier this year, has recently struggled to secure the credit insurance needed to buy supplies. The pre-Christmas [...]
Financial regulation is worsening Europe’s demographic time bomb October 31, 2012 THERE is more to Europe’s current challenges than debt, stagnation and unemployment. There is an elephant in the room that could become the biggest issue of all: an ageing population. Europe’s baby boom started in the 1950s and the proportion of retirees relative to the working population, therefore, is beginning to rise. This will inevitably [...]
FTSE 100 higher as US stockmarket prepares to open October 31, 2012 The large cap index was trading marginally higher this morning, led by an upswing in mining stocks thanks to an uptick of base metal prices. Following two days of closure, the US stockmarket is preparing to open today. Airline group IAG was the top blue-chip riser this morning, while utility stocks and Barclays made up [...]
BP results boost FTSE 100 October 30, 2012 The blue chip index was trading up this morning, as a strong performance from oil major BP pushed up the FTSE 100. Trading volumes were expected to be thinner than usual, as hurricane Sandy shut Wall Street for a second consecutive day. Oil behemoth BP, which this morning announced it was hiking its dividend by [...]
Hurricane Sandy drags FTSE 100 down October 29, 2012 The FTSE 100 fell in early trading, spooked by hurricane Sandy which has already shut the US stockmarket. Financial and mining shares dragged the main blue chip index down in early trading, with Hargreaves Lansdown the biggest loser on the FTSE 100, dropping 3.95 per cent. Insurers were also big fallers on the stock market [...]
Who’s switching jobs October 22, 2012 Baird Jonathan Bourn has been appointed managing director in Baird’s European investment banking team. He was previously a partner at AAC Capital. Bourn has also held roles in Credit Suisse First Boston’s acquisition and leveraged finance group. Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty The insurance firm has appointed Elke Vagenende as head of product development, financial [...]