Wall St up as Fed signals no rate hike hurry – New York Report January 7, 2015 US STOCKS rebounded yesterday from five straight sessions of losses after strong private sector jobs data and as minutes from the most recent Federal Reserve meeting reassured investors the bank was in no hurry to start raising interest rates. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 212.88 points, or 1.23 per cent, to 17,584.52, the S&P [...]
Mercury soars to 44C in Murray’s Aussie warm-up January 5, 2015 BRITAIN’S Andy Murray overcame scorching 44C heat and a shoulder injury to boost his Australian Open preparations with two wins at the Hopman Cup in Perth yesterday. Murray beat Benoit Paire in straight sets and then joined Heather Watson to defeat Paire and Alize Cornet in an epic deciding mixed doubles clash to earn Great [...]
US jobs data gives snapshot of economy – The week ahead on Wall St January 4, 2015 INVESTORS will get a fresh snapshot of the state of the US economy at the start of 2015 on Friday, when figures for nonfarm payrolls, the unemployment rate and wholesale inventories are announced. The unemployment rate for December is likely to remain at 5.8 per cent, according to analysts, while weekly jobless claims for January, [...]
New job? What to look out for when signing a contract January 4, 2015 Have you been offered a new job? It’s worth negotiating the key terms. Do you have the back to work blues? For many, the Christmas and New Year break is an opportunity to reassess your position. It may be that you feel you are being undervalued and aren’t getting a fair deal at work. [...]
From Quindell and Gotham City to Uber and the LDTA – five of the biggest business battles to watch out for in 2015 December 22, 2014 Rival camps have banded together, the lines are drawn, battle armour is on and adrenaline is running high. All that's left for spectators to do is grab some popcorn and watch from the ringside. From rival estate agents, to a business targeted by a Batman styled US fund and an influx of tiny new banks [...]
Why politics will dominate 2015: Losers and winners in this maddening new era December 21, 2014 When I started my political risk firm in 2006, about one-third of my opening pitch was simply arguing that political risk matters to often highly-sceptical executives, who wondered why they were wasting their time talking about Middle East politics rather than making money. Suffice it to say, I have now been forced to entirely re-write [...]
After a dismal year for the FTSE 100, could 2015 finally see it go past the 7,000 mark? December 21, 2014 Laith Khalaf is senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, says Yes. As we enter 2015, the prospects for UK stock markets and the FTSE 100 in particular are finely balanced. There are a number of destabilising events at play. First, the general election in May is likely to give the markets a case of the jitters, [...]
Santa rally continues as European markets rise December 19, 2014 Is this a Christmas miracle, or merely a sign of a touch of festive merriment among investors? In looks like yesterday's "Santa Rally" will continue into today, as European equities markets rose in morning trading. The FTSE 100 was up 0.7 per cent in mid-morning trading, while the Dax rose 0.3 per cent and France's Cac 40 [...]
Markets cheer on Santa Rally December 18, 2014 Global stock markets shot up yesterday, eating into recent losses and giving investors hope of a traditional end-of-year Santa Rally. Shares across Europe soared to their biggest one-day gain in over three years, while across the pond the S&P also recorded its biggest two-day advance since November 2011. “We’re now well set up for the [...]
Santa rally in sight as FTSE jumps again – London Report December 18, 2014 THE FTSE 100 enjoyed one of its best days of 2014 yesterday, as the US Federal Reserve’s pledge for a “patient approach” to any interest rate increase lifted stock markets around the world. Financial services company Old Mutual and British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) were among the best performers on the blue-chip [...]