Dollar jumps against Euro and Yen to 2014 highs after Fed committ to low interest rates September 17, 2014 The dollar has risen to new highs for the year against the euro and the yen in late afternoon trading, despite the Fed's announcement today that it would keep interest rates at near-zero levels in 2015. Federal Reserve chairwoman Janet Yellen delivered a dovish speech in which she insisted interest rates would stay low [...]
Federal Reserve: US interest rates to remain near zero September 17, 2014 The Federal Reserve has stuck to its pledge to keep interest rates near zero for a "considerable time" after its asset purchase program ends next month. In a statement following the Fed’s Open Market Committee, the US central bank also announced it had sliced a further $10bn from the programme, leaving it with monthly [...]
Enecsys looking to raise $20m in solar tech IPO September 16, 2014 The former Intel boss hoping to brighten up London with solar tech. After more than 20 years promoting and designing microprocessors at Intel, Mike Fister, who grew Intel’s enterprise group from nothing to over $3.5bn (£2.15bn) in annual revenues, is looking for a new challenge. Enecsys is that challenge, he says, and by [...]
New York Report: Wall St ahead on Fed policy September 16, 2014 US STOCKS rose yesterday and the S&P 500 notched its best performance in about a month after a report shifted investor expectations for the Federal Reserve’s policy statement due later today. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 100.83 points, or 0.59 per cent, to 17,131.97, the S&P 500 rose 14.85 points, or 0.75 per cent, [...]
Scottish independence: Eddie Izzard and Bob Geldof lead Trafalgar Square rally supporting union September 15, 2014 An estimated 10,000 Londoners gathered in Trafalgar Square yesterday evening in a last-ditch bid to urge Scotland to vote No to independence in Thursday’s referendum. Musician and campaigner Sir Bob Geldof made a surprise appearance at the event, hosted by comedian Eddie Izzard and broadcaster Dan Snow. Geldof said that he wanted to [...]
Weak US car manufacturing may slow taper September 15, 2014 A slowdown in US manufacturing may tempt the Federal Reserve to delay the ending of the asset purchase programme when it meets today and tomorrow. Tapering is expected to end in October with the monthly purchases reduced from $25bn (£15.4bn) to zero. But yesterday’s data shows manufacturing declining by 0.4 per cent over August, the [...]
How Google and Amazon workers keep their focus September 15, 2014 Harriet Green examines the Two Pizza Rule and the benefits of workplace mindfulness. Distractions can be crippling to productivity. Gloria Mark of the University of California found that, on average, office workers are distracted every 11 minutes. And worse, it takes 25 minutes to return to a task once you’ve wandered onto something else. [...]
Golf Comment: Relaxation is vital but individual preparation is driven by players September 15, 2014 IT is just ten days to the start of the Ryder Cup and while in some senses it’s fever pitch right now, it’s also a slight lull for everyone concerned. The team is picked and everything but everything is done and we’re all just waiting now for a week on Friday now. These are very [...]
bto test September 15, 2014 It's the week of the Scottish independence and, with the added excitement of a monetary policy meeting at the Federal Reserve European markets are expected to open down. The latest jobs numbers aside, US numbers have been generally positive and a shift in tone regarding an interest rate rise is expected from the fed sooner rather [...]
Wall St The Week Ahead: Fed meeting in spotlight September 14, 2014 THE RECENT wobbly stretch in both stocks and bonds may persist for the short term if the US Federal Reserve this week lives up to expectations and signals the days of near-zero interest rates are numbered. Anxiety over the two-day Fed policy meeting, centred on expectations the central bank will likely drop its pledge to [...]