Allardyce told to turn West Ham into Premier League entertainers May 20, 2014 WEST Ham’s board have ordered manager Sam Allardyce to change his style of football and deliver a top-half finish in next season’s Premier League table. Despite having all-but secured their top flight status by the end of March, the Hammers fans made plain their contempt for Allardyce as they suffered five defeats from their final [...]
What you need to know before the US open May 20, 2014 US stocks futures were flat today, following two days of advances for the S&P 500 and some fairly sombre equities releases. European shares have continued to feel the heat, as political angst ahead of the EU elections outweighed supportive noises from the ECB. Three policymakers are set to speak this afternoon, with economists hoping for [...]
What you need to know before the US open May 19, 2014 US stocks are expected to open lower today, following the distinctly choppy trading seen last week. Trading in government bonds continues to be solid, with nothing in the way of economic data to provide a guiding light for equity and fixed-income markets. The Fed’s April meeting minutes are due Wednesday, with some numbers from US [...]
What you need to know before the open May 19, 2014 A mixed open is expected for European markets this morning, following the choppy trading seen globally last week. All eyes will be on Deutsche Bank, following its announcement that it plans to raise €8bn in new capital, and AstraZeneca’s latest announcement that it’s rejected Pfizer’s latest takeover bid. Deutsche Bank’s move could impact what the [...]
Learn to cook with a legend in the world of haute-cuisine May 18, 2014 French chef Michel Guérard has opened his very own school. Laura Ivill investigates. SUNDAY lunch in south west France: carpaccio of langoustines, followed by roasted milk-fed lamb and peach melba. It is as delicious as you would expect from the hands of venerated French chef Michel Guérard. But the clincher: three courses under 630 calories. [...]
Unified comms can boost SME growth May 14, 2014 MANAGING multiple communications and IT systems is a challenge for many SMEs. For expansive organisations like Key Facilities Management (the operations company has locations spanning the Middle East, North Africa and eastern Europe), the complexity can have a serious impact on the bottom line. “Three or four years ago, there was a danger of us [...]
Sterling strength won’t last: Markets will soon notice UK economic weaknesses May 13, 2014 STERLING has had a good run against the dollar, but it can’t last much longer. The pound has risen to five-year highs on growing expectations of an early UK rate rise and more dovish comments from the Federal Reserve. But events on both sides of the Atlantic could upset the consensus. For a start, the [...]
Asian markets rise after strong finish on Wall Street May 13, 2014 Asian markets are on the rise as investors welcomed a weaker yen and a strong performance on Wall Street, with US equity indexes climbing to record highs. Japanese car maker Nissan enjoyed strong gains after full-year profits jumped 10 per cent beating analysts' estimates and forecast increasing dividends. Mitsubishi Chemical also rose sharply on reports [...]
CNBC Comment: Is fixed income dying or just sickly? May 12, 2014 SHOULD investment banks cut off the tail before it infects the body, or nurse it back to health? This is the conundrum confronting banks with fixed income divisions. Once bread and butter for bank profits, the industry is now left fighting over stale crumbs. Barclays’s restructure of its investment bank has sparked fresh debate about [...]
What you need to know before the US open May 12, 2014 With a quiet start to a week with plenty of data coming later on, it’s a modest open for US markets. Other markets have been gaining cautiously today, as fears over the Ukraine situation continue to trim investor confidence. Following, Sunday’s referendum, gold has risen above $1,290 an ounce, and the dollar’s lost ground. Corporate [...]