Don’t lock the world out of London: New rules send the City back to the dark ages December 15, 2011 THERE is a well-used phrase in management, that it is better to make a wrong decision than none at all. The exception must be Mark Makepeace, chief executive of the FTSE Group, who this week ruled all listings in London from next month must have a 25 per cent free float In enforcing this, he [...]
Nokia’s Lumia has made me see it in a new light December 15, 2011 I HAVEN’T always been Nokia’s biggest fan. Earlier this year I might have said its tie-up with Microsoft was not so much a case of rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic as sending a diving team to the bottom of the ocean to drape bunting over its rusting shell. I might have said it was duller [...]
Russia’s protests are a cry for less state corruption December 14, 2011 ANYONE surveying the scene in Russia today has one name to commit to memory: Alexey Navalny. It would be a gross exaggeration to say that this 35-year-old anti-corruption blogger was responsible for turning out a 50,000-strong protest against a rigged parliamentary election – the largest pro-democracy movement Russia has seen since the collapse of communism. [...]
Fed: No more QE just yet December 13, 2011 MODEST economic growth means interest rates will be held at “exceptionally low levels” until at least mid-2013, the Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) said yesterday as it decided to hold steady with its current monetary stance. Strains in financial markets pose “significant downside risks” to the economic outlook, the Committee warned, whilst it worried that [...]
CITY VIEWS: HAVE YOU NOTICED PRICE RISES EASING IN CONSUMER GOODS? December 13, 2011 TONY KIERNAN ACME PACKET “Not so much with food – but to be honest I don’t do the shopping, my wife does. I’m more aware of the price of petrol – it often stops me getting in the car.” PHILIP GIFFORD DELOITTE “I’ve definitely noticed food prices stagnating, especially bread and milk. Prices have risen [...]
Slump goes on as all eyes on the Fed December 13, 2011 Stocks fell for a second consecutive day yesterday after the Federal Reserve gave no hints of new stimulus measures to offset the effects of the worsening European debt crisis. Though the Fed did leave the door open to further easing next year, as it has done after recent meetings, it gave no indication it was [...]
Eurozone woes will strengthen the dollar December 13, 2011 CMC MARKETS MICHAEL HEWSON Given the problems within the euro area, the dollar looks as if it could post further gains as we head into 2012. However, talk of further easing from the Fed may weigh on the greenback in the medium term, especially with the political deadlock between Republicans and Democrats in the lead [...]
FTSE sees big intra-day swings on varied reports December 11, 2011 WE continue to experience big intra-day swings in equity markets. Last week, the FTSE 100 broke above resistance at 5,600 (the 61.8 per cent Fibonacci Retracement of this year’s May-to-August sell-off) on three separate occasions. It went on to briefly test resistance at its 200-day moving average around 5,630 although it fell back sharply from [...]
Draghi: I will bail out banks but not states December 8, 2011 THE EUROPEAN Central Bank (ECB) cut interest rates to record lows and vowed to step up efforts to keep banks afloat – but will not fulfil hopes that it will bail out indebted governments, bank boss Mario Draghi (pictured) announced yesterday. Acknowledging the credit crunch sweeping the Eurozone, banks can now access unlimited amounts of [...]
LTA appoint Murray’s mum December 8, 2011 TENNIS: The Lawn Tennis Association has appointed Judy Murray as Britain’s New Fed Cup team captain. The mother of British No1 Andy Murray, a former national coach, will also work closely with the LTA player team in mentoring some of Britain’s upcoming female performance coaches. Britain’s women are next in Fed Cup action against Israel in [...]