Batten down the hatches: Main St. braves the storm October 30, 2011 THREE months after the debt ceiling wranglings on Capitol Hill that drove S&P to downgrade America’s AAA rating, there have been some chinks of light shining through the grey clouds that until now have enveloped the US economy. Figures released last week by the US Commerce Department indicated that the US economy had grown by [...]
THE WEEK AHEAD October 30, 2011 COMPANY NEWS ● Barclays announces today. It traces its origins back to 1690, when John Freame and Thomas Gould traded as goldsmith bankers in Lombard Street. Eagle eyes await results. ● Imperial Tobacco announces tomorrow. Its brands include Davidoff, West, Gauloises Blondes, Montecristo and Drum. It was created in 1901 through the amalgamation of thirteen [...]
US rally broken by cancelled euro summit October 25, 2011 US stocks fell yesterday on doubts European leaders can agree on a plan to end the Eurozone debt crisis, while major corporations disappointed investors with their outlooks. Though EU and Eurozone leaders still planned to hold a summit today, markets were spooked by news that a meeting by Eurozone finance ministers was cancelled. The news [...]
BET AGAINST YEN STRENGTH AT YOUR PERIL October 25, 2011 WHILE euro-dollar has taken all the spotlight recently, the yen quietly made a fresh post-war high against the dollar with dollar-yen dropping into the ¥75.00s last week. The move has elicited further cries of frustration from Japanese officials and some head scratching from speculators. The downward move in dollar-yen is especially surprising given the relatively [...]
FedEx expects record shipments October 24, 2011 E-commerce will drive record holiday shipments this year for FedEx Corp, the world’s second-biggest package delivery company said yesterday. FedEx expects to deliver more than 260m packages globally between Thanksgiving on 24 November and Christmas, up 12 per cent from a year earlier. FedEx said it will add about 20,000 seasonal workers to help handle [...]
Chicago Fed index up in September October 24, 2011 THE FEDERAL Reserve Bank of Chicago said yesterday that the National Activity Index, which gauges the health of the US economy, rebounded from last month, yet continues to show the economy growing at a below average pace. The headline index compiled by the bank rose to -0.22 in September after being revised down to -0.59 [...]
Miners lead FTSE up after China boost October 24, 2011 Markets have risen this morning triggered by hopes that a deal to resolve the Eurozone debt crisis can be put together while manufacturing data showed China’s growth is picking up. Although a weekend summit of Eurozone leaders was inconclusive with bickering clouding the talks. The skeleton of a deal was agreed with a summit to [...]
ROTHSCHILD GIVES STAFF ITS TURKEY OF A BONUS October 23, 2011 EVERY little helps, as the Tesco slogan goes. So the price-conscious supermarket giant will be pleased to learn that the competitively remunerated London employees of Rothschild receive daily luncheon vouchers for the sum of £3 that can be refunded in any of its stores. But Rothschild’s solicitous attempts to ensure its workforce is well fed [...]
US sees gains in factory output and jobs data October 20, 2011 US factory output across the mid-Atlantic region climbed in October after a poor showing in September, new data shows, while the number of people claiming unemployment benefit has fallen in the past week. The heartening data is helping to build a picture of a higher economic activity as the US fights to avoid another recession. [...]
Episode 32: Sleepless in the City – a day in the life with baby twins October 18, 2011 00.00 Gabriella doesn’t “do” nights. Seems it’s an opportunity for babies and parents to bond. So one day ends and another begins with Emma and me feeding the twins. 01.45 Ditto – after an hour’s sleep. 02.15 Harry has colic. I pace the darkened bedroom with him wailing into my shoulder. Emma sleeps soundly. 03.15 [...]