Disgraced Tevez picks a fight he’s got no chance of winning September 28, 2011 IN ALL MY years of being involved in football I’ve never seen anything that comes close to matching the stunt Carlos Tevez pulled on Tuesday night in Munich. Disgrace is the word that springs to mind and, although he has clearly been poorly advised during various stages of his career, I have no sympathy for him [...]
Finland gives its backing to EFSF extension September 28, 2011 THE FINNISH parliament yesterday backed extending the powers of the Eurozone bailout fund as members of the ruling coalition sought to keep the country on a pro-Europe course. Lawmakers comfortably supported the new powers for the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), with 103 in favour, 66 against and 30 absent from yesterday’s vote. The Finnish [...]
Villas-Boas maintains his love of Lampard September 27, 2011 VALENCIA vs CHELSEA CHELSEA manager Andre Villas-Boas has launched a passionate defence of Frank Lampard and hit out at suggestions the England stalwart is set for a reduced role at the club this season. The 33-year-old Lampard, who once set a record for consecutive Premier League appearances, has started three of Chelsea’s last four matches on [...]
Returns on US Treasuries set to pass 30 per cent this year September 26, 2011 RETURNS on US Treasuries have boomed in recent months, as investors have turned to long-term American debt. Hopes of political action over the Eurozone crisis saw Treasuries slip yesterday, yet 2011 as a whole is on course to be one the most successful ever years for bond-buyers. Despite losing around one and a half points [...]
US home sales fall to a six month low as activity dips September 26, 2011 NEW HOME sales fell to a six-month low in the US last month, according to figures released yesterday by the Commerce Department. The number of sales fell 2.3 per cent, from a seasonally adjusted 302,000 in July to 295,000 in August. That is the fourth consecutive monthly drop, leaving sales 6.6 per cent below April’s [...]
MARKETS NOT HAPPY WITH FED’S TWIST September 26, 2011 ANYONE hoping that last week’s FOMC statement would help to calm markets has been bitterly disappointed. On Wednesday, the US Federal Reserve announced that it plans to sell $400bn of short-term debt and buy $400bn of longer-dated Treasury bonds. This operation is designed to put a lid on longer-term interest rates while keeping the size [...]
US new home sales fall to six-month low September 26, 2011 New single-family home sales in the US fell to a six-month low in August in a sign the crippled housing market will not provide much support for the flagging economy any time soon. The US Commerce Department said sales slipped 2.3 per cent to a seasonally adjusted 295,000-unit annual rate. The reading was in line [...]
Global markets dragged down by Eurozone crisis September 26, 2011 Gains by banks were outweighed by heavy losses among miners in early trading today as Eurozone bailout fears and bleak forecasts on world economic growth cast a shadow over markets. After last week’s rollercoaster ride, volatility looked set to continue as Eurozone leaders conceded that they would have to pump in trillions to have an [...]
Volatile trading and uncertainty are set to persist September 25, 2011 AFTER another roller-coaster week, which was the second-worst of the year for the FTSE 100, the only really safe call this morning is for the volatility to rumble on. Despite repeated international assurances that action will be taken to preserve financial stability and restore economic growth, the markets start another week without anything definite on [...]
WALL STREET WEEK AHEAD September 25, 2011 EARNINGS forecasts for US companies are starting to feel the pain on Wall Street and in the broader economy as the odds of another recession rise. Intense fear that global debt issues and stagnant growth cannot be resolved has pummelled market confidence in the past couple of months. Earnings have been one of the market’s [...]