Off-piste: the pre-snow joys of Chamonix September 26, 2010 ASK MOST people what comes into their head when you mention Chamonix, and they’ll say skiing. But the mountain capital of the world has much more to offer, especially when the snow disappears from everywhere but the highest peaks. Home to over eighty nationalities – making it one of the most multicultural places in France [...]
M&B profit fed by food sales September 23, 2010 PUBS and restaurants group Mitchells & Butlers yesterday reported a surge in food sales in recent weeks and said it was looking to make acquisitions as it re-shapes itself into a food-led business. M&B, which has over 2,000 pubs and restaurants and whose brands include Harvester, All Bar One and Toby Carvery, reported a 4.4 [...]
Simplicity is often a virtue September 23, 2010 WITH markets still directionless and a second-half slowdown looming, those with savings are increasingly looking into more exotic ways to preserve their nest-egg. The desire for safety combined with sinking government bond yields has fed demand for a series of structured products for private investors – that is, investment vehicles that promise a defined return [...]
THE TIPSTER September 22, 2010 Mitchells & Butlers has lost ground this month despite last week reporting it is paying around £20m for 22 Ha Ha Bar & Grill restaurants. Can today’s trading update, which analysts expect to provide positive news, help lift the stock back up above the 300p level? ShortsandLongs.com has a rolling spread of 294.5p-296.1p. The afterglow [...]
Gilts rally after Fed opens door to more stimulus September 22, 2010 YIELDS on UK government bonds saw their sharpest fall in 18 months, after the US?Federal Reserve said it was open to a new round of quantitative easing (QE) to help revive the flagging American economy. The yield on the benchmark 10-year gilt dropped by 15 basis points to 2.97 per cent, the biggest drop since [...]
FedEx hopefuls compete for $10m September 22, 2010 GOLF: The FedEx Cup play-off series climaxes in Atlanta with the Tour Championship this weekend as the PGA Tour’s top 30 players compete for the $10m series jackpot. The one notable absentee is defending champion Tiger Woods, who failed to qualify following a wretched year, giving Phil Mickelson the chance to replace him as world [...]
US Fed makes waves with hints of QE2 September 21, 2010 THE US Federal Reserve suggested it could enter another round of quantitative easing (QE) yesterday, as its rate-setting panel met in Washington to decide whether to intervene in the shaky economy. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) departed from previous language in its monthly statement, saying it “is prepared to provide additional accommodation if needed [...]
Banks and miners pull FTSE lower September 21, 2010 Britain’s leading shares faltered by yesterday’s close as investors lost their nerve ahead of news from the US Federal Reserve, with banks and miners the biggest fallers. The Fed appears set to debate pumping billions of dollars more into the sluggish US economy, but is likely to hold off any action while it takes further [...]
Fed remarks fail to boost US stocks September 21, 2010 US stocks ended flat to lower in an erratic session yesterday after the Federal Reserve inched closer to further steps designed to support the recovery. Stocks initially popped higher but gave back those gains quickly. Investors had hoped that with recent improvements in economic data, the Fed would issue a more upbeat outlook or clarify [...]
Gold could hit $1,500 by year end September 21, 2010 GOLD prices could reach a record $1,500 an ounce by the end of the year, analysts predict. “With the break of the previous all-time high at $1,265 last week the next target looks set to be the $1,300 level, and given the fact that demand is set to remain pretty robust a move towards $1,500 [...]