Fed warns of sluggishness August 31, 2010 US POLICYMAKERS warned of increasing risks to economic growth in the minutes of the Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) meeting released yesterday. “The softer tone of incoming economic data suggested that the pace of the expansion would be slower over the near term than previously projected,” the minutes said. The Fed decided to reinvest the [...]
BORIS OUT FOR A RIDE WITH KELLY BROOK TO LAUNCH BIKE SCHEME August 31, 2010 Boris Johnson’s love affair with two wheels continued yesterday with the launch of his driver-frustrating Sky Ride scheme, where roads are cleared throughout central London to allow cyclists to take in the sights. But The Capitalist can’t help but think bikes weren’t the only thing on the mind of the red-blooded Mayor. Accompanying him on [...]
Buck gets cold-shoulder August 31, 2010 THE dollar is at a cross roads. At the peak of the financial crisis it was firmly in the set of “safe haven” currencies and was bought in favour of the euro, the pound and most emerging market currencies. However, as threats of a double-dip recession grip the markets, the greenback has been given the [...]
Raising the steaks in the City August 30, 2010 Goodman City 11 Old Jewry, EC2R 8DU www.goodmanrestaurants.com Tel: 020 7600 8220 FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost per person without wine: £50 FOR some people – sensible people – no amount of fancy presentation, molecular menus, seasonal ingredients or painstaking taste combinations will ever satisfy the taste buds in the same way as a simple, well-cooked [...]
Omitting Casey was a big call but I can see Monty’s logic August 30, 2010 WITH the number of top-class players he had at his disposal, there was always going to be controversy and the odd surprise in Colin Montgomerie’s three wildcard picks for the Ryder Cup. Indeed, the fact that the new world No8, Paul Casey, couldn’t force his way into Monty’s thoughts for Celtic Manor just goes to [...]
Dow crashes below crucial 10,000 level August 26, 2010 THE Dow Jones closed below the psychologically-crucial 10,000 level yesterday as investors shrugged off better than expected US jobs figures to focus on an expected downgrade for US GDP today. The US blue chip index fell 0.7 per cent to 9986.81 – its lowest level since 6 July ahead of today’s GDP growth for the [...]
FTSE begins to recoup losses as miners and banks advance August 26, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index rose yesterday, boosted by a rebound in commodity stocks and helped by better-than-expected economic data from the US. The FTSE 100 closed up 46.44 points, or 0.9 per cent, at 5,155.84, as London’s blue chips rallied from a seven-week closing low on Wednesday. Weekly jobless claims in the United States declined [...]
Be prepared for the turbulent autumn ahead August 25, 2010 INVESTORS fed up with volatile, range-bound markets that apparently have little sense of clear direction will be cheering the end of the summer and the dust being swept off the City trading floors. But those hoping for an immediate return to normality and a bullish rebound are likely to be sorely disappointed. The FTSE 100 [...]
Monty: Ryder Cup choice ‘impossible’ August 24, 2010 EUROPEAN Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has compared his selection dilemma with Fabio Capello’s headache over whether to take Theo Walcott to the World Cup. England football team boss Capello caused a stir by dropping Arsenal winger Walcott from his final 23 for South Africa earlier this year. But Montgomerie believes he faces an even [...]
Bank lending to individuals stays weak August 24, 2010 MORTGAGE lending dropped to a five-month low in July with just 33,700 home loans approved, taking the annual percentage decline to 18.5 per cent, the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) said yesterday. Tighter lending conditions combined with subdued demand for home loans pushed mortgage approvals down last month. This is despite recent calls for the banks, [...]