All this pub firm needs is some stability October 27, 2011 TO BE honest, my eight-year old nephew could become executive chairman of Mitchells & Butlers and the pubs firm would enjoy more stability than it has in recent years. This is the ninth change in either chief executive or chairman in the last four years. Hopefully Bob Ivell will stick around for longer than his [...]
Economic fears stalling US recovery: Beige Book October 20, 2011 THE US economic outlook grew dimmer in September, leading businesses to be wary of spending and of building up inventories ahead of the holiday sales season, the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book revealed last night. US stocks fell after the Beige Book was released, while Treasury debt prices rose on its glum economic outlook. In more positive [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS October 19, 2011 WPP UBS rates the advertising giant as “neutral” with a target price of 620p, after this week’s digital investor day gave a positive outlook on the company’s longer-term strategy. The broker says the revenue opportunities for providing a wider variety of higher value services are very clear, but could come at a cost through staff [...]
US inflation up but home building increases October 19, 2011 Inflation in the US has risen to an annual 3.9 per cent in September with little sign of slowing, data has shown, as energy and food prices jumped over the past month. Consumer price inflation rose at 0.3 per cent, its lowest pace since June, but that masked a two per cent increase in energy [...]
Fastest price rises since CPI began in 1996 October 18, 2011 CONSUMER prices increased at a record rate in the year to September, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said yesterday. The consumer price index (CPI) rose to 5.2 per cent – the highest since it was introduced in 1996, and equal to the peak in September 2008. The figure was 4.5 per cent in the [...]
Inflation at three-year high of 5.2pc October 18, 2011 Inflation in Britain hit a three-year high in September driven by soaring gas and electricity bills, data showed, adding to the severe squeeze on Britons’ living standards as wages have failed to keep up with rising prices. The jump highlights the risk to the Bank of England’s recent move to revive the faltering economic recovery [...]
CHINA FACING WALL IN HUNT FOR GROWTH October 17, 2011 INVESTORS have placed considerable faith in China over the past few years. Many remain convinced that the country’s growing middle class (estimated to be around 300m people) is ready to step in and take up the slack as US and European economies slow. But while China’s economic growth is likely to continue to outstrip that [...]
China inflation edges down October 14, 2011 China’s consumer inflation dipped to 6.1 per cent in September, retreating further from three-year highs, although stubborn food price pressures will deter the central bank from loosening its policy reins anytime soon. A slowdown in price rises would be welcomed by policymakers as confirmation that a flurry of increases in interest rates and bank reserve [...]
LUNCH PRICES HIKED TO HIGHLIGHT PROBLEMS FACED BY THIRD WORLD October 12, 2011 LONDONERS may be accustomed to signing away the vast majority of their pay packet on the capital’s rising rents, but what if everyday food was as much of an outlay, accounting for 50 to 80 per cent of income every month? That’s what the Red Cross is hoping to highlight as it takes over popular [...]
Sales rise for UK’s resilient retailers October 10, 2011 BRITISH shops have unexpectedly recorded growing sales in the three months to September, defying the wider economic turmoil. Like-for-like retail sales were 0.3 per cent up last month, compared to the same time in 2010, data revealed this morning. And the three-month weighted average – designed to iron out monthly volatility – showed like-for-like sales [...]