ECONOMIST VIEWS: HOW SOON WILL THE BANK OF ENGLAND BE ABLE TO NORMALISE MONETARY POLICY? September 5, 2010 PETER DIXON | COMMERZBANK “The tightness of the fiscal stance planned for 2011 suggests the Bank cannot afford to ignore it when setting rates. Global conditions are likely to remain difficult, with consequences for the UK. We think the Bank will be forced to follow the trend by holding rates to the end of next [...]
Spice set to give thumbs-up to £247m offer from Cinven by end of September September 2, 2010 UTILITIES services company Spice is expected to recommend a £247m offer from buyout house Cinven by the end of the month after announcing advanced talks yesterday. Cinven has locked Spice into exclusive discussions with a hefty break fee, meaning the prospect of an expensive bidding war with a mystery third party has receded. Spice has [...]
ANALYST VIEWS: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF GO-AHEAD’S RESULTS? September 2, 2010 JOHN LAWSON | INVESTEC What it has done in a challenging market is encouraging. Its focus on maintaining the dividend is a very important sign of its confidence and commitment. Right now nobody knows what the government is going to do in order to cut spending, but it seems for Go-Ahead it might not be [...]
It’s a weight off your mind September 1, 2010 Age: 33 Best time: 31min 25secs Distance: 4 miles Average pace: 7.4min/mile FOR Omar Elhag, running the Garmin #4miler started off as a bit of fun – but has now triggered a mass health drive and change in lifestyle. “It’s really paying off,” explains Omar, who works in asset management. “I’ve shaved nearly six minutes [...]
FUND MANAGEMENT NEWS August 31, 2010 NORTHERN TRUST OPENS DOOR TO CHINA Asset manager Northern Trust announced that it has been granted permission to open a branch office in Beijing. The new office plans to support institutional clients in China with global custody, accounting, compliance and performance management services. The firm has offered services to clients in China since 2005 through [...]
CITY RUNNER | GARMIN #4MILER August 25, 2010 EUROPEAN CLIENT MANAGER THE DAY is young, the markets are still closed and tourists haven’t descended yet – and that’s just how Holly Cracknell likes it. Well, that’s when she prefers to pound the City’s streets as part of Investec’s in-house assault on the Garmin #4miler, at any rate. “I run first thing in the [...]
Promethean shares hit record low as margins shrink and outlook dims August 24, 2010 Promethean World yesterday saw its shares tumble to an all-time low after a disappointing trading update. The interactive education technology firm posted a surge in profit, but lower margins and a lacklustre outlook sent investors running for cover. The firm, which supplies interactive white boards and learning software to schools, said its gross margins declined [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING August 22, 2010 THE SUNDAYS The Sunday Telegraph TESCO TO OPEN DRIVE-THRU STORE It has moved into banking, pet insurance and telecoms, but Tesco will expand its reach further this week with the launch of the UK’s first ever “drive-thru” supermarket. The service will allow customers to pick up their weekly shop without leaving their car. LIDL SET [...]
Recovery will be choppy, say economists August 22, 2010 REVISIONS to second quarter GDP growth this Friday are expected to leave the headline figure unchanged at a robust 1.1 per cent. However, economists warn the breakdown of growth by expenditure could reveal some truths about the shape and duration of the recovery. Capital Economics’ Jonathan Loynes said: “The second release relating to second quarter [...]
ECONOMIST VIEWS: WHAT WILL THE BREAKDOWN OF GDP GROWTH IN THE SECOND QUARTER TELL US? August 22, 2010 PETER DIXON | COMMERZBANK “We look for quarterly GDP growth to remain unchanged, although we do expect a strong positive contribution from consumer spending while fixed investment should give back some of its strong first quarter gains. We also expect a moderate positive contribution from net trade.” PHILIP SHAW | INVESTEC “The actual figure should [...]