FTSE flat as investors eye key US jobs data February 3, 2012 THE FTSE was flat in early trading as investors awaited key US jobs data due out later. US non-farm payrolls are forecast to rise by 150,000 after a 200,000 increase in December, while the unemployment rate was expected to remain static at 8.5 per cent. On the domestic data front the UK service industry picked [...]
Strong earnings and Greek hopes cause FTSE to jump February 1, 2012 BULLISH company earnings reports and the prospect of Greece nearing a debt deal helped lift Britain’s FTSE 100 higher yesterday, while robust manufacturing data from China, the US and Europe boosted appetite for the mining sector. London’s blue chip index rose 109.11 points, or 1.9 per cent to 5,790.72. The index closed below 5,800, where [...]
FTSE gains as manufacturing bounces back February 1, 2012 The FTSE rose this morning as better-than-expected UK and Chinese manufacturing data gave investor sentiment a boost and fuelled gains in mining and banking. Britain’s manufacturing sector unexpectedly returned to growth in January as orders rose for the first time in six months, indicating the UK could avoid recession if the sector continues to recover [...]
Banks pull FTSE back as Greece crisis festers January 30, 2012 The FTSE 100 tracked losses across Europe in early trading as the negotiations in Athens over Greece’s disastrous finances showed few signs of success. Greece and its private creditors have so far failed to come up with an agreement on debt swap talks, needed to avoid a default. Meanwhile a European summit focused on growth [...]
£1.6m for Goldman exec January 29, 2012 GOLDMAN Sachs has awarded a $2.5m (£1.59m) bonus to its top City of London banker. The package handed to Michael Sherwood, head of Goldman’s London operation and chairman of its partnership committee, was related to performance shares from 2009 and 2010 that were deferred. Sherwood, 45, is one of several executives seen as a possible [...]
FTSE slips as investors eye US growth data January 27, 2012 THE FTSE 100 slipped in early trading as investors looked to Greece for signs of progress on a deal to save it from default and to the US where key GDP figures are due for release. Greece and its private creditors made progress in talks on restructuring its debt yesterday with some indication given that [...]
DAVOS DIARY January 26, 2012 YOU never know whom you will bump into for a chat in Davos, as its founder Klaus Schwab is always happy to remind us, calling this open dialogue “the spirit of Davos”. Nonetheless, the smartly clad Davos Diary was surprised to find herself hailed down urgently by none other than Lloyd’s of London chairman John [...]
DARK HORSE HSBC TAKES RETAIL SITE IN LATE BID January 26, 2012 HSBC is committed to the City of London – for its latest retail opening, at least. The Capitalist hears the bank has gazumped a well-known restaurateur to emerge as the new tenant at 1 Bishopsgate, after offering a far higher, undisclosed, sum to turn the disused property into a “premier suite” retail bank in time [...]
Miners fuel FTSE gains as Fed eyes growth January 26, 2012 The FTSE was boosted by the US Federal Reserve’s promise to keep interest rates – and therefore bond yields – ultra-low for the next couple of years while positive results from miners also contributed to gains. Fed chief Ben Bernanke said that it may consider further monetary easing and would keep rates near zero until [...]
Banks and oil firms weigh on the FTSE January 25, 2012 BRITAIN’S top shares closed lower yesterday as banks fell out of favour after brokers urged caution on the sector after recent gains, while poor growth in the UK highlighted the challenges facing corporates to meet earnings expectations. London’s blue chip index closed down 28.90 points, or 0.5 per cent at 5,723.00, as the FTSE 100 [...]