Wall St fuelling new dot.com bubble April 4, 2011 WITH the benefit of hindsight, bubbles are shockingly easy to spot. From Dutch merchants staking fortunes on the price of tulip bulbs to Chinese investors fighting for empty properties, the idiocy is always self-evident – eventually. At the time, however, it seems to make perfect sense to throw good money after bad. Somewhere deep in [...]
FTSE pushes up despite retail sector woes March 31, 2011 A raft of corporate results today has the potential to move the FTSE in either direction, but it is picking an upward path this morning. Mixed UK economic data has clouded the picture further. The GfK consumer confidence index has stalled at February’s low level on households’ concerns over their finances. Nationwide, however, said house [...]
FTSE rally continues despite earnings woes for retailers March 30, 2011 THE FTSE 100 closed higher for a sixth consecutive session yesterday, its best run since August 2010, as investors ditched retailers over earnings worries in favour of growth sectors such as industrials and mining. Dixons issued a profit warning and gloomy outlook as a survey from the CBI showed the underlying trend for retail sales [...]
FTSE rises after upbeat Wolseley results outweigh bank dips and debt worries March 29, 2011 THE FTSE 100 rose moderately in light trade yesterday with support from miners and upbeat results from Wolseley outpacing falls in banks on European debt worries. The FTSE 100 climbed 27.68 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 5,932.17. The index regained more than 3 per cent the previous week following losses sparked by the earthquake [...]
Porridge helps Pret a Manger stay hot March 29, 2011 Sandwich chain Pret a Manger has said sales of hot food such as porridge were helping it to thrive in tough consumer environment as it posted a 37 per cent rise in its 2010 core earnings. The chain, majority owned by private equity firm Bridgepoint , said it planned to open more than 30 shops [...]
Boris agrees to riot summit after protests March 28, 2011 THE MAYOR of London Boris Johnson (pictured) is to hold a summit for retailers and businesses affected by the violence at Saturday’s anti-cuts protests. Johnson said in a letter to the New West End Company yesterday that he and the Metropolitan Police “want to continue… dialogue and see what lessons can be learned”. Retailers including [...]
EasyJet in VisitBritain deal March 28, 2011 BUDGET airline easyJet has launched an £18m licensing deal with VisitBritain to promote tourism into the UK over the Royal Wedding, the 2012 London Olympics and beyond. The four-year deal will see the government pay the airline £9m to bring in foreign passengers to the UK. EasyJet will provide the rest of the funding in [...]
Bullish brokers boost banks as energy and mining stocks sag March 28, 2011 BULLISH broker comment helped push the banking sector higher yesterday, as Britain’s top share index neared key technical resistance levels after its recent rally, with commodity stocks weighing on the upside. The FTSE 100 closed 3.73 points, or 0.1 per cent, higher at 5,904.49, near its 50-day moving average of 5,933.83. The index has traded [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING March 28, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES HOLLYWOOD MAKEOVER FOR YOUTUBE Google is deepening its ties with Hollywood by enlisting top stars to supply original content for YouTube in a bid to boost profits and user engagement at the company’s online video site. Google has been making the rounds of Hollywood’s biggest talent agencies, outlining plans to create a network [...]
Songbird profit fuelled by Lehman sale March 25, 2011 SONGBIRD, the company which own large chunks of Canary Wharf, has reported a sharp rise in annual profits. The lift was fuelled in part by the sale of the old Lehman Brothers building to JP Morgan. Songbird Estates posted pre-tax profits for 2010 of £463.8m – a rise of 39 per cent on the £334.6m [...]