FTSE rockets to pre-crisis level as investors bet on US recovery November 4, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares closed at their highest in nearly 29 months yesterday as investors responded bullishly to the US Federal Reserve’s decision to pump more cheap money into the economy to boost flagging growth. Financial stocks, led by Man Group and mining and energy shares such as BHP Billiton and BP, surged higher as riskier [...]
Morrison sales in slim rise November 4, 2010 Wm Morrison Supermarkets met forecasts with a modest rise in third-quarter underlying sales as the benefits from a small rise in food price inflation were held back by subdued consumer spending. Britain’s fourth-biggest grocer said sales at stores open over a year rose 1.3 per cent, excluding petrol and VAT sales tax, in the 13 [...]
Fears over consumer climate send retailers and FTSE down November 3, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index closed lower yesterday, with retailers weak as Next posted falling sales, while banks gained ground after Lloyds Banking Group poached Santander UK’s head as its new CEO. Investors were reluctant to take big positions ahead of a Federal Reserve decision on further monetary policy easing later yesterday. Markets are pricing in [...]
Morrisons: jobs for the homeless October 31, 2010 Supermarket chain WM Morrison said yesterday it plans to create 1,000 jobs nationally for homeless and vulnerable people over the next three years. The country’s fourth-largest supermarket said the initiative aims to train and provide jobs for disadvantaged people, giving them the skills and opportunity to develop a career in retail. The programme has been [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS October 28, 2010 NATIONAL GRID Standard & Poor’s has downgraded the utility to “sell” from “hold”, with a target price of 516p. The broker notes National Grid’s 10.7 per cent share price rise in the last year, resulting in a 12.4 per cent outperformance of the sector, which could lead to profit-taking soon. Planned capital expenditure is also [...]
The true scale of QE is n still cloaked in mystery October 19, 2010 EXPECTATIONS about quantitative easing (QE) have now been driven so high – with the market anticipating between $500bn and $1 trillion of extra liquidity – that someone was soon bound to call a halt to the party. That killjoy has arrived, in the form of US broker BTIG’s Mike O’Rourke. “There are many who have [...]
Ocado still overvalued, says analyst October 14, 2010 OCADO’S stock fell another 3.5p yesterday to 123.5p, despite its announcement this week that it has begun work on its new warehouse in Warwickshire. It is now trading 46 per cent below the mid-point of its initial IPO price range. But yesterday another analyst released a note warning the stock could still have a long [...]
Sainsbury’s October 6, 2010 SAINSBURY’S was a little more low key about its sales rise and consumer sentiment than Tesco which posted sales figures earlier in the week. With Sir Terry Leahy signing off with his last set of results it is hardly surprising that Tesco has stolen some of Sainsbury’s thunder. However, Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King echoed [...]
Class action hopes quashed by ruling October 5, 2010 FAEGRE & BENSON Since the financial crisis of 2008, shareholders in several companies including RBS, Northern Rock, Lloyds, BP and Porsche have pursued the possibility of suing for fraud in the American courts, where class actions are far easier. But a recent Supreme Court decision could scupper these plans. The verdict in Morrison v National [...]
Clearing away spread betting misconceptions October 3, 2010 SPREAD BETTING has become much more mainstream over the past decade but there still exist plenty of myths and misconceptions about how providers actually operate, leaving traders liable to be confused and frustrated. Here we clear away the some of the confusion surrounding the industry. It is certainly not the case that the whole system [...]