Ruspetro shares start lower January 19, 2012 SHARES in Ruspetro, the first company to brave a main market listing in London this year, opened at a small discount to their issue price in conditional dealings yesterday. The oil and gas exploration group with assets in western Siberia priced its shares at the bottom of the range at 134p earlier in the week, [...]
Murray wary of leftie Llodra January 19, 2012 Brit glides past Roger-Vasselin to set up third-round clash with quicksilver veteran HE MAY not be a wild card under by strict tennis definitions but Michael Llodra stands out from most professionals on the circuit – and Britain’s Andy Murray admits he will pose a singular threat when they collide tomorrow at the Australian Open. [...]
World Bank lowers GDP growth forecasts January 18, 2012 The World Bank warned developing countries on Wednesday to prepare for the “real” risk that an escalation in the euro area debt crisis could tip the world into a slump on a par with the global downturn in 2008/09. In a report sharply cutting its world economic growth expectations, the World Bank said Europe was [...]
Blade Runner eyes Oscar winning role at Laureus Awards January 16, 2012 BBLADE RUNNER Oscar Pistorius will discover in a few weeks if he is also a Laureus World Sports Awards winner. This year’s awards ceremony is being held at Central Hall, Westminster, on 6 February, and Pistorius is nominated for both the Laureus Disability and Breakthrough Awards. In South Korea in August, Pistorius, who was born [...]
Fitch worried on Russian politics January 16, 2012 Ratings agency Fitch revised Russia’s outlook to “stable” from “positive” yesterday. Rising “political uncertainty” and the global economic outlook were both blamed. “Political risk, reflected by poor governance indicators, is a long-standing weakness compared with most other triple-B rated countries,” Fitch announced. Such political worries increase the risk of capital flight, the agency claimed, which [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS January 16, 2012 FEDERAL GRID COMPANY (GDR) Goldman Sachs transfers its coverage of Russia’s largest electricity transmission company grid from the local stock exchange to its global depositary receipt listing in London, rating it as a “buy” with a target price of $7.50. The broker says news flow on Russian power utilities reached its most negative in autumn [...]
The global battle for the internet is about to begin January 16, 2012 2012 is the year that freedom online will be challenged. In the UK and the US, proposals are being introduced for website blocking in the name of copyright and child protection. In America, the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) is already causing seismic protests. But in 2012 we will also see a push to [...]
With the Eurozone tottering it may be time we signed up for some Norwegian lessons January 15, 2012 NORWAY is indeed a country of good fortune. Post World War II, the quality of living was relatively poor by Western standards, based upon the proceeds of an old-fashioned primary economy. Since the discovery of North Sea oil in the 1960s, this nation of only 4.9m has rocketed to fourth in the IMF’s league table, [...]
OECD figures point to a UK contraction January 12, 2012 MOST developed economies will slow further in the coming months, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) warned yesterday. Only Japan, the US and Russia are showing positive signs, the body’s leading indicators suggest. In November the UK’s index — which aims to predict economic turning points six months in advance — slowed 0.4 [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS January 12, 2012 Association of British Insurers The ABI board has appointed Robert Talbut, chief investment officer of Royal London Asset Management, as chairman of the ABI investment committee. Previously the committee’s deputy chairman, he takes over from Alain Dromer, CEO of Aviva Investors. Talbut is a member of the Listing Authority advisory committee and an alternate on [...]