Wall Street on edge over talk of end to QE February 24, 2013 US investors face another Washington-imposed deadline on government spending cuts this week, but the cut-off not generating the same level of fear as two months ago when the “fiscal cliff” loomed large. Investors in sectors most likely to be affected by the cuts, like defence, seem untroubled that the budget talks could send stocks tumbling. [...]
Einhorn pleads with investors on Apple vote February 22, 2013 BILLIONAIRE investor David Einhorn yesterday pleaded with fellow Apple shareholders to vote against the iPhone maker’s proposals to change its corporate practice. Einhorn’s Greenlight Capital hedge fund, which owns around $600m (£394m) in Apple shares, laid out proposals that would see billions of dollars returned to shareholders. Einhorn said that despite the company’s history of [...]
Apple supplier freezes hiring February 21, 2013 APPLE’s major supplier, Chinese company Foxconn, has frozen recruitment at its factories, suggesting a slowdown in demand for the iPhone. The news sent shares in the US company down 2.4 per cent yesterday, despite research showing that both the iPhone 5 and its predecessor, the 4S, had outsold rival Samsung’s Galaxy S3 during the final [...]
Einhorn could win Apple suit February 19, 2013 A US judge said yesterday that David Einhorn’s hedge fund had shown a “likelihood of success” if his legal attack against Apple goes forward, though he made no immediate ruling on whether to block next week’s shareholder vote on a proxy proposal. Einhorn wants to stop a vote on one of Apple’s shareholder proposals, which [...]
HTC launches high-end phone in effort to take on Samsung February 19, 2013 HTC has unveiled its new flagship handset in a bid to claw back market share from rivals. The Taiwanese firm yesterday launched its HTC One device, promising a host of new features it hopes will attract customers who have abandoned the company for smartphones made by Apple and Samsung. Chief executive Peter Chou, unveiling the [...]
Why some businesses will fail to see the writing on the wall February 17, 2013 IMAGINE you invent the pen in a world of only pencils. You are so excited – you are going to change people’s lives! Pens are easier to write with, easier to read, and don’t need sharpening. You dream of success. Mixed in with your excitement is a dose of paranoia. Of course, anyone could steal [...]
What the other papers say this morning February 14, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES JPMorgan’s Gulati launches fund JPMorgan’s global head of equity proprietary trading is quitting to set up a hedge fund in Switzerland in what will be the first prominent launch of a fund since several bank spinouts floundered last year. Deepak Gulati, once one of the bank’s star traders, will launch Argentière Capital probably [...]
This is 40 minutes too long February 14, 2013 FILM THIS IS 40 Cert 12A ** Half-way through Judd Apatow’s latest, This Is 40, a woman accuses Debbie (Leslie Mann) and Pete (Paul Rudd) of looking like a couple from a bank advert. Its one of the better jokes, not least because it highlights the fundamental problem with the film. Debbie and Pete are [...]
What the other papers say this morning February 13, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Hedge funds win big on yen bets Hedge fund giants have made billions betting against the yen in recent months, marking a return to form for some blue-blood investors that stumbled after the financial crisis. Managers who speculate on economic shifts by trading currencies, bonds and derivatives have reaped their biggest gains in [...]
Capital Idea: Tech views February 13, 2013 MICHAEL ACTON SMITH CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF MIND CANDY “We are proud to be a British company and love being based in London. We welcome these new initiatives to make the London financial markets more attractive to the many fast growth tech companies that are based here.” ERROL DAMELIN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF WONGA “If we want [...]