Don’t bet on strong bank earnings July 18, 2010 REACTIONS were mixed as the first of the season’s US bank earnings rolled in last week. Some analysts – like GFT’s David Morrison – were blaming poor revenue growth reported by Citigroup and Bank of America-Merrill Lynch (BoA-ML) on Friday for the subsequent dip in the S&P 500 as it plunged 2.09 per cent in [...]
SPREAD BET GURU July 18, 2010 MARKET STRATEGIST josh@cityindex.com Q. Dear Josh, what are the main weightings behind the FTSE 100 index? A. The FTSE 100 is a weighted index of the leading 100 companies, as measured by market value, that are listed on the London Stock Exchange. As you might expect, the companies with the highest market capitalisation have the [...]
Apple forced into a rare press call over iPhone 4 July 15, 2010 THE world’s largest technology firm will host a rare press conference today as it tries to limit the fallout from the antenna problems plaguing its new phone. Steve Jobs is expected personally to host the press-call, at which he will play down the reception problems with his firm’s flagship iPhone 4. Apple was dealt a [...]
MARKETING July 15, 2010 Q. I am starting a business and I need to think about marketing but I don’t know where to start. Can you offer me some advice? A.This is a common problem. Most people will have heard of marketing, but they don’t know quite what it is. Mark Brewerton, the managing director of Total Marketing Solutions, [...]
iPhone recall fears batter Apple’s stock July 14, 2010 APPLE shares recovered to chalk up a small gain yesterday, a day after an influential US watchdog criticised its new iPhone 4 handset. On Tuesday, investors had flocked to sell their shares in the firm, temporarily wiping £6.5bn off its market value, amid fears Apple may have to issue a recall of the product, which [...]
Henry to make Red Bulls bow against Spurs July 14, 2010 ARSENAL legend Thierry Henry has confirmed his switch from Barcelona to New York Red Bulls – and is set to make his first appearance against old rivals Tottenham. Henry, 32, is believed to have signed a four-and-a-half-year contract in the Big Apple after Barca agreed to release the France striker a year early. “This marks [...]
iPhone 4 gets thumbs down July 13, 2010 INFLUENTIAL independent watchdog Consumer Reports yesterday delivered a blow to Apple when it said it cannot recommend Apple’s iPhone 4 to buyers. The news followed its own tests confirming the device’s well-publicised reception glitches. The organisation, which publishes guides on everything from cars to TVs, said it had also tested other phones – including the [...]
Microsoft shows Apple does not have monopoly on tablet PCs July 12, 2010 Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer showed off new tablet-style devices running the Windows 7 operating system from a host of top manufacturers yesterday, underlining the giant software company’s eagerness to counter the explosion of interest in Apple’s iPad. New Windows-powered tablet or slate devices — small, hand-held, wireless computers — are in the pipeline from [...]
Think inclusively and watch people help you July 12, 2010 This past week saw the departure of my good friend, Richard Titus, who had been chief executive of Associated Northcliffe Digital (AND) within the Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) empire. I introduced Richard to DMGT chairman Lord Rothermere at a lunch in September 2008. And sometime later Titus was selected to energise the Associated [...]
Apple Mac sales rise 37 per cent July 8, 2010 New research shows sales of Apple’s Mac computers have been buoyed by the release of the iPad and a new version of its iPhone. Some analysts had speculated the devices could cannibalise Apple’s existing product range but sales in the US of its laptop and desktop computers are up 37 per cent year-on-year for the [...]