ON THE MEND (OR SO KING HOPES) November 11, 2009 THE BANK of England hiked its growth forecasts for the next three years yesterday in its clearest signal yet that it believes the UKeconomy is finally on the mend. The Bank’s new central projections are for output to grow by 2.1 per cent next year and by four per cent in 2011, based on market [...]
Miners and Vodafone drag but banks offer some cheer November 10, 2009 BRITAIN’S leading share index ticked down 0.1 per cent yesterday, ending a four-day winning run, as weakness in miners and Vodafone offset strength in banks, underpinned by a strong update from HSBC. The FTSE 100 closed 4.63 points lower at 5,230.55, after hitting a two-week high earlier in the session. “After last week’s slew of [...]
Shift to low-carbon economy will boost clean technology prospects October 14, 2009 INVESTING in clean technology used to be perceived as an activity that was primarily the domain of slightly hippy do-gooders with little interest in high-yielding returns. But any lingering misconceptions of tree-huggers and poor returns were swept away earlier this week when billionaire George Soros said he planned to invest $1bn in clean-energy technologies over [...]
Climate body calls on UK to change tack October 12, 2009 BRITAIN needs a “step change” in its environmental policy to meet its own targets, the government’s chief climate change adviser said yesterday. Presenting its first annual report to parliament, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) urged more aggressive intervention in the energy markets. To meet its own target of an 80 per cent reduction in [...]
FTSE100 ends its best ever quarter with profit taking September 30, 2009 THE top share index closed lower yesterday with energy stocks, banks and miners among the biggest laggards on the last session of a record quarter. The FTSE 100 closed down 25.82 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 5,133.90 as investors locked in profits after the index put in its best quarterly performance since it was [...]
Cut debt, but not yet: CBI September 27, 2009 THE Confederation of British Industry (CBI) will today call for a faster, more aggressive approach to solving Britain’s public debt crisis as it sets out its business recommendations for a new government ahead of next year’s election. CBI deputy director-general John Cridland said the emphasis should be on balancing the government’s books by 2015/16, two [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING September 6, 2009 THE SUNDAYSThe Sunday TelegraphG20 WILL CURB BANK BONUSESBonuses for bankers throughout the Western world will for the first time be subject to limits and checks as soon as next year after the G20 pledged to embark on an international crackdown on financiers’ pay. Banks will have caps imposed on the size of the bonus pot [...]
The king of the home delivered pizza says timing is everything August 20, 2009 YOU can tell when a business is doing well, when despite the recession, its plans to open a new headquarters five times the size of its existing base are still on track. That is the happy position Chris Moore, the chief executive of delivery chain Domino’s Pizza, finds himself in. His new 100,000 sq ft [...]
RWE books jump in profits despite poor trading in UK August 13, 2009 RWE, Europe’s fifth-largest utility, yesterday met forecasts with a 3.8 per cent rise in first-half operating profit, as lucrative power sales made up for a weak performance at its UK subsidiary NPower. The German power giant said it made an operating profit of €4.1bn (£3.5bn) in the six months to June. Earnings, which had been [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING August 9, 2009 THE SUNDAYSThe Sunday TelegraphNON-EXECUTIVES’ FEES RISE BY 10PC DESPITE STAFF PAY FREEZESUK non-executives at leading FTSE companies earned an average of €142,000 (£121,000) for each board role in 2008, a 10pc increase year-on-year, according to AlphaValue, the independent equity research firm. IMF PUTS TOTAL COST OF CRISIS AT £7.1 TRILLIONThe cost of mopping up after [...]