US rally peters out as oil prices weigh January 4, 2011 US stocks fell yesterday as declines in oil and metals prices dragged down energy and materials shares, while concern about lower supermarket profits hit consumer stocks. The S&P materials index slid 1.6 per cent while the energy index dipped 1.1 per cent as metals and oil prices dropped after recent gains. Shares of Supervalu fell [...]
FTSE hits 31-month high on first close of 2011 January 4, 2011 LONDON saw a storming start to 2011 as the FTSE moved above the 6,000 level in the year’s first trading session to close at a 31-month high. The FTSE 100 moved up 1.9 per cent or 113.93 points to close at 6,013.87, its highest level since June 2008, buoyed by rises on US and European [...]
Euro Zone inflation higher than expected January 4, 2011 Euro zone inflation was higher than expected in December, exceeding the European Central Bank’s target for the first time in two years, but economists believe the bank will keep interest rates unchanged well into 2011. The European Union’s statistics office Eurostat estimated that prices in the 16 countries that shared the euro currency in December [...]
Manufacturing activity grows at fastest pace in 16 years January 4, 2011 Manufacturing activity grew at its fastest pace in over 16 years in December and firms’ costs rose at a record pace, suggesting at least one sector of the economy may be ready for higher interest rates before the end of 2011. The Markit/CIPS manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 58.3 in December, its highest [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING January 3, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES CHINA TRAVEL GROUP PULLS OUT OF AIM Et-China.com International Holdings, the Chinese travel specialist, will today become the first company to quit Aim this year. Shares in the company, which raised £4.4m at 127p a share when it joined Aim in August 2007, were suspended at 103 1/2p in July because of its [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING December 19, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES APAX PLANS €11BN FUND Apax Partners aims to cement its position as Europe’s biggest private equity group next year by raising a new €11bn-plus ($14.5bn) fund – the biggest buy-out fundraising since the start of the credit crisis. Led by Martin Halusa, who replaced Sir Ronald Cohen as head of Apax six years [...]
Keeping a lookout for possible shocks December 19, 2010 MAY YOU live in interesting times may sound like a blessing, but in ancient China, it was considered a curse. Spread betters may be divided on which they think it is, but 2011 certainly looks likely to be interesting. Next year could see more bank crises in Europe, burst bubbles in Asia and painful austerity [...]
FTSE treads water as fears over European debts weigh December 16, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares closed little changed yesterday as persistent concerns over Europe’s debt problems capped moves on the upside while BP fell after the US government launched a lawsuit over the Gulf oil spill. The FTSE 100 ended down 1.06 points at 5,881.12. The index ebbed away from an intra-day high of 5,907.10, with analysts [...]
Inflation hits highest level in six months December 14, 2010 ABOVE target inflation rose further in November, jumping higher than economists expected, official data showed yesterday. The news cast further doubt over the Bank of England’s loose policy and monetary stimulus. “Another round of quantitative easing was always a long shot and this will reduce the odds still further,” said economist Andrew Goodwin of the [...]
Banks propel FTSE upwards after interest rates decision December 9, 2010 BANKS helped Britain’s top shares rise yesterday after the Bank of England kept interest rates and quantitative easing measures unchanged, while US jobs figures raised hopes that a recovery was under way. The FTSE 100 was up 13.43 points, or 0.2 per cent, at 5,807.96, eradicating Wednesday’s losses, though gains were muted, with some traders [...]