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 [...]
FTSE closes up but US uncertainty weighs on Wall Street December 9, 2010 LONDON’S FTSE 100 closed above 5,800 today for only the second time in almost a month, pushed up by financial services firms. Barclays, RBS and the Prudential were among the biggest gainers, while energy firm BG also rose more than three per cent and services firms Serco and BT also made the top ten. HSBC [...]
Twin imposters triumph and disaster lurking December 5, 2010 So here we are just a few weeks before Christmas and those twin imposters triumph and disaster lurk behind every corner. England lose a brilliant World Cup bid that they could never win, only for the cricket team to comprehensively outplay Australia and take control in the Ashes. On Coronation Street four actors will lose [...]
Rail revolution opens new areas for commuters December 2, 2010 ASK any Londoner what irritates them most about the city and they will say two things. First, the transport is rubbish and second, it is too hard to buy a decent, affordable home. For families who want their children to grow up outside London, the misery of the commute has to be weighed against the [...]
Qatar gas industry suffers November 22, 2010 Qatar’s profit growth from its burgeoning liquefied natural gas industry could come to a halt if neighbouring countries cannot afford to keep up with rising prices, energy sources said yesterday. A pipeline to the United Arab Emirates has been running at less than two-thirds of full capacity, because the UAE cannot afford the fuel. Qatar [...]
US wholesale prices fall as output falters November 16, 2010 CORE US producer prices recorded their largest fall in more than four years in October and industrial output was flat, underscoring concerns at the Federal Reserve about low inflation amid moderate economic growth. Economists said the data supported the US central bank’s 3 November decision to ease monetary policy further even if the 0.6 per [...]
BP’s Hayward starts energy consultancy November 14, 2010 FORMER BP chief executive Tony Hayward has set up his own business, understood to be an energy consultancy, as he rejoins the business world following his departure from the oil giant. Hayward set up 3E Capital on 28 October, papers filed at Companies House show. He lists Deloitte’s office in London as the company’s registered [...]
Storm clouds gather as G20 leaders meet November 11, 2010 Group of Twenty in Seoul clash on growth, currencies and trade Ireland moves ever closer to the brink as bailout fears mount Oil price hits a fresh 25-month high of $88 a barrel on China demand IRISH ten-year bond yields shot to their highest level since the founding of the euro yesterday, closing at 8.6 [...]
Wall Street rises as dollar hits new high November 10, 2010 THE dollar hit a one-month high yesterday after data pointed to an improving US labour market while Wall Street rose as investors set aside recent worries whether a rally would continue. But global stocks fell as Ireland’s borrowing costs hit another euro lifetime high and investors worried that a Federal Reserve move announced last week [...]
SSE posts dip in profits but lifts dividend November 10, 2010 ELECTRICITY firm Scottish & Southern Energy yesterday posted forecast-busting first-half profits and pledged to stick to plans to raise its dividend, boosting its shares. SSE blamed high wholesale gas prices and low renewable energy output for a 6.1 per cent fall in adjusted first-half pre-tax profit to £386m, beating market forecasts of £361m. The group’s [...]