Bank stocks pressured by new capital requirements June 26, 2011 BANKING stocks could be under pressure this morning, following news over the weekend from Basel that additional capital requirements of up to 2.5 per cent were agreed to be imposed on those financial institutions deemed too big too fail – or, to use the technical term, Global Systemically Important Banks (GSIBs). GFT quotes two-way prices [...]
WALL STREET WEEK AHEAD June 26, 2011 A BOUNCE could be the cards for US stocks this week as bulls defend a key technical level and managers buy the quarter’s winners to prop up their books. But gains coming from healthcare, staples or other defensive sectors that have outperformed the market in the last several months would only support the notion that [...]
Warring Greek factions may finally destroy the country June 26, 2011 TOMORROW’S vote on the Greek austerity measures could be the do or die moment for any semblance of Greek economic survival. The Greek parliament will vote on measures to push through more public spending cuts, an increase in taxes and a sale of assets. Greece’s creditors are seeking reassurance that Greece is taking serious measures [...]
THE WEEK AHEAD in association with GFT June 26, 2011 COMPANIES ● Today, Ocado releases its half-year results. Its share price suffered last week on the back of JP Morgan Cazenove cutting its rating and the news that Waitrose is gearing up to compete with it directly in London. ● Tomorrow, Daisy will deliver its preliminary earnings release. The company sells internet and telecommunications services. [...]
THE TIPSTER June 26, 2011 THE UK retail sector is having a torrid time (see page 1) and Habitat’s move into administration at the end of last week was a major blow. The brand was huge in the 1980s, but the advent of companies such as IKEA really heaped on the pressure. It has therefore been a surprise for some [...]
Meet the IT man behind JK Rowling’s Pottermore June 26, 2011 JK ROWLING hit the headlines last week when she scuppered Apple and Amazon by taking her books into the digital world on her own online platform. Her entrepreneurial endeavour, however, was built by another rather entrepreneurial endeavour: a digital agency called Think. Think has only existed for eight years. It has travelled all the way [...]
FTSE tumbles to three-month closing low on energy worries June 23, 2011 MINERS and energy stocks were the worst hit members of Britain’s sharply lower FTSE 100 index yesterday, hit by heightened fears of a slowdown in global growth. The FTSE 100 ended down 98.61 points, or 1.7 per cent, at 5,674.38, its lowest close since 16 March when markets were plunging in the immediate aftermath of [...]
Greece’s austerity deal lifts Wall St June 23, 2011 US stocks closed way off session lows yesterday on news Greece agreed to a five-year austerity plan, but lingering economic uncertainty ultimately drove indexes mostly lower, keeping a downward trend in place. The Nasdaq wiped out all its losses, ending the session higher and back in the black for the year. The news out of [...]
Banks drop but FTSE treads water ahead of Fed decision June 22, 2011 BRITAIN’S top share index closed marginally lower yesterday, as weakness in banks offset gains in defensive stocks with investors jostling positions ahead of a US interest rate decision. London’s blue chip index bobbed around but closed down 2.32 points at 5,772.99, as cautious investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s assessment of the economy and any plans [...]
Shares dip on lack of QE3 suggestion June 22, 2011 US stocks dropped yesterday after the Federal Reserve acknowledged the sluggish pace of the US economic recovery without hinting at further plans for stimulus. The Fed said the recovery was proceeding more slowly than it had expected. In his news conference, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke offered nothing to motivate investors to buy equities. Without new [...]