Raft of firms set to release figures as Bank debates if more QE needed November 4, 2012 THE biggest question for UK investors this week is whether the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will opt for more quantitative easing. The decision, which will be announced on Thursday, comes after strong jobs and GDP data. “Strong third quarter GDP data suggested that underlying growth was slightly stronger than previously thought and [...]
US traders are poised to hear election result November 4, 2012 REGARDLESS of the results of tomorrow’s US presidential election, the next four years will be a tough act to follow from Wall Street’s standpoint. The benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500 Index has rallied 66 per cent since President Barack Obama took office – one of the most impressive runs ever for stocks under a single [...]
Give yourself a bit of credit November 4, 2012 OVER £12.6bn was spent on credit cards in September 2012 alone. They’re a convenient way to manage your expenses — you can spread the cost of large purchases, give yourself an extra layer of protection against fraud, and they could help you build up a good credit history if used sensibly. But given the size [...]
How financial advice regulation will affect all UK retail investors November 4, 2012 THE Retail Distribution Review (RDR), which comes into effect on 31 December this year, will transform retail investment. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) introduced RDR to better protect consumers. It aims to help investors understand the costs associated with financial advice, and to improve its quality. However, it will require investors to be more proactive [...]
Introducing the FSA’s new investment rules November 4, 2012 EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, GEKKO JUST over six years ago, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) announced a review of retail investment, with the aim of identifying and addressing the root cause of problems that continued to emerge in the market. Called the Retail Distribution Review (RDR), it’s a key part of the FSA’s consumer protection strategy. But [...]
Consumer and jobs data sees equities leap November 1, 2012 THE S&P 500 scored its best day in seven weeks yesterday as bullish consumer confidence and private-sector jobs data gave investors reason to cheer following superstorm Sandy’s devastating sweep through the US Northeast. Technology and materials sector shares led the advance in a day of mostly average volume. About 6.7bn shares changed hands on the [...]
Strong corporate results cause the sharpest FTSE jump for four weeks November 1, 2012 B RITAIN’S blue-chip index made its biggest single session gain in four weeks yesterday as a number of firms posted solid results and investors took on fresh bets at the start of a new month. The FTSE 100 index closed up 79.22 points at 5,861.92, a rise of 1.4 per cent, the biggest gain since [...]
Wall Street flat after two day storm closure October 31, 2012 THE US stock market slowly returned to life yesterday after two days in the dark, in the wake of the massive storm Sandy that caused the market’s first weather-related two-day closure since the late 19th century. The Dow and the S&P 500 closed little changed while the Nasdaq Composite edged 0.4 per cent lower in [...]
Bad day for BG Group and Barclays helps send FTSE 100 into the red October 31, 2012 UK shares fell yesterday, ending the month on a down note as a string of gloomy earnings and outlooks from firms such as Barclays and GlaxoSmithKline weighed on sentiment. The FTSE 100 was down 1.2 per cent, or 67 points, at 5,782.70 at the close, more than shedding the previous session’s gains, led down by [...]
Changing profession could inject life into your career October 31, 2012 A RECENT survey of 1,500 professionals by the recruitment firm Marks Sattin found that 52 per cent anticipate changing jobs within the next year. And some want to go further. A complete change in career at some point in a professional life is increasingly normal. Of course, people switch for a variety of reasons: they [...]
