In the know: Tesco spread betters; Technis

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

Gilts

Silver lining for Fresnillo as rise in metals sparks a Mexican wave

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

The aroma of refried bid rumour wafted across the City yesterday as traders whispered once again that the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim may be teeing up a move on Fresnillo.

United we stand – and divided, too

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

Drip, drip, drip. That’s not the flow of bad news from United Utilities but the sound of Philip Green, its chief executive, steadily shrinking the “confused mini-conglomerate” that he took charge of four years ago.

Forget what we said – things are going to get worse, not better

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

The Japanese Government will rip up the promises it used to win last summer’s general election in an attempt to impose austerity and discipline on the most strained public finances in the developed world.

The week ahead

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

Monday

Electronic market awaits jolt to system

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

The London Stock Exchange’s fledgeling electronic market for corporate bonds targeted at retail consumers has received a boost with the impending launch of a bond from Lloyds Banking Group under its original name of Lloyds TSB.

Need to know: Axa sale ... FSA bonuses ... Zurich move ...

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

View video and Need to Know interactive heatmap

INDICATOR OF THE WEEK

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

THE trade deficit on goods and services widened to £3.3 billion in April, against £3.2 billion in March. The surplus on services was £4 billion, slightly down from March’s £4.1 billion. The deficit on goods was broadly unchanged at £7.3 billion. Both exports and imports fell on the month. The figures suggest the trade deficit is not yet benefiting much from sterling’s depreciation.

We must force the inflation genie back into its bottle

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

ON TUESDAY, inflation figures for May will be released. The last data, for April, showed consumer price inflation at 3.7% — significantly above the 2% target that guides the decisions of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

Brit rejects Apollo’s first approach, but game may not be over

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

Shares in Brit Insurance soared more than 20 per cent yesterday after the Lloyd’s of London insurer, best known as the sponsor of the England cricket team, confirmed that it had rejected a takeover approach from Apollo, an American private equity group.

Steel yourself: market optimism will soon be a rare commodity

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

Commodity markets are suffering a serious bout of uncertainty, as traders oscillate between outrageous optimism and rampant pessimism. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, the global economy is recovering well or on the brink of a double-dip recession. Each new set of data confirms one scenario or another and the prices of copper, aluminium and other key metals have fluctuated accordingly.

In the know

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

Gilts

Ambani lays $1bn bet on Indian internet$

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:27:00 GMT

Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man, has placed a $1 billion bet on the future of wireless broadband services in India by buying Infotel Broadband Services.$

Benefits of perpetual revolution

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

In an uncertain world it is difficult to argue with a company that produces first-quarter revenues up 20 per cent, latest monthly sales up 30 per cent, profits ahead by 70 per cent and shares up 40 per cent in the year so far.

In the know: Centrica ... Chamberlin

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

Gilts

ARM boosted by takeover speculation

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

It is rare enough that a FTSE 100 stock jumps by more than 30 per cent in a day, rarer still when that jump is the result of nothing more than rehashed takeover speculation.

Need to know: Daisy deal ... Finnair planes ... EDF stake ...

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

View video and Need to Know interactive heatmap

Why IG Group is still worth a bet

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

IG Group is what you might call an index-linked investment. Not in the usual sense of an asset whose valued is pegged to inflation. Nor even like a fund manager, stockbroker or investment trust, whose shares tend to be geared to movements in stock market indices. Rather, the fortunes of the world’s biggest quoted spread-betting group tend to be linked not to the level of financial indices, but to their volatility. The more that indices pitch and weave, the better IG does.

Misys shareholders are cheered by £700m bonus after US healthcare sale

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

Misys shares soared more than 11 per cent after the FTSE 250 software group pledged to return £700 million to its shareholders this year.

In the know: ITM Power; AfNat Resources

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:01:00 GMT

Gilts