Seventh straight rise for FTSE 100 as BP bounces on US compensation deal June 17, 2010 BRITAIN’S top share index rose for the seventh consecutive day yesterday, led by BP after its compensation deal with the White House, but gains were held in check by weak US jobs data hitting commodity-linked stocks. The FTSE 100 was up 15.97 points, or 0.3 per cent, at 5,253.89, to close at its highest since [...]
Wall St enjoys late rally despite weak jobs data June 17, 2010 US stocks rose in a late rally yesterday, overcoming weak economic data that added to worries about a fragile recovery. A spurt of buying momentum in a choppy session drove gains as US equities built on a break in the benchmark S&P 500 index above its 200-day moving average earlier this week. The Dow Jones [...]
The able and shrewd operator June 17, 2010 FOR most entrepreneurs, the passion they feel for their first venture never gets extinguished. Take Robin Bowie: he established Dexion Capital, an investment management firm, back in 2000 and remains as committed today as he did back then. “I still spend the same amount of time at the office as I did in the beginning, but [...]
Budget fears focus on CGT and NI burden June 17, 2010 ENTREPRENEURS will be holding their breath as the new Chancellor delivers his first budget next week. Changes to capital gains tax (CGT), Vat and National Insurance are top concerns. On a positive note, some commentators believe that entrepreneurs have nothing to worry about. Alex Henderson, tax partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, says that he is anticipating: “An [...]
ANGELS June 17, 2010 Q.My small business needs financing – how do I find an angel investor and what kind of businesses do they fund? A. With so much uncertainty lingering in the markets, it is a difficult time to find investment. But since last summer, activity has picked up among angel investors – wealthy individuals who invest in [...]
Protect your descendants from the axe of the taxman June 17, 2010 AHEAD of the general election, there was plenty of chatter about the Conservatives’ pledge to raise the inheritance tax (IHT) threshold to £1m. But the importance of appeasing the Liberal Democrats has superseded the need to appeal to the Tory heartland. The threshold is expected to remain at £325,000 for an individual and £650,000 for [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS June 17, 2010 £900M SPENT ON OVERSEAS CARD FEES Holidaymakers are wasting almost £900m in credit and debit card charges every year by using these cards abroad. Research by FairFX.com showed that 56 per cent of travellers don’t know what charges they incur by using their credit or debit card in an ATM abroad. Charges average 2.75 per [...]
Trading in food, glorious food June 16, 2010 IF THERE is one investment theme that is likely to gather pace in the coming years it is food. A growing population will require more of it than ever. This is good news for agricultural products, which also proved resilient during the recent bout of market volatility; for example, the Dow Jones Industrial index dropped [...]
Gain exposure to the yuan and the rupee June 16, 2010 THE high-profile battle between Washington and Beijing over China’s stubborn policy of pegging its currency to the US dollar has piqued retail traders’ interest in Asian currencies, and the Chinese yuan in particular. While investors have been able to trade currencies such as the yuan and the Indian rupee through offshore non-deliverable forward (NDF) contracts, [...]
THE TIPSTER June 16, 2010 COMPUTER games and consoles firm Game Group will update the market today and investors will be looking for news on a successor to Lisa Morgan, who left her position as chief executive in April. The firm’s share price has suffered since December following repeated profit warnings. Today’s statement could mark an end to the poor [...]