BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Britain's Financial Services Authority Looks at Insider Trading]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/24/britains-financial-services-authority-looks-at-insider-trading/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/24/britains-financial-services-authority-looks-at-insider-trading/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/24/britains-financial-services-authority-looks-at-insider-trading/#commentsFiled under: ,

According to The Times Online, Britain's Financial Services Authority (FSA) is looking into insider dealing, launching the biggest operation against such shady tactics ever.

Six men were questioned after the FSA carried out early morning raids on 16 homes and businesses in London, Oxfordshire and Kent. The FSA took documents and computers as part of a joint investigation (with the Serious Organised Crime Agency -- seriously) that started in 2007.

Continue reading Britain's Financial Services Authority Looks at Insider Trading

Britain's Financial Services Authority Looks at Insider Trading originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BritainDBDeutsche BankFinancial Services Authorityinsider tradinginthenewsWed, 24 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Why would Amazon open physical stores?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/07/why-would-amazon-open-physical-stroes/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/07/why-would-amazon-open-physical-stroes/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/07/why-would-amazon-open-physical-stroes/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

There has been a rumor floating around that Amazon (AMZN) plans to open physical stores. Really?! Stores?!

Amazon is a known quality in the online retail space -- it's the industry leader. That's a great place to be right now. On Black Friday, overall retail sales edged higher only 0.5%, but online action spiked 35%. Let's do the math, why the hell would anyone move from zeroes and ones to bricks and mortars?

Continue reading Why would Amazon open physical stores?

Why would Amazon open physical stores? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazonamznBBYbest buyBestBuybritainfeaturedmacysonline retailretailTargetTGTwalmartwmtMon, 07 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[U.K. economy has worst quarter since 1958]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/30/u-k-economy-has-worst-quarter-since-1958/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/30/u-k-economy-has-worst-quarter-since-1958/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/30/u-k-economy-has-worst-quarter-since-1958/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Early estimates of a contraction in the U.K. economy were not enough. First quarter 2009 estimates were revisited, showing a 2.4% fall in gross domestic product from the last quarter of 2008 to 2009. This downward revision made the first three months of the year the worst since people wore skinny ties, hated communism, and bore nicknames like "Buzz."

In the second quarter of 1958, U.K. GDP plummeted 2.6%, though the 2.4% threshold matches the depths hit in 1979. The original 2009 Q1 estimate was -1.9%, according to the Office for National Statistics in London.

Continue reading U.K. economy has worst quarter since 1958

U.K. economy has worst quarter since 1958 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bank of englandbritainenglandfinancial servicesgdpgreat britaingross domestic producthousinghousing markethousing priceshousing sectorinthenewsmortgagemortgage approvalsmortgagesunited kingdomTue, 30 Jun 2009 10:40:00 EST<![CDATA[KFC opening up to 300 new British outlets]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/18/kfc-opening-up-to-300-new-british-outlets/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/18/kfc-opening-up-to-300-new-british-outlets/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/18/kfc-opening-up-to-300-new-british-outlets/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When the economy gets tough, eat fried chicken. This must be the mantra of many Britons; at least, that's the way Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) is betting. The company this weekend announced it was opening 200 to 300 new stores in north England and south Wales over the next few years, increasing its current concentration by about 30%. On top of relatively good earnings reported for the fiscal fourth quarter earlier this month, Yum! Brands is looking almost ... optimistic. Could it be?

It could. Not only is KFC opening outlets in England and China as the rest of the world cowers in job-cutting fear of the Things To Come, but the stock is in a hopeful place; at about $28.70 this afternoon, up 0.24% on the day and, having recovered from a low near $22 in November 2008, seemingly headed in an upward arc toward its year-ago territory above $35. At this price, and with this great hope for the future, KFC could be a good buy.

Continue reading KFC opening up to 300 new British outlets

KFC opening up to 300 new British outlets originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>britainchickenComfortFoodfast foodFastFoodkfcukyumYumBrandsWed, 18 Feb 2009 18:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Global catastrophe continues: Asia down 10%, Britain injects $88 billion in top banks]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/10/08/global-catastrophe-continues-asia-down-10-britain-injects-88/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/10/08/global-catastrophe-continues-asia-down-10-britain-injects-88/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/10/08/global-catastrophe-continues-asia-down-10-britain-injects-88/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The global financial catastrophe continues. With the Dow having Jones industrial average having lost $2.8 trillion in value since the day before investors thought the U.S.'s $810 billion bailout plan to save the world would pass, Asian markets cratered today. And the U.K. announced a plan much closer to the one that the U.S. should have been pushing. Maybe it's not too late for us to get it right.

How bad is the carnage in Asia? Japan's Nikkei collapsed 9.4% to close at 9203.32, its biggest one-day percentage drop since 1987 -- it peaked in the late 1980s at around 40,000. Australia fell 5%, South Korea declined 5.8%, Hong Kong tumbled 7%, and Indonesia shut its market for the second time in its history after stocks there plunged over 10%.

Meanwhile the UK did what the U.S. should have done to prop up its banks -- it injected capital into its strongest banks and took back preferred stock. Specifically, the UK bought $88 billion worth of preferential shares in its eight largest banks and building societies. The Bank of England will make $352 billion available for short-term loans and has created a $440 billion loan guarantee fund. And the plan seems to be working as far as boosting investor confidence -- HBOS, one of the capital recipients, saw its stock rise 58%.

Let's hope U.S. leaders get the message from across these ponds.

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter.

Global catastrophe continues: Asia down 10%, Britain injects $88 billion in top banks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bailoutBritaincrisisfeaturedJapanWed, 08 Oct 2008 07:10:00 EST<![CDATA[U.K. economy stagnates in Q2 on housing market slowdown]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/22/u-k-economy-stagnates-in-q2-on-housing-market-slowdown/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/22/u-k-economy-stagnates-in-q2-on-housing-market-slowdown/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/22/u-k-economy-stagnates-in-q2-on-housing-market-slowdown/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The British FlagThe United Kingdom's economy was unchanged in Q2, weighed-down by the contracting housing sector and a pull-back in consumer spending, the U.K.'s Office for National Statistics announced Friday.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected the U.K.'s economy to grow 0.1% in Q2.

For the last 12 months, the U.K. grew at a 1.4% pace, the ONS said.

Further, the lack of growth in Q2 ended Britain's longest expansion in more than a century, London-based economist Mark Chandler told BloggingStocks Friday. The U.K.'s last recession occurred in 1991.

U.K. mirrors U.S. slowdown?

Further, as in the U.S., Chandler said concern is growing in the U.K. that declining housing sales and median home prices will serve as a drag on the U.K.'s economy through 2009, perhaps longer.

"Estimates vary in the United States, but I put housing's contraction effect at about 0.7-1.0% of GDP in the U.S., and perhaps a little lower in the U.K.," Chandler said. "Home equity loans were not as common during the housing boom as in the U.S., and that's why I don't think the slump will hurt as much here as in the U.S., but we're still seeing at least two quarters of negative growth, which will slow regional growth, as well."

Continue reading U.K. economy stagnates in Q2 on housing market slowdown

U.K. economy stagnates in Q2 on housing market slowdown originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bank of EnglandBritainbusiness investmentconsumer spendingcredit crisiscredit crunchforeclosuresgdphousinginflationinthenewsmedian home pricesUnited KingdomFri, 22 Aug 2008 11:48:00 EST<![CDATA[U.K. home repossessions hit highest level since early 1990s]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/09/u-k-home-repossessions-hit-highest-level-since-early-1990s/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/09/u-k-home-repossessions-hit-highest-level-since-early-1990s/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/09/u-k-home-repossessions-hit-highest-level-since-early-1990s/#commentsFiled under: , ,

U.K. home repossession claims by mortgage lenders increased 16% from a year ago to their highest level since the early 1990s, Bloomberg News reported Friday.

The U.K.'s Ministry of Justice said possession claims, the first step in the foreclosure process, increased to 38,688 in Q1 2008, from 27,530 in Q1 2007, Bloomberg News reported.

Anglo-American housing slump

London-based economist Mark Chandler told BloggingStocks Friday the large foreclosure rise indicates that the air is easing out of the housing balloon, and that the housing correction that began in the United States, is "clearly washing shore in the U.K."

Continue reading U.K. home repossessions hit highest level since early 1990s

U.K. home repossessions hit highest level since early 1990s originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 May 2008 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bank of EnglandBOEBritainforeclosuresGDPhousinghousing sectorinthenewsmedian home pricesmonetary policymortgagessubprimesubprime mortgagesUnited KingdomUnited StatesFri, 09 May 2008 15:57:00 EST<![CDATA[iTunes lowers prices in Britain after European Commission complains]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/01/10/itunes-lowers-prices-in-britain-after-european-commission-compla/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/01/10/itunes-lowers-prices-in-britain-after-european-commission-compla/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/01/10/itunes-lowers-prices-in-britain-after-european-commission-compla/#commentsFiled under:

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has agreed to lower its iTunes prices in Great Britain to align them with its prices in the rest of Europe, settling an antitrust case brought by EU regulators.

According to The New York Times, "The European Commission accused Apple last spring of unfairly charging British consumers more than their counterparts in the euro zone for tracks from iTunes, the dominant online music vendor. British consumers typically pay 79 pence, or $1.55, a song while iTunes stores in the euro zone charge 99 euro cents, or $1.46."

Thank goodness the European Commission is there to put a stop to consumer gouging like that! On a slightly more serious note, I consider myself as pro-consumer as it gets -- but do people really need the government stepping in to tell companies to lower their prices on song downloads by 9 cents? Plus, exchange rate fluctuations could make this ever more complicated. Downloading music in Europe could turn into the new FOREX.

In any case, government intervention on something as trivial as this is almost as silly as congressional hearings about Roger Clemens' use -- or lack of use -- of steroids.

Don't our elected and appointed officials have anything better to do? Perhaps issues like this keep them from messing up anything more important.

iTunes lowers prices in Britain after European Commission complains originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AAPLAppleBritainEuropegovernmentinthenewsiTunespricingThu, 10 Jan 2008 11:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Britain bans sales of Take-Two's Manhunt 2, but what's next?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/06/20/britain-bans-sales-of-take-twos-manhunt-2-but-whats-next/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/06/20/britain-bans-sales-of-take-twos-manhunt-2-but-whats-next/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/06/20/britain-bans-sales-of-take-twos-manhunt-2-but-whats-next/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Take Two Interactive's (NASDAQ: TTWO) Rockstar Games was expected to release its latest game, Manhunt 2, on July 10 for Nintendo's (OTC: NTDOY) Wii and Sony Corporation's (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation 2 consoles. However, Britain, America's friendly Democratic neighbor, has banned sales for -- get this -- "unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone."

I think that is how my mother referred to my dress code back in high school.

The banning comes after a 14-year old British schoolboy was murdered by a friend, Warren Leglanc, age 17. The parents of the schoolboy blamed a video game for their son's death. Patric Pakeerah, the father of the murdered boy, welcomed the decision, saying "It's a video instruction on how to murder somebody; it just shows how you kill people and what weapons you use."

I'd hate to see if Mr. Pakeerah ever watched prime-time television. Or the news, for that matter.

Continue reading Britain bans sales of Take-Two's Manhunt 2, but what's next?

Britain bans sales of Take-Two's Manhunt 2, but what's next? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Jun 2007 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>britainlawleglancmanhuntmurdernintendontdoypakeerahplaystationps2rockstarsnesonytake twotake-twoTakeTwottwovideo gameVideoGamewiiWed, 20 Jun 2007 17:15:00 EST