"Our plans for profitable growth are well established, supported by our strong balance sheet, and we plan to open 4,200 Premier Inn rooms, eight joint site restaurants and 350 new Costa stores this financial year, creating an additional 3,500 UK jobs," said Andy Harrison, chief executive.
Forex Flash: Euro crisis to focus on Spain now – Scotiabank - NASDAQ
FXstreet.com (Barcelona) - Now that the Greek elections are out of the way, the center of the euro debt crisis will focus back again on Spain. Scotiabank believes that "focus is likely to return to Spain this week, given the upcoming release of the private sector stress tests. The details of the stress test have reportedly already been submitted to the Spanish government, and whispers suggest a need for €150bn. The Spanish banking sector's fortunes continue to deteriorate as a result of weak loan performance, where metrics have weakened to levels not seen since 1994." In fact, 10 year government bond yields breached the 7% barrier yesterday, the level that prompted the governments of Greece, Portugal and Ireland to seek bailouts.
The fear is that the 4th largest economy of the euro zone is too big to fail but too big to bailout. Scotiabank sees that a possible rate cut from the ECB might be on the way. It notes that "at the most recent ECB press conference, President Draghi had stated that the decision to hold rates had been one made by 'consensus', indicating that some members of the governing council had already argued for rate cuts. This new development increases the chances of a rate cut at the next ECB meeting on July 5th."
Vantage FX UK Launches MetaTrader 4 for Mac - msnbc.com
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — It is official: Mac traders can finally take advantage of MetaTrader 4, thanks to Vantage FX UK (http://www.vantagefx.co.uk/).
MetaTrader 4 has long been regarded as the platform of choice for currency traders who operate on PCs. Now, with the launch of a brand new desktop program exclusive to Vantage FX UK, Mac users too can take advantage of essential currency trading tools such as simplified analysis and 50 built-in indicators.
To download MetaTrader 4 for Mac, traders simply apply for a free demo account from Vantage FX UK and follow the instructions provided.
As well as desktop trading, Vantage FX UK allows traders to analyse the markets and manage their Forex trading on the move with real-time mobile Forex trading. Vantage FX droidTrader, Vantage FX BlackBerry Trader and Vantage FX iTrader are free applications available from the Android Market, BlackBerry App World and App Store respectively, and give traders mobile access to trading tools including charting packages, an economic calendar and a range of Forex calculators.
Try Vantage FX UK for free by opening a MetaTrader 4 demo account with the company at:
http://www.vantagefx.co.uk/get-trading/demo-account/
Trading derivatives and Forex carries a high level of risk to your capital and you should only trade with money you can afford to lose. Forex trading may not be suitable for all investors, so please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved and seek independent advice if necessary.
About Vantage FX UK
Vantage FX UK is an internationally recognised currency trading broker based in the City of London, providing foreign exchange trading services to clients in the UK, the EU and the rest of the world.
What sets Vantage FX apart is its wide range of services and outstanding level of customer support. The company strives to provide an intuitive, interactive Forex experience by continually innovating and taking advantage of the latest trading technology, such as MetaTrader 4 and Expert Advisors.
Vantage FX also offers extensive educational resources to help give traders their edge, keep up with daily market commentary and try a Forex trading demo account.
© Marketwire 2012
Forex Flash : OT2 more likely than QE3 – Standard Chartered - FXStreet.com
Rate alert: best-buy savings accounts - Daily Telegraph
This is an online account, and no withdrawals are permitted before the bond matures, on June 30 2014. The minimum opening is £1,000 up to a maximum balance of £250,000.
Verdict Anna Bowes of Savings Champion said that for those who can afford to lock their money away for this period of time, this is the most competitive rate. (The previous best buy was BM Savings two-year fixed rate bond at 3.75pc). But she adds that clearly the lack of access may put some savers off. For more slightly more flexible terms and only a fractionally lower rate the AA bond (below) might prove a better alternative for some.
Postal winner
The AA has also improved the terms of its two-year savings bond. It is now paying a rate of 3.7pc – slightly lower than the Nottingham BS, but still an improvement on its previous offer.
However withdrawals are allowed within the term, although savers should be aware they will be hit with a significant penalty if they do need to access their savings (180 days' loss of interest). This is a postal account, and can be opened with just a minimum of £1. The maximum deposit is £5m.
Verdict As a postal account, this will appeal to those who don't have internet access, or prefer to deal with more traditional paper statements. The lower opening balance will mean it will appeal to those who haven't got £1,000 to lock away. Ms Bowes said these fixed-year bonds should only be used by those that are confident they can lock their money away for the full term. However the most flexible terms mean that in a genuine emergency (for example redundancy) it is possible to access these fund, albeit with a hefty penalty.
Rate rise
The Co-operative bank has increased the rates on its one-, two- and three-year fixed-rate bond by up to 0.7pc. But while new customers can take advantage of these new deals, those who have already invested in previous issues won't see any rate rise.
The biggest increase is on the one-year bond, which has risen from 2.5pc to 3.21pc. The two year deal is now paying 3.5pc (previously 3pc) while those who can afford to lock their money away for three years can get a rate of 3.75pc (previously 3.31).
All these bonds can be opened either in a branch, by phone or by post. The minimum deposit is £2,000, and interest is paid on maturity, or savers can opt to get this interest paid into a separate account on a monthly basis. However, not withdrawals of capital are allowed during the term.
Verdict Although the rate rise is to be welcomed, Kevin Mountford, the head of banking at Moneysupermarket.com pointed out that these rates can be bettered on the high street. Those looking for just a one-year account can get a return of 3.45pc from United National Bank, while BM Savings is paying 4pc on its three-year fixed rate account. Both of these savings account are fully covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, although those saving with BM should remember it is part of HBOS so total deposits across the group (Halifax, Bank of Scotland, AA Financial Services, BM Savings, Intelligent Finance and Saga) should not exceed £85,000 for full protection.
However, despite the fact that these rates are market-beaters they remain fairly competitively priced, particularly for a branch-based account, and the option of getting monthly interest paid into a separate account, which can be used to subsidise a pension or day-to-day living expenses, will be appealing for many older savers.
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