http://perspicacious.co.uk Discerning financial news for the acutely perceptive. Search this site for the latest take on UK financial matters Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:01:30 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en By Angela Monaghan and Richard Alleyne Published: 12:01AM GMT 15 Mar 2010 Prices rose just 0.1 per cent, the weakest growth in the month of March for at least eight years. The news has raised fears that the market could be following a "double dip" pattern after last ... http://perspicacious.co.uk/uncategorized/house-prices-on-verge-of-double-dip/22676/ By Rachel Cooper Published: 10:58PM GMT 14 Mar 2010 Britain's biggest private company struck a refinancing deal with its lenders last summer that lifted its annual interest bill from £534m to £666m and Jim Ratcliffe, its chief executive, is now looking for investors to inject cash. Ineos ... http://perspicacious.co.uk/uncategorized/ineos-could-hive-off-assets-after-talks-with-middle-eastern-investors/22675/ By Jonathan Sibun Published: 10:58PM GMT 14 Mar 2010 The India-based mining group has drawn up plans to spin-off its $20bn (£13bn) aluminium division. The new business, which could be spun off as early as this summer, would be the world's fourth largest alumunium producer. The move ... http://perspicacious.co.uk/uncategorized/vedanta-resources-plans-to-spin-off-20bn-aluminium-division/22674/ By Roland Gribben Published: 10:57PM GMT 14 Mar 2010 Amid fears that BAE's share price could be hit today, chief executive Ian King is expected to table the offer after receiving informal guidance that ministers are poised to name General Dynamics as the preferred bidder for ... http://perspicacious.co.uk/uncategorized/bae-urges-government-rethink-on-4bn-arms-contract-by-unveiling-jobs-package/22673/ By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 4:17 PM on 14th March 2010 Sticking to his guns: Alistair Darling Alistair Darling today admitted his Budget will not contain any new spending cuts and will delay all the tough decisions about righting the economy until after the election.The Chancellor defied calls by experts to ... http://perspicacious.co.uk/all-the-news/darling-admits-budget-wont-contain-any-more-spending-cuts-as-tories-fail-to-rule-out-tax-rises/22672/ By Ray Massey and Tim Shipman Last updated at 8:52 PM on 14th March 2010 Speaking out: Lord Adonis 'absolutely deplores' the BA strikes Strikes by militant British Airways crew are ‘totally unjustified’ and could destroy the nation’s flagship airline, the Transport Secretary finally declared today.Lord Adonis condemned the strike in unequivocal terms, ... http://perspicacious.co.uk/all-the-news/lord-adonis-condemns-ba-strikes-as-totally-unjustified-but-will-gordon-brown-do-the-same/22671/ Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Premier, closed the National People’s Congress session today with grim warnings that the global economy risked plunging into double-dip recession and that China itself faced a “complicated” year. Mr Wen’s note of alarm for the global economy was based on the still high state of unemployment ... http://perspicacious.co.uk/banking/china-premier-wen-jiabao-says-world-risks-double-dip-recession/22670/ China faces a difficult year as it works to maintain economic growth and spur development, but it would not be bullied into boosting the value of its currency, Premier Wen Jiabao said today. In a wide-ranging press conference at the end of China's annual session of parliament, Mr Wen said ... http://perspicacious.co.uk/uncategorized/difficult-year-ahead-for-china-admits-premier-wen-jiabao-2/22660/ A few days ago, something odd happened. A bad set of trade figures came out and they resulted in sterling coming under pressure. Why odd? Because it is a long time since the markets took any notice of the monthly trade figures. In the distant past, they were regarded as the ... http://perspicacious.co.uk/uncategorized/our-exports-may-be-cheap-but-europe-is-not-buying-2/22659/ Work this out. The unions whacked British Airways with seven days of strikes last week. The disruption to services, lost bookings and damage to the brand could cost the airline hundreds of millions of pounds when it is already heading for big losses. So why did the shares end the ... http://perspicacious.co.uk/uncategorized/tough-guy-walsh-leaves-ba-flying-high-in-the-city-2/22658/