The FTSE 100 (INDEXFTSE:UKX) index is still used a measure of Britain’s fortunes but it increasingly reflects Russia’s ambitions. Companies from the former Soviet Union are queuing up to squeeze UK corporations out of the index.
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Credit-rating agencies are accused of being corrupt because they are paid by the companies issuing the bonds they rate. But the conflict goes both ways: Standard & Poor’s is now accused of changing its management because it upset the US government.
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The sale of tickets for the London Olympics might not have been perfect, but the biggest mistake has been in selling them too cheaply. Yet charging more would have produced even more squeals from disappointed would-be spectators.
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Dividends are the first thing to go when a company is in trouble, so the return of shareholder payments is highly encouraging. Removing BP from the sums, dividend payments are up 13 per cent after more than a year of companies cutting and freezing.
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When well over 100 plcs report results in a single week they present a good picture of the state of British business. And the canvas painted is one of cash-rich companies eager to hand out dividends.
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Who gains when share dealings are suspended? Not the shareholders if they cannot sell. And not the shareholders if the company calls off bid talks rather than suffer a suspension. Finally, the listing authorities have realised the folly of demanding a halt to trading.
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Until now, Ocado has been an online supplier of groceries in vans with a high reputation. Now it is a stockmarket vehicle with a bad reputation. Will the poor opinion of Ocado in the City affect its performance in the country?
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Like F1 “fans” waiting for a car crash, international investors are watching to see who loses its AAA credit rating first – the United Kingdom or United States. Both countries have huge budget deficits and high debt: so which will be stripped of its top rating, or will both be downgraded?
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Mrs Thatcher famously said you can’t buck the markets and sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe has reluctantly agreed. If fans want to pay a fortune for Cup Final or Katy Perry tickets, you can’t stop them. And why stop them?
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Which country should British business worry about most, China or Greece? Both economies, while very different, are in danger of imploding.
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