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Pick of the early market news
Martin Cloake
Sep 8th 2010
Two major events are due today. This afternoon, BP publishes the results of its internal investigation into the Gulf oil spill (right). It will be available at www.bp.com. And new names to enter the FTSE 100 will be announced after markets close this afternoon. Results from Barratt and Thorntons lead this morning.What's the B in BA for?
David Burrows
Sep 7th 2010
At the risk of sounding like a little Englander here, there was a time when British Airways meant exactly that – the country's national airline.
Whether you like it or not the airline was synonymous with 'Britishness' hence all the outrage when the company dared to tweak the design on the tail fin from a Union Jack to a, well, er, kind of red, white and blue collage.
But much has changed in recent years and with the ink not dry yet on the deal between BA and Iberia, the merged company is already drawing up a shopping list of potential acquisitions to expand the business further.
Google watches $8.5m Buzz off
Guy Clapperton
Sep 7th 2010
Filed under: Technology
Google's lapse in privacy control when it launched its social network, called Buzz, this year, has cost it dear. It's now paying $8.5m to settle a resulting lawsuit - you have to ask: how did it screw up this badly?Rail bosses profit from hiding accidents
Helen Fowler
Sep 7th 2010
Filed under: Company, Job Focus
Fat cat greed. Bad at the best of times. Grotesque when bosses are lining their pockets by hiding worker accidents. Network Rail directors stand accused of receiving bigger bonuses than if the company had bothered to report accidents properly.Blair lets slip a blind spot for business
Michael Cross
Sep 7th 2010
Filed under: Economy, Financial Crisis, News
The appointment of HSBC's chairman Stephen Green as trade minister will raise hopes that business has a voice in government. Not a moment too soon, if the memoirs of the last supposedly business-friendly PM, Tony Blair, are any guide.M&G debuts inflation-linked bond
David Burrows
Sep 7th 2010
Filed under: Investing
M&G Investments is to launch an inflation-linked corporate bond fund aimed at UK retail investors.
The M&G UK Inflation Linked Corporate Bond Fund will invest in a spread of fixed interest securities that should perform well when inflation is high or rising. It aims to deliver returns that exceed inflation over the medium to long-term.
Bean counters rake in consultancy fees
Adrian Holliday
Sep 7th 2010
Filed under: Company, Financial Crisis
The Guardian today served up more evidence that big accountancy companies are still profitably flogging their consultancy business despite Enron-style conflict of interest worries. PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed that a quarter of its £2bn income comes from its consultancy operations.HMRC slammed over cost cutting
David Burrows
Sep 7th 2010
Filed under: Taxes
Tax advisers have warned HM Revenue and Customs that a planned cost cutting drive could actually create more work and be detrimental to the tax office and taxpayers alike.HMRCustoms has announced that as part of the drive to save costs, they plan to stop issuing copies to tax agents of certain mail which is sent to their clients.
10 businesses profiting from the strikes
Guy Clapperton
Sep 7th 2010
Filed under: Small Business, Retail, Creative industries, Absurdonomics
Londoners who normally tube it into the Capital for work aren't having a nice day today because there's a tube strike. It's also widdling down with rain - Twitter is full of the terminally dampened bemoaning their curtailed commute. Some industries, though, are likely to do rather well out of this.
England women's rugby needs cash
Jo Robinson
Sep 7th 2010
Filed under: Sport
England's rugby team narrowly lost 10-13 to New Zealand in the World Cup Finals at Twickenham on Sunday. The women's team that is. Did the women lose because of a lack of funding?
