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Tuesday, February 17, 2015

FTSE hits 15 year high on interest rate hopes, shrugs off Greek woes

Leading shares near new record as inflation data makes dearer borrowing unlikely Leading shares hit a level not seen since the dotcom boom in 1999, as UK inflation data suggested interest rates would not rise in the short term, and might even be cut.So the FTSE 100 jumped 41.08 points to 6898.13 - a new 15 year peak - despite the continuing standoff between Greece and its creditors ahead of the country’s cash running out.This weekend saw press speculation that TSB held talks about a possible acquisition of Aldermore, a small SME-focused UK bank. While we believe that a deal could make strategic sense, its large size and capital-destructive nature suggest to us that it would not have been financially feasible.Indeed, the deal is reported to have fallen through due to disagreements over price.If it is true that management was considering a large-scale dilutive acquisition only nine months into a five-year plan, this could raise questions on the delivery of TSB’s current strategy. Continue reading...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com