Friday Papers: tips and comment

Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:49am BST

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FT Lex Column:

* US retail sales -- however loud the rain, climate change cannot be judged by a single deluge, so one month's worth of stores' data is of only limited use

* Mediaset -- the sun has been shining on L'Aquila as Berlusconi hosts the G8 summit, but for his media company the forecast looks cloudy

* Swiss bank confidentiality -- Bern says it might confiscate UBS data to prevent Switzerland's largest private bank from releasing them to a Miami court

* US banks -- as the crisis dissipates, banks may find themselves rebuilding their business on a more stable foundation

* Citigroup reshuffle -- a week before second-quarter results and amid Citi's $58 billion exchange offer for preferred shares, this merry-go-round is unfortunate

* Quantitative easing in the UK -- no one has been a more active quantitative easer than the Bank of England, but it has surprised everyone by halting this hair-of-the-dog treatment

* Junk bonds -- as investors scour the globe for green shoots, one unequivocal sign of recovery would be a resurgence of the Asian high-yield bond market

* China car sales -- Beijing has long sought to build its automotive industry, but there are many potholes that could undermine its attempts to do so.

Lombard (p.16):

* Banks are too slow to insure us against the next crisis -- Drax: why broking ain't broken -- Box clever at Lloyd's

Small Talk (p.18):

* AIM optimists are still swimming against the tide -- CustomVis: lack of visibility

Other comment:

* Drax Group puts corporate brokers though rare test (p.15)

* Home loan squeeze takes toll on housebuilders (p.17)

* Smith & Nephew suffers in wake of US rival Exactech's warning (p.34)

* Bid hopes lift European Islamic Investment Bank (p.34)

* Fundraising talk at London & Stanford (p.34)

THE TIMES

Tempus:

* Buy Premier Oil -- Sell Computacenter -- Hold on to Begbies Traynor

Business Editor:

* The perils of 'bangers for cash' Chinese style -- FSA: a charter for complaining -- Anglo American: uncover the mettle in the miner

Other comment:

* Business big shot: Ric Traynor, chief executive Begbies Traynor

* Aviva falls further as S&P raises prospect of disposals

* Takeover speculation helps PV Crystalox

* bet of the day: Bovis Homes

* African Minerals a tiddler to watch

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Questor:

* Buy Croda -- Hold Aveva

Comment:

* Cynthia Carroll gets air cover from Sir John Parker, but it won't last for ever -- Hays: City recruitment gives cause for hope -- Reed Elsevier may regret its sell strategy

Other comment:

* White Paper's implications harm insurers

THE INDEPENDENT

Investment Column:

* Hold AB Foods -- Man Group a tentative buy -- Sell Centaur Media

Outlook:

* China cannot afford to be vengeful -- FSA data of complaints: an idea worth pinching -- Nationwide: why this 125% mortgage is welcome

Other comment:

* Silver price outlook puts shine on Fresnillo

THE GUARDIAN

Viewpoint:

* Are we addicted to money stimulants? -- Nationwide: a cautious 125% -- Don't trim hedges