Wednesday, 31 December 2008

S&P 500 -38.5% (worst perf since 1931), FTSE -31.3% for 2008

According to S&P all sectors performed poorly in 2008. The least worst sector was consumer staples which was down 18%. Biggest winner on S&P in 2008 was consumer staples firm Family Dollar Stores (NYSE: FDO). This was the worst year for the S&P since 1931, the middle of the Great Depression.

Citi's bosses said top execs won't take bonuses. They also sold off their Global Services Business to TCS for $512m. KBC announced it would not pay any bonuses in 2010 for earnings in 2009. KBC received 3.5bn EUR government aid in October, together with Fortis, Dexia and ING.

FTSE Trading closed at 12:30 GMT for Wednesday 31 Dec 2008. Its value was 4,434 points, down from 6,457. HBOS and RBOS have lost roughly 90% of their value. Whittard of Chelsea (formerly owned by Iceland's Baugur investors) has been sold over the Christmas period for an undisclosed sum to EPIC private equity partners (who are into MBOs and MBIs). They have 130 stores selling tea, coffee and crockery. Overexpansion? Bad outlets? You decide.

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