Business Diary: Shore swallows pride at Ocado

Sounds like someone has a chip on their shoulder. "Shore Capital is today attending a visit organised by Ocado to its Hatfield facility, the second time that our company will have visited the heart of its organisation," the brokers' analysts tell us. "The 'premier league' of investment banks could not, seemingly, 'get the company away' at the desired original valuation and so the 'cavalry' in the form of 'the championship' brokers has been duly brought in to try and do the job." Come, come chaps – don't do yourselves down.

Reagan's online plea to the right

The Reagan flame lives on in the form of Michael, son of Ronald, who wants Americans to sign up to the "very first conservative email service provider" – not necessarily because it's better than the competition, you understand, but because all his rivals give to the Democrats. "Hello, I am Michael Reagan, eldest son of President Ronald Reagan and like you I am deeply concerned about the future of our country," his pitch begins. "Every time you use your email from companies like Google, AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail, Apple and others, you are helping the liberals."

Second round for Heineken

Red faces at Heineken, which yesterday despatched an email about a forthcoming share buy-back programme. Another email swiftly followed urging people not to spend their money just yet: "This [was] an old press release and should be disregarded." The brewer adds: "We are working to ensure such an error does not happen again." Did someone spend a little too long at the company bar?

Money honey to ring the bell

So congratulations to Maria Bartiromo, who became the first person to broadcast live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange 15 years ago today. The CNBC anchor, who the channel – and a legion of loyal followers – know as the money honey (she's good looking and talks about financial matters, geddit?) – gets to ring the opening bell on trading today to celebrate.

businessdiary@independent.co.uk