Sterling finds strength from higher UK manufacturing growth October 1, 2018 Sterling climbed on the back of stronger UK manufacturing growth this morning. The pound was up 0.1 per cent against the US dollar at 1.304 and close to 0.4 per cent compared to the euro at 1.125. Read more: British manufacturing output growth weakens as exports slow Manufacturing posted a “mild” improvement in output at [...]
The best story wins, and right now that’s one of apocalypse October 22, 2018 The stories of nations are written at times like these. For it goes without saying that there is much jeopardy in today’s script. There is a daily dose of disaster, whose effect is a form of neurosis in our relationship with news. Forget what’s beneficial or useful information for the living of life – this [...]
London house prices dip as growth slows to five-year low October 17, 2018 House prices growth in August dropped to its slowest annual rate in more than five years, as London's subdued housing market dragged down average property prices. New Office for National Statistics (ONS) data out today show house prices climbed 3.2 per cent in the year to August, marking the slowest pace of growth since August 2013. [...]
DEBATE: Will new non-EU free trade deals offset the potential costs of Brexit to the UK economy? August 28, 2018 Will new non-EU free trade deals offset the potential costs of Brexit to the UK economy? John Longworth, co-chairman of Leave means Leave and former director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, says YES. Quite apart from the political benefits of Brexit – liberty and self-determination – the economic benefits are vast: better regulation, [...]
SSE’s merger with Npower gets the all-clear from UK competition watchdog October 10, 2018 The merger of two major energy firms in the UK has been given final clearance by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), paving the way for SSE Energy and Npower to join together as a newly listed company on the London Stock Exchange. The CMA published its final ruling this morning, after the merger was [...]
Dorchester Group profits boosted by Trump’s tax reform August 19, 2018 Luxury hotel group Dorchester saw profits soar to £50.6m thanks to US President Donald Trump's tax rate reduction. Pre-tax profit was £24.6m for the year ending 31 December 2017 compared to a £39.5m Brexit-related loss the previous year. The group’s two US hotels -The Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles performed particularly [...]
Unilever hikes dividend by eight per cent with €6bn share buyback programme kicking off in May October 22, 2018 Unilever said this morning it will be hiking its dividend by eight per cent with a share buyback of up to €6bn starting next month, as it looks to keep investors on side. The consumer goods giant, which owns brands from Dove to Marmite, reported underlying sales growth – excluding its spreads business – of [...]
Business and consumers’ confidence wanes as uncertainty dominates pre-Brexit outlook June 29, 2018 British consumers and businesses are battening down the hatches in the face of heightened uncertainty as Brexit approaches, new survey evidence suggests. A widely followed measure of British consumer confidence by data firm GfK, published today, fell by two points to a negative reading of nine, as people expressed growing concerns over the economy. A [...]
Sainsbury’s and Asda merger could cut hole in shoppers’ pockets, Waitrose warns November 8, 2018 The proposed merger of Asda and Sainsbury’s will cause substantial harm to customers, rival chain Waitrose warned today. It said the merger could force independent retailers to close in the face of competition from the new giant, leaving shoppers with fewer alternatives, while prices could rise. In comments to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which [...]
Largest UK housebuilder Barratt hits record pre-tax profits and builds highest number of homes in a decade September 5, 2018 The UK's largest housebuilder Barratt Developments has announced record pre-tax profits of £835.5m for the year after building its highest number of homes in a decade. The company said it had built 17,579 homes in the year to June – an increase of one per cent on the previous year. Its average selling price also rose by [...]