VAT hike and inflation see consumer morale tumble February 15, 2011 CONSUMER confidence fell to just six points above its all time low, according to a Nationwide index released today. After rising to 54 in December, the index dropped to 47 last month, weighed down by a collapse in spending confidence that was mainly caused by the VAT rise and inflation, Nationwide said. The survey’s spending [...]
UK housing market in moderate pick up March 1, 2011 SIGNS of life emerged from the UK’s ailing housing market yesterday, with mortgage approvals edging upwards and house prices recording an unexpected rise. Approvals rebounded by seven per cent from December’s slump, to number 45,723 in January, according to the Bank of England. Meanwhile, the Nationwide house price index was up 0.3 per cent in [...]
UK housing market in moderate pick up March 1, 2011 SIGNS of life emerged from the UK’s ailing housing market yesterday, with mortgage approvals edging upwards and house prices recording an unexpected rise. Approvals rebounded by seven per cent from December’s slump, to number 45,723 in January, according to the Bank of England. Meanwhile, the Nationwide house price index was up 0.3 per cent in [...]
Wal-Mart opposes sex-bias case at class-action suit filed in the US March 29, 2011 SEVERAL US Supreme Court justices questioned yesterday whether female employees at Wal-Mart can proceed with the largest class-action sex-discrimination lawsuit in history that seeks billions of dollars. At issue in the case was whether a small group of women who began the lawsuit 10 years ago against the world’s largest retailer can represent a huge [...]
Wal-Mart opposes sex-bias case at class-action suit filed in the US March 29, 2011 SEVERAL US Supreme Court justices questioned yesterday whether female employees at Wal-Mart can proceed with the largest class-action sex-discrimination lawsuit in history that seeks billions of dollars. At issue in the case was whether a small group of women who began the lawsuit 10 years ago against the world’s largest retailer can represent a huge [...]
China makes the very best of neighbours for Australia June 21, 2011 WHILE Australia’s first stock exchange officially opened in Melbourne in 1861, some 10 years after the start of the Gold Rush, the national Australian Stock Exchange was not established until more than 100 years later, in 1987. But ASX Group, current owner of the entity created by the merger of the Australian Stock Exchange and [...]
Ventas in $5.8bn healthcare buy February 28, 2011 Ventas is to buy Nationwide Health Properties (NHP) for $5.8bn in a stock deal that strengthens its position as the biggest US owner of senior housing and assisted living facilities. The US healthcare real estate market is worth more than $700bn.
Beazley chairman to step down March 7, 2011 Lloyd’s insurer Beazley’s chairman Jonathan Agnew said yesterday he would not seek re-election at its 2012 annual general meeting. Agnew, a former Kleinwort Benson chief executive and chairman of Nationwide Building Society, has chaired Beazley since 2003 and joined its board in 2002. He has just overseen a 60 per cent rise in the firm’s [...]
House prices dip in January February 1, 2011 House prices dipped by 0.1 per cent in January survey from the Nationwide building society. It meant the average UK home cost just over £161,600. The Nationwide forecast that house prices would stay static during 2011. Nationwide chief economist Robert Gardner said: “The property market entered 2011 with a whimper rather than a bang. “The [...]
Fake tans: the golden rules May 23, 2011 IT’S that time of year again. With the prospect of unveiling bare legs and arms for the summer weather, many of us are heading straight to the self-tanning counter. (Not least the cast of ITV2’s “The Only Way is Essex”, whose collective mahogany glow hit new levels at Sunday’s TV BAFTA awards.) But self-tan doesn’t [...]