Second Bank voter joins call for interest rate rise January 26, 2011 FOR seven straight months Andrew Sentance stood alone in the Bank of England’s rate setting committee – the only member proposing an increase in the Bank’s lending rate. But this month Sentance convinced one of his colleagues to jump off the fence. “The surprise was not so much that someone joined Andrew Sentence, it was [...]
William Hill profit to come in at top of forecasts January 19, 2011 William Hill, Britain’s biggest bookmaker, said full-year operating profit would be at the top end of expectations after a surge in demand for in-play betting underpinned a strong fourth quarter. William Hill, which has around 2,300 betting shops in Britain and Ireland, said on Wednesday it expected an operating profit of around £275m for its [...]
Service sector soars on both sides of pond February 3, 2011 BOOMS in service sector activity were recorded in both the UK and the US last month, data revealed yesterday. After a snow-affected dip in December, Britain’s largest sector hit an eight-month high in January, jumping to 54.5 in the latest purchasing managers’ index (PMI) from 49.7 in December, well above the 51.4 reading expected. All [...]
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD: LORD FORSYTH REACHES THE SUMMIT January 5, 2011 FOLLOWING The Capitalist’s update on Tuesday regarding the progress of the eminent Lord Forsyth, he wrote yesterday with a triumphant missive and picture: He has at last reached the top of Antarctica’s highest mountain and had just enough energy left to take a few snaps of himself brandishing an ice pick atop the summit. The [...]
Businesses withdraw savings November 14, 2010 One in three businesses with an annual turnover of £1m or more have withdrawn £2.43bn from their savings to help pay the higher interest rates on their debt, according to research from Investec bank. The average withdrawal made by companies who have done this was £35,270, but some 4 per cent of businesses of this [...]
Businesses withdraw savings November 14, 2010 One in three businesses with an annual turnover of £1m or more have withdrawn £2.43bn from their savings to help pay the higher interest rates on their debt, according to research from Investec bank. The average withdrawal made by companies who have done this was £35,270, but some 4 per cent of businesses of this [...]
UK unemployment in unexpected rise December 15, 2010 Unemployment in the UK increased by 35,000 in the three months to October to 2.5m, according to official figures. It is the first time that the jobless measure has risen for six months. The increase pushed the unemployment rate up to 7.9 per cent, the figures from the Office for National Statistics showed. However, the [...]
UK unemployment in unexpected rise December 15, 2010 Unemployment in the UK increased by 35,000 in the three months to October to 2.5m, according to official figures. It is the first time that the jobless measure has risen for six months. The increase pushed the unemployment rate up to 7.9 per cent, the figures from the Office for National Statistics showed. However, the [...]
Hopes of revival for financial sector drives the FTSE higher February 16, 2011 BRITAIN’S leading share index rallied yesterday, powered by banks, on hopes for further upbeat earnings in the sector after Barclays and French peer Societe Generale set the standard. HSBC gained 2.8 per cent, Royal Bank of Scotland rose 4.3 per cent and Barclays, which reported results on Tuesday, was up 1.0 per cent. Societe Generale [...]
Hopes of revival for financial sector drives the FTSE higher February 16, 2011 BRITAIN’S leading share index rallied yesterday, powered by banks, on hopes for further upbeat earnings in the sector after Barclays and French peer Societe Generale set the standard. HSBC gained 2.8 per cent, Royal Bank of Scotland rose 4.3 per cent and Barclays, which reported results on Tuesday, was up 1.0 per cent. Societe Generale [...]