Fed rate hike: Index sharply lower after Janet Yellen remarks – New York Report December 2, 2015 Hawkish comments from Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen yesterday which boosted expectations of an interest rate hike pulled US stocks sharply lower. Investors also attributed late-day selling to news coverage of a shooting in southern California, in which 12 people are said to have been killed . The Dow Jones industrial average fell 158.67 points, [...]
Black Friday 2015 UK: Fewer fights – but also fewer deals reported by shoppers as Tesco turns away non-Black Friday bargain hunters November 27, 2015 Bargain hunters are experiencing a less stressful Black Friday so far – but they are also reporting fewer must-have deals on sale, as retailers attempt to keep better control on things than last year. Last year stores including Tesco opened their doors at midnight – this year those participating in Black Friday today opened at [...]
Black Friday 2015 UK: Police in Scotland and Manchester warn over deal scams and bargain hunter violence November 27, 2015 Police have warned bargain hunters to be vigilant on Black Friday, claiming they could become victims of online scams – or in-store violence – on what is set to be the biggest shopping day of the year. Police in Greater Manchester have told shoppers that they must check they are not being ripped off before [...]
Home Retail Group’s share price rises despite disappointing figures as break up of Homebase and Argos looms January 14, 2016 Home Retail Group has warned that profits will be at the lower end of expectations, after a "mixed" performance from Argos. The figures Argos like-for-like sales decreased 2.2 per cent in the 18 weeks to 2 January to £1.84bn, although new digital concessions added in the past year contributed 3.1 per cent to growth. At Homebase, like-for-like sales grew by five [...]
Good health cheers Dow at month’s start – New York Report December 1, 2015 Health and consumer shares bounced back yesterday while car sales suggested upbeat growth in November, giving the markets a positive start to December. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 168.43 points, or 0.95 per cent, to 17,888.35, the S&P 500 gained 22.22 points, or 1.07 per cent, to 2,102.63 and the Nasdaq Composite added 47.64 [...]
Beware fake hoverboards: Counterfeit goods are no longer cheap imitations confined to the black market December 16, 2015 Only a few months ago, hoverboard hysteria swept the nation. Endorsements by celebrities from Lily Allen to Usain Bolt led to a massive rush of pre-orders and John Lewis swiftly ran out of stock. However, there is also a dark side to all of this excitement: the seizure of more than 15,000 hoverboards imported into [...]
China dominates sentiment in listless market – eToro Tips & Picks November 30, 2015 If there are no unexpected developments in the Middle East or any other major news events, the next few days are likely to be reasonably quiet for the US and European markets. Investors seem to be watching and waiting ahead of Friday’s US non-farm payrolls report and Janet Yellen’s speech. Even if the markets [...]
The EU wants customers to be able to access Sky, Netflix and other online subscriptions anywhere in Europe December 9, 2015 The EU wants to create a Digital Single Market. Wait! It's more interesting than it sounds: it means customers will be able to use their online subscriptions such as Netflix, Canal+ and Sky for free anywhere in Europe. The proposal was put forward by the EU's executive body the European Commission today. But, it is likely the scheme will face strong opposition from the media [...]
Black Friday UK 2015: Bargain bonanza signals a never-ending sales season with Cyber Monday, Panic Saturday and Manic Monday to name a few November 26, 2015 Sales periods have sprung up around the world that give shoppers the bargains they crave while allowing sellers to offload old stock or generate footfall. But retailers face a period of discounting that could undermine the advantages they used to bring. In America, it is Black Friday, while in Europe January sales have kept cash tills [...]
Rise of the robots: Advanced robotics spark an investment boom as experts predict a robot-led industrial revolution is coming January 18, 2016 The world is on the cusp of a revolution in robotics and there has been a surge of investment in artificial intelligence recently, with a spread of innovations fast developing which will change the global economy. Last year, the sector experienced a boom in mergers and acquisitions as $2bn worth of deals were completed, according to [...]