India’s HDFC Bank posts its best profit growth in more than a year July 19, 2010 HDFC Bank, India’s second-biggest private sector lender, yesterday reported its strongest profit growth in more than a year, and highlighted more gains for the booming industry on robust loan demand. HDFC Bank and its bigger rivals State Bank of India and ICICI Bank are benefiting from improving business and consumer confidence in an economy set [...]
Halfords dips as the Budget takes its toll July 27, 2010 HALFORDS posted a fall in first-quarter underlying sales yesterday, with trade disrupted by May’s general election, June’s emergency Budget and the football World Cup. The group, which runs 462 Halfords stores and the 225-site Nationwide Autocentres car servicing business acquired in February, said yesterday it remained on track to grow the year to the end [...]
Banks pull FTSE 100 down while resources make gains February 28, 2011 THE FTSE 100 share index fell slightly yesterday as disappointing results from HSBC and Associated British Foods outweighed strength from miners on optimism about the global economy. The blue-chip index ended 7.19 points, or 0.1 per cent lower, at 5,994.01, after it closed 1.4 per cent higher on Friday at 6,001.20, bouncing back after five [...]
Chinese boom fuels surge in Burberry sales January 18, 2011 BURBERRY yesterday said the Chinese retail boom had helped to fuel its latest sales surge. Like-for-like sales across Burberry’s stores around the world rose by 14 per cent in the last three months of 2010, it said yesterday. The luxury goods company’s star performing market was China where comparable sales leapt by more than 30 [...]
German business confidence up November 25, 2010 GERMAN business confidence continues to soar upwards, a survey released yesterday shows. Economists expected no improvements in the Ifo Business Survey for November, yet the index revealed an enhanced business climate for the sixth consecutive month. The indicator jumped to 109.3 points, up 16.5 per cent on the same time last year. It has now [...]
German business confidence up November 25, 2010 GERMAN business confidence continues to soar upwards, a survey released yesterday shows. Economists expected no improvements in the Ifo Business Survey for November, yet the index revealed an enhanced business climate for the sixth consecutive month. The indicator jumped to 109.3 points, up 16.5 per cent on the same time last year. It has now [...]
Retailers boost recovery hopes February 7, 2011 Spending on the UK’s high streets bounced back in January after December’s sales were hit by heavy snow, it will be revealed today. The news comes after the FTSE jumped 53.65 points yesterday – a rise of 0.89 per cent – breaking through the confidence-boosting 6,000 mark to close at 6,051.03. Retail sales were up [...]
FED HAS DONE A GOOD JOB ON US EQUITIES January 31, 2011 THE Federal Reserve has so far done an excellent job of goosing US equities through its ongoing asset purchase programme. As Fed chairman Ben Bernanke has intimated, boosting stock prices is now one of the Reserve’s aims, on top of its officially mandated dual role of ensuring price stability and full employment. So investors were [...]
FED HAS DONE A GOOD JOB ON US EQUITIES January 31, 2011 THE Federal Reserve has so far done an excellent job of goosing US equities through its ongoing asset purchase programme. As Fed chairman Ben Bernanke has intimated, boosting stock prices is now one of the Reserve’s aims, on top of its officially mandated dual role of ensuring price stability and full employment. So investors were [...]
…as bank holiday gives shops in the West End a huge boost June 13, 2010 TWO strong bank holidays helped push up West End retail sales 5.8 per cent year-on-year in May, according to the New West End Company, which represents vendors in the area. Despite a rainy Saturday, shoppers spent £38m on Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street on Monday 31 May alone. The number of people visiting [...]