US corporate results round up January 27, 2015 Caterpillar Caterpillar yesterday cut its 2015 profit outlook and warned the plunge in oil prices would hurt its energy equipment business, sending shares tumbling as much as eight per cent. During the final three months of 2014, Caterpillar’s energy business helped offset falling construction equipment sales and weakness in mining equipment orders due to lower [...]
Genel upbeat as it slashes 2015 revenue targets January 21, 2015 WEAKNESS in the oil market has forced Kurdistan-focused Genel Energy to cut its revenue forecast for 2015. The company revealed yesterday that it has revised its guidance from $500m (£331m) to $600m at a Brent price of $80 a barrel, to $350m to $400m at $50 a barrel. Guidance on capital expenditure was also reduced, [...]
Is the EY Item Club right to predict that UK growth will significantly accelerate in 2015? January 19, 2015 Mark Gregory, EY’s chief economist, says Yes We believe growth will accelerate in 2015, largely due to income growth. The UK consumer has been lashed by rising fuel and food prices for so long, but is now emerging as the major beneficiary. Low inflation combined with cheaper commodity prices, as a result of falling food, [...]
Under the bonnet: Key themes for emerging markets this year January 12, 2015 Dollar strength and plunging oil will have a big impact MUCH of the growth the global economy has seen since the financial crisis has emanated from emerging markets. But many analysts expect this narrative to change in 2015, with growth momentum shifting to developed markets like the US. Late last year, Fitch revised down its [...]
London Underground’s getting a new source of power that will save the capital money as well as reducing carbon emissions January 8, 2015 The London Underground will soon be powered by a new energy source that will help London save money in addition to cutting pollution in the capital. The 100-year-old Greenwich Power Station will be revamped so it can generate low carbon energy to power the Tube network bringing what Boris Johnson called a “cathedral of power” [...]
Energy bills set to shrink as oil price plummets January 6, 2015 OIL PRICES continued to fall yesterday, after driving markets down on Monday. Brent crude stayed below $53, the lowest it has been since 2009 and fell to as low as $50.85 during the day. Meanwhile US benchmark WTI remained below what ETX Capital strategist Daniel Sugarman termed the “psychological barrier” of $50 a barrel. Consumers [...]
Retailers expect 2015 to be yet another year of falling prices January 6, 2015 Britain’s retailers expect shop prices to continue to fall throughout this year, having dipped during every month of 2014. Together with falling energy costs, lower prices in the UK’s shops would put more downward pressure on inflation. As a consequence, real wages are expected to rise further, and the Bank of England could be tempted [...]
Skills shortage and higher pay are hurting London companies January 6, 2015 London’s businesses want to grow to match the recovering economy, but are being held back by a lack of skilled workers, according to study out yesterday from the London Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and ComRes. Growth will improve this year, according to 42 per cent of businesses in the capital. As a result, [...]
2015 resolutions: Ten pledges to put Britain back on a sustainable footing January 4, 2015 It's that time of the year when, having over-indulged over the holiday period, we promise to do better over the next 12 months. Our political leaders have over-indulged for a good deal longer than just a few days, and we can see the cost in the state of the public finances and falling standards [...]
What will happen to the world in 2015? Here are eight great changes that will take place this year January 2, 2015 The last 12 months have left behind a big pile of problems for the world to deal with in 2015. The militant group Islamic State has taken over large swathes of the Middle East and now poses a greater threat to the West than any power since the Soviet Union, while the deadly Ebola virus [...]