Alibaba share price soars on huge market debut September 20, 2014 Shares in Alibaba went up by 38 per cent during its stock market debut yesterday, leading the biggest IPO in US history. The Chinese e-commerce giant started trading on Friday under the ticker "BABA" on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares were so popular that the price had to be revised up eight [...]
Vodafone saves nearly 900 jobs with Phones 4U buyout September 20, 2014 Vodafone announced yesterday that it is buying 140 Phones 4U outlets – a move that will save 887 jobs as the troubled retailer enters administration. Earlier this week, Phones 4U closed its 550 standalone stores after EE became the last mobile operator to terminate its sales through the stores. PwC, the company overseeing [...]
Alex Salmond resigns after failing to secure Scotland independence vote September 19, 2014 Alex Salmond is to resign as Scotland's first minister after he failed to secure a Yes vote in yesterday's Scottish independence referendum. The head of the Scottish National Party has been at the helm in the country since 2007 and overseen a huge upsurge in support for the SNP. But after the No campaign [...]
Pound falls against the dollar after early Scottish referendum euphoria September 19, 2014 After a fast start, the pound has lost steam against the dollar. As the Scottish referendum results revealed a 55 per cent no vote, investors expressed their relief by sending the pound up 0.47 per cent to a two-year high of 1.2749 against the euro. Against the dollar, it rose even more sharply, by 0.5 per cent, [...]
Will interests rates rise early after No vote in the Scottish independence referendum? September 19, 2014 The No vote in the Scottish independence referendum could make an interest rate next spring more likely. Despite the No vote, however, the consensus is that it remains unlikely that rates will rise before then. A Yes vote could well have postponed any hike. In a recent speech Mark Carney said he saw a rate rise next [...]
What is devo-max and what new devolution powers will Scotland have after the independence referendum results? September 19, 2014 Simply put, devolution means that the Scottish parliament gets more power. Currently, Scotland can make policy across a range of areas, including healthcare and education. This is why university is free in Scotland, even as tuition fees soar in England. Westminster rules the roost when in comes to some key areas: immigration, foreign policy, energy [...]
iPhone 6 launch: Apple fans queue for hours as release date arrives September 19, 2014 After days of anguished waiting, today we finally get our hands on the hallowed iPhone 6. The phone was unveiled last week following months of speculation over everything from its launch date to its colour, size, battery strength, screen resolution, etc etc. When chief executive Tim Cook finally did the big reveal, we discovered the [...]
Who won? How Edinburgh voted in Scotland’s independence referendum – results map and charts. September 19, 2014 The results are in and only four council districts voted Yes in the Scottish independence referendum. Dundee, West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow and North Lanarkshire were those choosing independence, while the other 28 made it clear they wished to remain part of the UK. Of those, the most important was Glasgow, where 53.5 per cent of people [...]
Who won? How Glasgow voted in Scotland’s independence referendum – results map and charts September 19, 2014 The results are in and only four council districts voted Yes in the Scottish independence referendum. Dundee, West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow and North Lanarkshire were those choosing independence, while the other 28 made it clear they wished to remain part of the UK. Of those, the most important was Glasgow, where 53.5 per cent of people [...]
RBS, Lloyds and Standard Life share prices rise as investors get giddy over Scottish No vote September 19, 2014 What a difference a week makes. Just a few days ago, the likes of RBS, Lloyds and Standard Life were all threatening to move south of the border in the event of a no vote, on the grounds that an independent Scotland would be too shaky to operate properly in. But today, investors showed their [...]