London Report: Retailer data to reveal strength of UK recovery September 7, 2014 THE NEWLY-MERGED Dixons Carphone will report its maiden quarterly results tomorrow in a week containing a flurry of updates for retailers. Figures for the company, whose merger only completed a month ago, will be keenly watched by investors, who will be hoping the firm’s planned synergies are starting to take effect. Other retailers due to [...]
New York Report: Strong US auto sales set to lift retail figures September 7, 2014 RETAIL sales figures are the most keenly-awaited data this week. The Commerce Department is expected to report on Friday that they increased 0.6 per cent in August, driven by robust automobile sales, after being flat in July. Core retail sales, a gauge of consumer spending, are expected to have risen 0.3 per cent after July’s [...]
Wieden + Kennedy’s Neil Christie: The man behind Three’s Dancing Pony on the secrets of good viral marketing September 7, 2014 As one of the biggest independent agencies in the world, Wieden and Kennedy (W+K) is an increasingly rare variety of heavyweight in a media industry frequently characterised by its consolidation. Over three decades after its inception in Portland, Oregon, the firm now has eight offices around the world, and a solid reputation for its creative [...]
Ryanair share price climbs as $10bn deal for 100 Boeing planes nears September 7, 2014 Ryanair isn’t keeping costs low when it comes to buying planes. The budget airline is said to be close to finalising a potential $10bn (£6bn) deal with Boeing for around 100 of its new 737 Max jetliners. Shares closed 0.75 per cent higher on Friday and a significant fleet announcement is due from both companies [...]
Apple share price: iCloud hack and Samsung derail iPhone 6 hype sending shares down after six months of steady gains September 7, 2014 Ahead of Tuesday’s big launch event- said to be the unveiling of the latest iPhone 6 according to, well, everyone- Apple’s rising share price was derailed this week, as was its well-orchestrated hype-machine. On Tuesday shares hit a record high, even as the leaking of nude pictures of celebrities began to increase the focus on [...]
Obama to outline strategy for targeting Islamic State September 7, 2014 On Wednesday, US President Barack Obama will outline his strategy for targeting Islamic State (IS) – the extremist group currently taking over large parts of Syria and northern Iraq. "I'm preparing the country to make sure that we deal with a threat from Isil,” he said on NBC's Meet the Press. "On Wednesday, I'll [...]
Train fare rises 2015: Commuters could save more than £100 a year as rail price hikes capped at 2.5pc September 7, 2014 Good news for commuters. Rail fare rises will be capped at 2.5 per cent in 2015 rather than the expected 3.5 per cent in a move designed to reduce the burden on commuters' wallets. The government has frozen the rise in regulated fares – season tickets and anytime singles – at RPI inflation of 2.5 per [...]
China spends its way to becoming world’s largest economy September 7, 2014 Ten years from now, China will have overtaken the US as the world's largest economy. A report released by IHS shows how a surge in consumer spending in what is currently the world's second largest economy will take it into first place. It predicts that such spending in China will increase by an average [...]
EU bonus cap: UK’s challenge reaches final stage in court September 7, 2014 The UK's challenge to the European Union's bonus cap plan will be heard in the European Court of Justice tomorrow. This will be the final stage in the case opened by the UK Treasury last September. The new rule, which is supposed to be imposed on all bonuses awarded from 2014 onwards, caps bankers' [...]
Scottish Independence: Yes campaign gains momentum as poll puts it in lead for first time September 7, 2014 It's the moment Scotland's Yes campaigners have been waiting for – the polls suggest that an independent Scotland is as likely as a continued union with the rest of the UK, if not more so. As the 18 September referendum approaches, both sides of the debate have been stepping up their attempts to win [...]