Driver error may be behind Toyota’s acceleration issues July 14, 2010 TOYOTA said yesterday its investigation of nearly 2,000 cases of unintended acceleration had found no problem with its electronic throttle system, and that driver error was to blame in some cases. The world’s top automaker statement follows reports that early results of the US government’s analysis of dozens of data recorders from Toyota vehicles suggested [...]
Telecom Italia: Job cuts on ice July 14, 2010 TELECOM Italia has suspended planned job cuts under pressure from a government hoping to minimise union conflict as Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi pushes austerity measures for the flagging economy. “Telecom Italia has agreed to withdraw the layoff procedure. Now we have a 15-day period of intense negotiations,” Labour minister Maurizio Sacconi said after a meeting [...]
Moody’s downgrades eight Portuguese banks July 14, 2010 MOODY’S Investors Service yesterday cut the ratings of eight Portuguese banks by between one and two notches and mostly with a negative outlook, a day after a two-notch downgrade of the country’s sovereign debt. In a statement, the ratings agency cited “the government’s reduced ability to support its banks” and the fact that top banks [...]
ANALYST VIEWS:?WHAT IS THE OUTLOOK FOR ICAP’S BUSINESS? July 14, 2010 VIVEK RAJA | PANMURE GORDON “The earnings guidance was in line with expectations, but it is Icap’s cautious tone which has spooked the market. For volumes to have slowed ‘significantly’ across the business in June is worrying following strong market activity in May, and highlights a lack of visibility and outlook uncertainty.” NITIN ARORA | [...]
Part-timers push down jobless total July 14, 2010 FALLS in the two key measures of unemployment provided a glimmer of hope that the labour market is starting to stabilise but economists warned of impending public sector job losses. Figures from the Office for National Statistics published yesterday showed that the number of Britons claiming jobless benefits fell again in June by 20,800. The [...]
Why the Bank of England must hike rates now July 14, 2010 Britain’s inflation has taken off but the Bank of England appears to be ignoring the influence of monetary trends. This failure could be dangerous. The root cause of our inflation has been the development of an excess supply of money relative to the economy’s demand to hold liquidity. An attempt by consumers and companies to [...]
Drop in US retail sales fuelled by autos and gas July 14, 2010 RETAIL sales in the world’s largest economy fell by 0.5 per cent last month compared to May, official data showed yesterday. The drop in US retail sales was driven by a 2.3 per cent fall in auto sales and a two per cent fall in gasoline station sales. Food sales also dipped for the third [...]
A SUITABLY SPIRITED SENDOFF TO SIR STUART July 14, 2010 WE’LL begin by heading over to the Royal Festival Hall for Marks and Sparks’ annual general meeting, where the usual fun and games were to be had. Hundreds of ageing M&S veterans queued up for the speeches, stage antics and free food and drink, armed with piercing questions for Sir Stuart Rose and his successor, [...]
Asos sales up as co-founder makes £15m July 14, 2010 THE co-founder of ASOS has made £15m by selling a fifth of his shares as the online retailer posted a 54 per cent jump in first-quarter sales yesterday, fuelled by demand from abroad. Nick Robertson, 40, who founded Asos with business partner Quentin Griffiths, sold 1,683,424 shares yesterday at 890p each. It his first major [...]
Thornton axes jobs as sales slide again July 14, 2010 CHOCOLATE retailer Thorntons said a decline in sales had deepened yesterday as it announced cuts in head office jobs. Like-for-like sales in its 377 stores fell 6.2 per cent in the 10 weeks to 26 June, down from a 4.6 per cent fall in the previous quarter. Thorntons said about 35 jobs would go at [...]