City broker Numis warns trading performance hit by Brexit uncertainty February 5, 2019 City broker Numis warned today that Brexit has negatively affected its trading performance in the first four months of the financial year ahead of its annual general meeting (AGM) this afternoon. Shares were down more than six per cent this morning as the firm revealed it had completed 25 per cent fewer deals compared to [...]
Aldi and Lidl bag more market share as Veganuary boosts supermarkets’ fresh produce sales February 5, 2019 Aldi and Lidl enjoyed the strongest growth of any UK supermarket over the past 12 weeks, according to the latest industry figures, as Veganuary boosted fresh produce sales across the sector. Around 18.3m households shopped in at least one of the discount supermarkets in the 12 weeks to 27 January, industry research firm Kantar Worldpanel data revealed [...]
Despite 2018’s woes, could the year of the pig be a sign of good fortune for Chinese equities? February 5, 2019 Chinese stock markets were dogged with problems last year – pretty fitting given that it was the year of the dog. The country grappled with slower growth, a mountain of debt, and a trade war with the US, creating a tough environment for Chinese equities. The MSCI China index slumped by 14 per cent in [...]
Every day, we vote with our clicks that we value Facebook February 5, 2019 With front-page headlines including “Facebook paid kids and spied on them”, “Generation of web addicts”, “Wild West Web firms facing ban”, and “Stop online giants who help kill our kids”, it’s fair to say that it has not been the best UK press week for social media firms. Poor old Nick Clegg must have thought that [...]
Stop the inter-city infighting – London can lead a network of UK urban centres February 5, 2019 There’s no more money in the pot. Tightening local budgets have poured fuel over already heated debates on London’s role as a capital, with most Brits now believing that the city gets more than its fair share of public spending. Badly-timed or seemingly imbalanced funding announcements that appear to give major new transport projects in London [...]
DEBATE: Is Brexit likely to be the biggest factor behind Nissan choosing Japan over Sunderland? February 5, 2019 Bridget Phillipson, Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, says YES. Is Brexit likely to be the biggest factor behind Nissan choosing Japan over Sunderland? Nissan’s announcement was deeply disappointing, not just for Sunderland but for the north east as a whole. And it shows the reality of Brexit. Carmakers do not make these decisions [...]
St Modwen cashes in on fast-growing logistics sector as asset values rise February 5, 2019 Property group St Modwen posted a full-year rise in the value of its assets this morning, amid efforts to dispose of struggling retail sites and focus instead on Britain’s fast-growing logistics sector. The Birmingham-based developer said that it sold over half of its retail portfolio for £177m in the 12 months to 30 November last [...]
The trade war in your head? A look behind the US-China feud February 5, 2019 As the US-China talks resume this week, the spectre of global trade disintegration on looms ever larger. There is one month for Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to strike a deal before the 90-day ceasefire in tit-for-tat rhetoric expires. At stake is $200bn of Chinese exports to the US, which will otherwise see tariffs rise [...]
China’s success among western firms will depend on the desirability of the brand February 5, 2019 Not a week goes by when there isn’t a data print-out of China posting the weakest number since… well pick a year. Last Friday, for example, the Caixin manufacturing survey posted a second consecutive month of contraction and the lowest reading since 2016. The slowdown has triggered a set of 2019 growth downgrades from the analyst [...]
Carpetright sales drop as CFO leaves but pace of decline slows February 5, 2019 Carpetright’s UK like-for-like sales fell in the three months to the end of January, but the pace of decline slowed compared to the first half of the year, the retailer said in a trading update today. “Trading patterns have remained volatile week to week, against a backdrop of uncertainty and weak consumer confidence,” the company [...]