Stevia producer PureCircle shares plummet due to expected sales decline January 5, 2017 PureCircle's shares plummeted more than 18 per cent in early trading after it announced sales of its low-calorie sweetener stevia would drop 14 per cent in first-half group sales. The sweetener maker said the expected drop in sales in the first half of the financial year was directly caused by shipments that were detained by the US Customs [...]
Independent shareholders vote to boot Sports Direct chairman, but Mike Ashley saves his right-hand man January 5, 2017 The independent shareholders of Sports Direct have voted to boot the retailer's chairman Keith Hellawell, but the company's boss Mike Ashley has saved his right-hand man. Fifty-four per cent of independent shareholders voted to get rid of Hellawell, who has presided over several profit warnings at the company. Read more: Shareholder advice group calls for [...]
Pensions Insurance Corporation picks up GKN scheme in £190m deal as engineer offloads liabilities January 5, 2017 Engineering giant GKN has shaken up its pension scheme and offloaded pension liabilities to a specialist insurer in a deal worth £190m. Pension aggregator Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) will take on 20 per cent of the liabilities of the scheme in a pension buyout of specific members. Read more: UK firms to ditch £30bn of pension liabilities in [...]
Six things we know about Sir Tim Barrow, the UK’s new ambassador to the EU January 5, 2017 The Foreign Office moved rapidly yesterday to recruit a new ambassador to the EU, announcing senior diplomat Sir Tim Barrow's appointment within 48 hours of the resignation of his predecessor, Sir Ivan Rogers. But what do we know about the new man? Read more: Former EU ambassador “couldn't be trusted” by ministers says IDS 1. [...]
Eurozone producer prices rise for the first time since June 2013, although ECB may be left in a quandary January 5, 2017 Producer prices in the Eurozone increased for the first time in over three years, as inflation finally starts to take hold. The annual rate of producer price inflation rose to 0.1 per cent in November, breaking a trend which had been in place since June 2013. Energy price rises of 0.7 per cent were the [...]
Bag a bargain: Here’s how much high-end London house prices fell last year January 5, 2017 Got a couple of million going spare? You could bag a bargain in the capital, after new research suggested top-end house prices fell 6.9 per cent year-on-year in the final quarter of 2016. Research by Savills suggested house prices in so-called prime central London, high-end areas including Mayfair, Belgravia and Chelsea, fell 2.2 per cent during [...]
Here are five of the best alcohol-free and low alcohol beers to drink during Dry January January 5, 2017 Although you might have imagined yourself spending Dry January at the gym, cooking up healthy meals in your kitchen or proudly mastering the art of the homemade mocktail, chances are you'll find yourself in a pub at some point. Before you give in and order your standard pint, try one of the many surprisingly flavourful low or zero or [...]
The dominant UK services sector reaches 17-month high in December as domestic demand increases strongly January 5, 2017 Economic activity in the UK’s dominant services sector ended 2016 on strong form to reach a 17-month high, according to an important indicator. The services purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose beyond expectations for the third month in a row to 56.2 compared to a 55.2 reading the month before, according to IHS Markit. This is [...]
Government opens bidding for £7bn affordable housing fund January 5, 2017 Bidding has started for housebuilders looking for a slice of a £7bn government fund for affordable housing. As part of its commitment to get would-be homeowners on the housing ladder, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is inviting housing associations, local authorities and other developers to apply for funding to build the homes [...]
Don’t touch that dial: Nigel Farage is getting his own radio show January 5, 2017 Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage is to present his own nightly radio show from next week. In news likely to interfere with his prospects of becoming the UK's ambassador to Washington, Farage will present an hour-long show from Monday to Thursday on talk radio station LBC. The former Ukip leader – who stood down last summer professing a [...]