These three huge events could overshadow Osborne’s Autumn statement December 5, 2013 While investor and media attention will hang on what chancellor George Osborne will unveil at today's Autumn statement – we're not expecting anything significant. We'll probably see some token giveaways, and ever more complexity added to our tax regime in the form of hikes. The composition of measures that Osborne selects will be telling, but [...]
As passenger numbers grow is EasyJet about to beat Ryanair in the battle for the skies? December 5, 2013 EasyJet has posted an increase in its passenger numbers for the month of November to 4,255,978. This represents a rise of 3.4 per cent on the same period last year. November's increase in passengers marks further good news for the low-cost airline in stark contrast to Irish competitor Ryanair, which has struggled in recent months. [...]
What you need to know before the open – 05/12 December 5, 2013 Markets await the Autumn Statement this morning, but it's unlikely to impact gilt yields, and we're not expecting a change in the Bank of England's rate decision, either. With 25 minutes to go the FTSE is forecast to start the day -10 at 6500. — David Jones (@DavidJones_IG) December 5, 2013 Japan's Nikkei [...]
Buyers rush for gold after worst quarterly fall in 35 years December 4, 2013 November has seen a hefty increase in gold sales with buyers outnumbering sellers two to one, according to BullionVault. The gold and silver exchange used its investor index to show that buyers had taken advantage of the falling gold price to grow their holdings. The index is sentiment indicator of the 50,000 people who use [...]
Why the latest robot war is much more exciting than who – or what – delivers to your door December 4, 2013 The battle of earth and sky may be about to become automated, as Google reveals it's taken over seven robotics companies over the last six months. The New York Times reports that, at this stage, the internet titan doesn't plan on selling the products it's developing to consumers. So, suggests the paper, perhaps they'll be [...]
Hewlett-Packard to axe 1,100 UK staff December 4, 2013 Hewlett-Packard is to cut 1,124 jobs at Bracknell, Sheffield and Warrington at the start of 2014, according to union Unite. The downsizing will reportedly also affect staff who work from home. The union says that HP is a "long-term addict to a culture of job cuts".
There’s finally a good reason to take a selfie December 4, 2013 Passwords get forgotten and are easily discovered, fingerprint recognition won't work if your hands are sweaty, and you might not want to get your hands out to unlock your phone in the cold. So why not have another later of protection, and keep your data safe with a selfie password? For the uninitiated, that's a [...]
Why one bank is pretty optimistic about Carlsberg December 4, 2013 Things haven't been all plain sailing for Carlsberg recently, but a re-focus and careful cost savings mean it's still a top pick, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BoAML). In mid-November, the world's fourth largest brewer reported third quarter results that were dragged down by falling sales in Russia – its largest market, which [...]
France in dire need of mass shock privatisation December 4, 2013 The former president of the Joint Association Executive Employment (APEC), Eric Verhaeghe has said France is need of "mass shock privatisation." In an interview with French newspaper L'Express, Verhaeghe called on the French government to roll back the frontiers of the state and liberate the private sector from government controls. Verhaeghe is not alone in [...]
Regulator slaps record €1.7bn of fines on Euribor banks December 4, 2013 The European Commission (EC) has confirmed that it's fined eight global banks a total of €1.7bn (£1.4bn) for the rigging of interest rate benchmarks. The penalty is the biggest yet to be imposed on banks. The Commission said that traders at the banks: "discussed their bank's submissions for the calculation of the Euro Interbank Offered [...]