Chinese economy: Slowdown fears renewed as manufacturing industry activity falls to new low September 23, 2015 China’s manufacturing sector has fallen to a six-and-a-half year low, renewing fears of a slowdown in the world’s second largest economy, according to a survey. The Caixin/Markit manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell from 47.3 in August to 47 in September, missing expectations of a 47.5 reading. A figure below 50 suggests contraction in manufacturing, [...]
British American Tobacco turns to ecigarettes to stay ahead but share price closed on five-day low September 23, 2015 British American Tobacco (BAT) yesterday signed a conditional agreement to buy ecigarette manufacturer CHIC for an undisclosed sum. BAT hopes to extend its reach through Europe and expand beyond its tobacco cigarettes to make the most of the growing ecigarette movement – which are widely viewed as a healthier option. CHIC, Poland’s e-cigarette market-leader, makes [...]
Student spending on the rise as living costs shoot up in the UK September 23, 2015 Student spending could reach its highest ever level this academic year, and may hit over £30bn in total for 2015, according to research from Experian Marketing Services. Students in Manchester are predicted to spend over £1.1bn over the course of this academic year, while Nottingham will see a total student spend of around £800m. According [...]
Eurozone shoppers in good spirits despite September dip in sentiment September 23, 2015 Consumer confidence in the Eurozone has dipped this month to its second lowest level of the year, according to preliminary figures published by the European Commission (EC) yesterday. The EC’s confidence indicator slipped 0.2 points to a score of minus 7.1. Despite the negative figure, confidence remains at levels consistent with spending growth and is [...]
London tops 2015 global financial centre rankings and knocks New York into second place September 23, 2015 London is the world’s leading financial centre according to a global study published today, after wrestling back the top spot from New York. The City benefited from renewed political certainty following May’s General Election, the authors say. Yet they warn that, despite storming back to the top of the rankings, London faces future [...]
London house prices: Flats in the capital cost 67pc more than in 2005 and are set to keep climbing September 23, 2015 London flat prices have outstripped every other property type in every other region of the UK over the last decade, according to research published by a major mortgage provider this morning. Affordability is set to continue falling as data from HMRC yesterday showed the market was hotting up with 106,480 homes sold during August – [...]
Greek bank shares bear brunt of the debt crisis September 22, 2015 Greek bank shares have shouldered the brunt of the country's debt crisis, with one index showing they've shed around three quarters of their value so far this year. The FTSE/Athex banks index, which includes banks listed on the Athex and Cyprus Stock Exchange, slumped 8.56 per cent to 241.37 points today. This means it's tumbled 63 per [...]
UK housing market: Interest-only home loans going out of fashion as take up slumps, say Council of Mortgage Lenders September 22, 2015 Warnings that interest-only mortgages are a “ticking time bomb” appear to be filtering through to the market, with figures out yesterday showing a 16 per cent drop in the number of such loans outstanding. A quarter of the reduction is the result of loans reaching maturity and being redeemed while a further 40 per cent [...]
IMF’s Christine Lagarde says downside risks to global growth increased September 22, 2015 International Monetary Fund (IMF) boss Christine Lagarde today warned that the downside risks to the global economy have increased. "The downside risks are greater than they were," Lagarde said at a Brookings Institution event on global economic growth. She cited the commodity price rout, monetary policy realignment, as well as China. Fresh concerns over the [...]
UK cider producers fizz upwards to hit record high as sales near £1bn September 22, 2015 The UK cider industry is enjoying the sweet taste of success, as producers have climbed by 50 per cent in the past five years. Medium and large-scale producers numbered 150 across the country last year, up from 97 in 2010, figures from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) show, which also show there are also some [...]