Global debt growth returns to pre-crisis levels September 29, 2015 Global debt burden is returning to pre-crisis levels as the Global Wealth Report released today shows debt growing at its fastest pace since 2007. The report published by Allianz showed global debt growing by over four per cent last year – still not close to the soaring growth rate from before the financial crisis hit, [...]
Spanish inflation takes a dive as it falls to -1.2 per cent September 29, 2015 In a world where deflation is becoming the norm, it was hardly expected that today's Spanish inflation figure would do much to shore up locals' optimism – but the figure has managed to surprise even the most pessimistic of analysts. The country's figure for EU harmonised consumer price inflation dipped to -1.2 per cent in [...]
Reserve Bank of India cuts interest rates more than expected September 29, 2015 India’s central bank has surprised investors and economists alike by cutting its interest rate more than expected. This is the fourth time the Reserve Bank of India has slashed interest rates this year, bringing them down from 7.25 per cent to 6.75 per cent. The cut goes further than the quarter-point most economists were forecasting [...]
Oil prices: Has black gold lost its shine? As Royal Dutch Shell takes a $4bn hit from a failed venture, are oil companies still investable? September 29, 2015 Royal Dutch Shell has halted oil exploration in the Arctic, after a $7bn (£4.6bn) quest failed to yield enough crude to justify continued spending. The venture has been a “very costly error” and will damage the company both financially and reputationally, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Lucas Herrman. Shell said it is likely [...]
London beats New York for the number of high tech jobs September 29, 2015 London is home to more tech talent than the cities of New York and San Francisco – or anywhere in Europe. There are more than 71,000 professional developers in the capital, according to research from Stack Overflow, an online developers’ group: 25 per cent more than NYC. A separate set of data from [...]
Saudi Arabia takes billions from asset managers to shrink deficit September 29, 2015 Saudi Arabia has pulled up to $70bn (£46bn) out of global asset managers in a bid to cut its deficit and reduce exposure to equities markets as it struggles to deal with weakened global oil prices. According to a report in the Financial Times, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency’s foreign reserves have fallen by almost [...]
UK companies may struggle to cover dividends as profitability plummets September 29, 2015 Dividend cover for the UK’s top 350 shares has dropped to a near six-year low as profitability among the country’s largest firms has dwindled, according to research from The Share Centre. Dividend cover is a ratio defined by profit after tax divided by dividends paid. The higher the ratio, the greater the comfort that a [...]
Skills gap grows and threatens UK productivity September 28, 2015 UK employers are facing even greater skills shortages and rising wage pressures, according to a new report from global recruiters Hays. Since 2012, the UK’s talent mismatch level – the gap between the skills people can offer and those employers are looking for – has increased every year. The UK now has a talent mismatch [...]
EU referendum: Fast-growing UK firms want to remain in the European Union and say Brexit will negatively impact their business September 28, 2015 High-growth companies are overwhelmingly in favour of Britain remaining in the European Union, according to a poll out yesterday. ECI Partners, a private equity firm, polled more than 300 fast-growing British firms over the summer, finding that nine out of 10 want the UK to remain in the EU. Just over half said [...]
Better to climb the ladder in work than find a new job as average UK salary has dropped 3.3 per cent in 2015 September 28, 2015 Hate your boss? It might still be better to stay put, as new data reveal the average UK advertised salary has dropped 3.3 per cent this year to £33,318. Figures from jobs database Adzuna, show that while advertised salaries have slipped, wages for those in work have risen more than 2.9 per cent. [...]