Chancellor George Osborne announces North Powerhouse deal as part of China visit September 23, 2015 George Osborne unveiled a deal this morning for a major Chinese investment into three Northern Powerhouse schemes that will create 10,000 new homes, after a controversial visit to a Chinese region at the centre of a human rights row. The chancellor became the first serving government minister to visit Urumqi, in the region of Xinjiang, northwest China, [...]
Eurozone economy expanding – but “worrying failure of growth” remains September 23, 2015 The Eurozone economy expanded in September, continuing a year of robust growth, according to survey figures released this morning. Markit’s flash purchasing managers’ index (PMI) scored 53.9 for this month, down slightly from August but still above the 50 score that implies no growth and in line with economic growth. France’s economy improved in September, with the [...]
Blow for George Osborne’s deficit plans as public borrowing climbs in August September 23, 2015 Government borrowing jumped in August, ending a positive run of results for chancellor George Osborne this year. Public sector borrowing excluding state-owned banks was £12.1bn in August, up £1.4bn on the same month last year, according to figures released this morning by the Office for National Statistics. This was the biggest August deficit since 2012. Despite the rise, [...]
Hedge fund Marshall Wace lends support to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s economic policy People’s QE September 23, 2015 One of Britain's wealthiest hedge fund managers has leant weight to what's arguably the cornerstone of new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's economic policies – so-called People's QE. People's QE would involve the Bank of England (BoE) investing "in large-scale housing, energy, transport and digital projects". But critics, including Bank of England governor Mark Carney, have [...]
Uber’s new carpooling service Uber Commute could change your commute September 23, 2015 Uber is trialling a carpool tool which allows people on longer drives to pick up extra passengers they can split the cost with. The new service, called Uber Commute, will be piloted in Chengdu, China first, but the plan is to expand to the rest of the world, Uber said in a statement: Over time [...]
Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn statement: Car boss asks for “trust in our journey” – but there is no mention of resignation yet September 23, 2015 Embattled Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn has said he would do anything for trust… but he won't do that. In a video statement issued this afternoon, Winterkorn said the car giant would do "everything necessary to reverse the damage. And we will do everything necessary to win back trust – step by step". It [...]
BBA Aviation’s share price down as it sets out deal to buy Carlyle Group’s Landmark Aviation for more than $2bn (£1.3bn). September 23, 2015 BBA Aviation's share price was down in mid-morning trading on the back of news that it could buy out private equity-owned Landmark Aviation for more than $2bn (£1.3bn). The British aircraft services provider confirmed this morning that it was making a $2.065bn offer for the Carlyle Group-owned business, which will be partly funded through a [...]
WANdisco share price slumps after posting another loss September 23, 2015 WanDisco's share price fell more than 10 per cent in early trading as the software group revealed yet more losses this morning. The figures The Aim-listed firm's overall loss for the first half of the year narrowed from $18.5m (£12.1m) 12 months ago to $17.1m, but the pace of change appears to be slower than [...]
FTSE 100 carbon reporting: After the Volkswagen emissions scandal, how do Britain’s blue chip companies stack up? September 23, 2015 Still reeling from the Volkswagen emissions scandal, FTSE 100 companies’ own carbon reporting has now been put to the test – and financial companies have been found wanting. BT has been named the FTSE’s greenest company, as the telecoms group was lauded for its “rigorous and far reaching carbon strategy” by Carbon Clear, the organisation [...]
Volkswagen recall: Deutsche Bank cuts Dax forecast as emissions scandal hits German share prices September 23, 2015 The fallout from Volkswagen's emissions scandal could hurt the wider German market for the next 18 months, Deutsche Bank has warned. The German lender this morning cut its forecast for the Dax for both 2015 and 2016. It now expects the blue chip index to end this year at 10,300 points – 1,000 points lower [...]