Kazakhstan is a long way off the high rise life in China, but the Silk Road could take it in that direction July 29, 2015 Thousands of years ago on the ancient Silk Road, horses were to Kazakhstan what silk was to China— prime commodity. Chinese traders would traverse the Tian Shan mountains of eastern Kazakhstan, caravans loaded with silk, their most valuable product. In exchange, Kazakh nomads would equip them with Central Asian horses, prized for their strength [...]
Bank of England’s Andy Haldane says “no rush” to hike interest rates July 29, 2015 The Bank of England's chief economist Andy Haldane has said that there's "no rush" to raise interest rates, as some members of the monetary policy committee appear to be gearing up to vote for a rise next month. Haldane argued that the economy is still healing from the financial crisis, inflation remains extremely low and global risks [...]
Pearson in talks to sell Economist Group stake after FT Group sale July 29, 2015 Publisher Pearson is said to be in talks to sell off its 50 per cent stake worth about £400m in the Economist Group to other shareholders. A source told the Financial Times that a deal should be wrapped up at some point this summer and potential buyers include families such as Schroders, the Cadburys and the [...]
China stocks suffer biggest one-day drop since the financial crisis July 29, 2015 There was more pain for investors in Chinese equities overnight after the stock market suffered its biggest one-day fall since February 2007. China's main Shanghai Composite Index shed 8.5 percent, to 3,725.56 points, while the CSI300 index of the largest listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen plunged 8.6 percent, to 3,818.73 points. Read more: Are Chinese equity markets a bubble [...]
Which part of the UK has the most debt? South East and the East of England July 29, 2015 Individuals living in the south east of England are saddled with more debt than people in any other part of the country. They have the highest median financial debt, estimated at more than £4,500, while Londoners are most likely to struggle with repaying their debts, according to new analysis from the Office for National Statistics [...]
CBI industrial trends survey: British manufacturers are being hurt by the strong pound July 29, 2015 The strength of the pound and the Greek debt crisis continue to make life difficult for Britain's manufacturers. The CBI's monthly industrial trends survey showed firms' order books fell to their lowest level since July 2013. The monthly gauge dropped to -10 this month, from -7 in June, although it remains above the historical average [...]
The Prudential Regulation Authority has two new board members David Thorburn and Dr Norval Bryson July 29, 2015 The Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is about to get two new board members. The Bank announced the appointment of former Clysdesdale and Yorkshire Banks chief executive David Thorburn, and Dr Norval Bryson who's due to step down as deputy chairman of Scottish Widows and non-executive director of Lloyds TSB, effective from September 2015. [...]
The National Association of Estate Agents: Number of house hunters hits an 11-year high July 29, 2015 The number of people hunting for a new home in Britain hit an 11-year high last month amid a dwindling housing stock and sky-high prices. Figures released today by the The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) showed around 439 house hunters were registered to each estate agent branch in the UK last month. This [...]
Greggs share price soars as profits leap and dividend rises July 29, 2015 Greggs' share price jumped nearly six per cent this morning after its first half results showed the business is on a (sausage) roll. The figures The retailer had a strong first half, with sales up 6.4 per cent to £398m and pre-tax profits leaping 51 per cent to £25.6m. The baked goods business is [...]
Pound jumps as UK economy grows 0.7 per cent in the second quarter July 29, 2015 The pound jumped against the dollar as data showed Britain's economic recovery picked up pace in the second quarter of this year. Read more: These charts show just how dependent UK growth is on London The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the economy grew by 0.7 per cent between April and June, from 0.4 per [...]