Interest rate rise by the Bank of England is the “greatest risk” to house prices July 24, 2015 House price growth for this year is on track to hit double-digit figures in a number of cities across Britain – providing the Bank of England doesn't hike interest rates anytime soon. House prices in the 20 cities monitored by Hometrack's cities house price index rose 6.3 per cent in the first half of 2015, and look set [...]
Pearson posts £115m loss a day after sale of FT to Nikkei July 24, 2015 A day after it sold the FT to Japanese rival Nikkei for £884m, publishing giant Pearson has posted a loss of £115m in the six months to the end of June. The figures Pearson, which after yesterday's sell-off of its flagship newspaper title will focus largely on educational publishing, said losses before tax hit £115m [...]
Ladbrokes share price falls after confirming £2.3bn merger with Gala Coral July 24, 2015 Ladbrokes has confirmed it will merge with rival gambling company Gala Coral to create a bookmaking giant with a market value worth £2.3bn. Read more: Ladbrokes eyes up a quick move for Gala Coral Shares in Ladbrokes opened two per cent down on the news. With an expected 4,000 shops, Ladbrokes Gala Coral will overtake William [...]
These are the best British employers for work-life balance: Euromonitor International, Bank of England and MediaMath July 24, 2015 We all know that the 24/7 business cycle, a globalised working environment and technology such as smart phones pushes our workload outside of typical 9-5 hours. But if you're fed up of the blurred line between work and play, then Glassdoor has put together a list of Britain's best employers for work-life balance. A recent [...]
Cuadrilla set to appeal fracking refusal decision July 23, 2015 Shale gas company Cuadrilla said yesterday that it will not back down in its attempt to kick-start the UK’s fracking industry. The firm announced plans to appeal against a decision last month by Lancashire County Council (LCC) to refuse planning consent for two shale gas exploration sites. Cuadrilla sought planning permission to drill, hydraulically fracture [...]
Rescued banks are not out of the woods yet: New FCA rules to improve account transparency for customers July 23, 2015 The City watchdog put more pressure on the financial sector yesterday with new rules that could see banks and building societies named and shamed for paying poor interest rates to longstanding customers. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that from next year, firms will have to provide clear information on how much interest savers are paid [...]
Tidjane Thiam points Credit Suisse to private banking as profits jump July 23, 2015 Credit Suisse’s new chief executive Tidjane Thiam said yesterday that the bank would place greater emphasis on private banking and wealth management after it comfortably beat market expectations in the second quarter. “We want to rebalance towards private banking and wealth management… as opposed to the investment bank,” Thiam told CNBC. Switzerland’s second biggest bank [...]
Bank of America share price dips: Brian Moynihan, Paul Donofrio and Andrea Smith step up as Bruce Thompson and David Darnell move on July 23, 2015 Bank of America shares fell 1.46 per cent yesterday after chief executive Brian Moynihan named the fourth chief financial officer of his tenure since he took charge in 2010. Bruce Thompson stepped down on Wednesday after five and a half years as chief risk officer and chief financial officer. He will be replaced by the [...]
UK tills emptier despite purchases rising in June as shoppers enjoy falling prices July 23, 2015 Brits spent less money in shops in June as retail sales struggle to gain momentum, a new set of data shows. The amount of money spent dropped 0.1 per cent from May to June, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics yesterday. In the three months to the end of June, the [...]
Utopian Unilever is making waves: Boss Paul Polman is pushing an ethical agenda, but is it working? July 23, 2015 The website still exists but looks dated. SaveBenandJerrys.com, a grassroots campaign website with comic sans font, tried to stop ethical ice cream brand Ben and Jerry’s being scooped up by corporate giant Unilever in 2000. Yet 15 years after the consumer giant’s $326m takeover, the howls of protest appear a strange anachronism after moves [...]