Fears for UK economic recovery as slowing job growth puts more pressure on the service sector June 5, 2015 Not great news for the UK's jobs market: research from REC and KPMG has revealed that the rate of hiring had slowed to a four-month low, with the bullish service sector carrying the majority of the load. The data comes just two days after a report showed growth in the UK’s service sector slowed at [...]
UK Oil and Gas Investments share price rockets on new Horse Hill oil report estimating more oil June 5, 2015 Shares in UK Oil and Gas Investments rocketed by as much as 52 per cent in early trading after it published a new report on the amount of oil located at Horse Hill near Gatwick. Shares in the Aim-listed oil exploration firm were suspended yesterday pending the announcement. The new report estimates overall oil in place (OIP) [...]
European markets tumble on Greek IMF payment delay June 5, 2015 European markets reacted badly to the news that Greece has been given the go-ahead to bundle a €300m (£220m) payment due to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today into one large payment at the end of the month. Read more: Can only fiscal integration secure the Eurozone's future? The FTSE 100 was down 0.43 per cent [...]
Vodafone confirms talks with Liberty global but rules out merger June 5, 2015 Vodafone today confirmed it's in early stage discussions with Liberty Global over a possible asset swap, although it quashed speculation surrounding a potential a merger between the two telecoms giants. The announcement followed media reports that the British telecoms giant had entered into informal talks with the US cable giant. Vodafone's share price fell 2.2 per [...]
Halfords share price rises as revenue exceeds £1bn June 5, 2015 The figures Halfords recorded revenue in excess of £1bn in the year to the end of March thanks to strong sales in both its car and cycle businesses, triggering a two per cent rise in its share price in early trading. Read more: Halfords share price plunges as chief executive Matt Davies poached by Tesco The [...]
Lloyds Banking Group fined £117m for PPI failings by the FCA June 5, 2015 Lloyds has been fined £117m over its handling of Payment Protection Insurance claims – the largest ever handed out by the FCA in relation to PPI. "Whilst our intentions were right, we made mistakes in our handling of some PPI complaints," admitted Lloyds chief Antonio Horta-Osorio. The taxpayer-owned bank was found to have failed in [...]
Rakuten share price slumps again as $1.5bn share sale announced June 5, 2015 Shares in Japanese ecommerce giant Rakuten slumped for a second day on the Tokyo Stock Exchange after the company revealed a $1.5bn (£9.8m) share sale. Read more: Japans's ecommerce giant drives global rollout On Thursday Rakuten's share price tumbled over six per cent to its lowest level in two months following the announcement of the public [...]
BCC downgrades UK’s 2015 growth forecast – but predicts earnings are set to rise June 5, 2015 The British Chambers of Commerce has downgraded its UK growth forecast for 2015, following weaker than expected growth at the start of the year. The BCC's forecast for UK GDP was revised downwards from 2.7 per cent to 2.3 per cent. However, the business group said that, despite the downgrade, it expected the slowdown to [...]
Greece shocks IMF by holding back €300m June 4, 2015 The standoff between Greece and its creditors intensified last night when the embattled Mediterranean state refused to cough up €300m (£218m) owed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The payment, due today, is one of several instalments in June which Athens now says it will bundle into one transfer at the end of the month. [...]
Bonds rocked again after Mario Draghi’s volatility warning June 4, 2015 European traders faced extraordinary levels of volatility yesterday, just a day after European Central Bank (ECB) chief Mario Draghi’s warning that markets should “get used to it”. The volatility of the German bund, an interest-paying IOU from the German government, was the biggest surprise, given that it is one of the more stable bonds. The [...]