Best month of car sales this century April 8, 2015 Nearly half a million new cars rolled on to Britain’s roads in March, the best month for new car registrations since 1999. Consumers and firms registered 492,774 new cars in March, up six per cent on the same month last year, according to figures released yesterday by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). [...]
Moody’s warns Brexit is a bigger threat to UK credit rating than 2015 General Election April 8, 2015 The prospect of Britain leaving the European Union could cause more damage to the country’s credit rating than uncertainty over the outcome of May’s General Election, Moody’s warned yesterday. The ratings agency said a potential period of uncertainty if neither the Conservatives nor Labour wins an overall majority on 7 May was unlikely to affect [...]
Generic drugmaker Mylan in $29bn approach for rival Perrigo April 8, 2015 A spate of mega-mergers continued apace yesterday as generic drugmaker Mylan announced that it had offered to buy Perrigo for about $29bn (£19.43bn) in cash and stock. The move would significantly beef up Mylan’s offerings of over-the-counter consumer products. Mylan said it proposed to acquire the Ireland-based company for $205 per share, representing [...]
BG Group boss Andrew Gould eager to quash rival bid speculation April 8, 2015 BG Group chairman Andrew Gould yesterday refused to comment on rival bids that the firm might be considering, after speculation that Exxon could be preparing to make an approach. Gould said the BG board had assessed the Shell offer “very largely on the basis of what we felt was the ultimate potential of BG’s value”, [...]
Mercedes races ahead in March as it ramps up record sales April 8, 2015 Mercedes Benz set a new record in March after seeing sales leap 15 per cent during the month. The German car manufacturer, which is a subsidiary of Daimler, sold 183,467 new vehicles in March. The strong sales rounded off what was also the firm’s best ever first quarter, selling 429,602 cars. The highest rate of [...]
House hunters hold off expensive home purchases as General Election could lead to levy rise April 8, 2015 Demand for prime mortgages fell at its fastest pace since 2008 at the start of this year, with industry analysts arguing it shows those looking at the most expensive homes are holding off until after the General Election. Bank of England figures show a sharp fall in lending, with demand for prime mortgages – the [...]
Atom Bank raising £75m before launch April 8, 2015 Atom Bank is raising £75m from investors as it prepares to gain its full licence and launch this year. The Durham-based challenger bank plans to be the first fully digital lender, operating predominantly via mobile apps. The licensing process runs in two stages, allowing banks to gain partial authorisation, helping it to hire more staff [...]
New survey casts doubt on growth of UK economy April 8, 2015 The UK economy is not out of the woods yet, according to a new set of survey data. Economic growth may have slowed in the first three months of this year, according to figures released today by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Both manufacturers and service sector firms reported lower sales growth at home [...]
Apple just muscled ahead of Samsung on … EE’s Wi-Fi Calling April 8, 2015 Is this the latest installment in the high-stakes world of smartphone politics? Smartphone rivalry between Apple and Samsung has been simmering for years, spanning different continents, and even a few court cases. And in a further sign it won't be dying down anytime soon Apple has beaten its rival to … being able to say [...]
Federal Reserve minutes: Policymakers divided on timing of rate hike April 8, 2015 The Fed finally lost its "patience" last month, a move initially thought to imply short-term rates would rise in June, but then fed chair Janet Yellen tempered expectations by saying this "doesn't mean we are going to be impatient". And now we know why. Minutes released today show a marked divergence among officials on whether they [...]