Warm reception for London’s priciest restaurants despite fears of recession August 6, 2008 A clutch of top-end London restaurants have enjoyed successful openings this summer, despite fears of a protracted economic downturn. In July, against a backdrop of doleful news in the property and financial sectors, Ambassade de L’Ile, with Chef Jean-Christophe Ansanay-Alex, opened its door to diners in francophone South Kensington, while the eponymous Helene Darroze at [...]
Drax profit falls on high carbon charge August 6, 2008 Drax, which runs Britain’s biggest coal-fired power station, saw its first half pre-tax profits fall 28 per cent yesterday to £206m as rising fuel and carbon emissions charges bit into its higher power prices. The large coal fired power station near Selby, Yorkshire, which produces around 7 per cent of Britain’s electricity, said sales rose [...]
Asia helps StandChart defy crunch August 6, 2008 Standard Chartered’s large presence in Asia helped it buck the banking trend yesterday, as it posted a 31 per cent rise in first-half profit. First-half pre-tax profit outstripped analysts’ expectations to reach a record figure of £1.32bn, as growth in the Asian economies continued apace despite a slowdown in the West. Chief executive Peter Sands [...]
Construction plunges August 5, 2008 Construction activity fell to a record low in July, driven by the collapse of the housing market and the stuttering economy, the latest survey showed yesterday. According to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply’s construction PMI, building levels fell to 36.7 last month, from 38.8 in June. Any reading below 50 means the sector [...]
Why Brussels red tape is threatening our credit market August 5, 2008 When markets hit turbulent times, we naturally look to regulators to provide stability and to restore confidence. Good regulation can be a real strength – I believe that the UK’s world-class regulatory regime contributes enormously to London’s ongoing success. The best regulation comes about through dialogue and consultation with practitioners. This is why last week [...]
Construction plunges August 5, 2008 Construction activity fell to a record low in July, driven by the collapse of the housing market and the stuttering economy, the latest survey showed yesterday. According to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply’s construction PMI, building levels fell to 36.7 last month, from 38.8 in June. Any reading below 50 means the sector [...]
MPC decision on knife edge August 4, 2008 The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) decision on interest rates on Thursday will be a close call according to leading analysts who believe a hike is possible. The nine-member committee, which has left rates on hold at 5 per cent for the past three months, was split three ways in July with the [...]
Shell output falls offset by soaring prices August 1, 2008 Royal Dutch Shell reported a 33 per cent boost in second-quarter profit to $11.6bn (£5.8bn) yesterday as rising oil prices offset production bottlenecks in countries such as Nigeria. Shell, led by chief executive Jeroen van der Veer, sold oil for 76 per cent more than it did in the same period a year ago. In [...]
More pain for homes August 1, 2008 The clouds gathering over the housing market darkened yesterday when Britain’s biggest building society reported the biggest annual drop in house prices since records began. Mortgage lender Nationwide said property values were now 8.1 per cent less than last year ago, almost a £15,000 decrease. The average cost of a home in Britain is now [...]
It is still not the time to be buying into retail stocks July 31, 2008 The European General Retail sector has fallen by about 25 per cent so far this year. But does this sharp decline in price make retail shares a good buy? We think that there are a variety of reasons to remain wary. The first reason is a depressed outlook for consumer demand. With continued worries about [...]