London Report: FTSE rises amid signs of growth in UK economy July 24, 2013 A WAVE of upbeat corporate earnings pushed Britain’s benchmark equity index back towards seven-week highs yesterday, with signs of resilience among British consumers as the economy recovers. Kingfisher added 3.1 per cent after Europe’s biggest home improvements retailer reported a return to underlying sales growth in Britain, while budget airline EasyJet gained 3.7 per cent [...]
New York Report: Weak results drag the Dow from its record July 24, 2013 US STOCKS mostly retreated yesterday as losses in utility and commodity shares more than offset gains in the tech sector on Apple’s solid earnings. The Dow Jones industrial average ended slightly lower on the day after closing at a record high. Caterpillar and AT&T dragged on the Dow following weak results on a day when [...]
How to secure a place on the MBA course of your choosing July 24, 2013 Business schools will typically look for three different qualities DECIDING to study for a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) is a significant step. But it is arguably the easiest part of the process: far harder is securing a place at your preferred school. According to QS TopMBA, most candidates apply on average to between two [...]
Don’t get tangled in the web July 24, 2013 Web wizard Andrew MacKay gives his top tips on how to get the most from developers if you’re thinking of taking your business online YOUR website might have been cutting edge in 2003, but with the current rate of technological change, one that’s even a few years old is the modern equivalent of a shop [...]
Standard & Poor’s cuts ratings on 18 Italian banks citing prolonged high cost of funding July 24, 2013 Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has cut its ratings on 18 Italian banks, citing increased industry risks from a sustained higher cost of funding than in most other eurozone banking markets. It added that it doesn’t see Italy’s downward per capita GDP trend reversing in 2014. The rating cuts complete a review initiated after S&P [...]
Hollande subject to further ridicule as French jobless claims hits record high July 24, 2013 The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in France shot to a record high of 3.279m in June – up 11.2 per cent from the year before and half a percentage point from May 2013. This will be a blow for French president Francois Hollande who infamously said earlier this month that “the economic recovery [...]
Network Rail chief executive to quit at crucial transition point July 24, 2013 Network Rail chief executive Sir David Higgins is expected to step down next year, according to reports from a Sky News editor. EXCLUSIVE: Network Rail chief executive Sir David Higgins expected to step down next year. Only been in job since 2011. Full story up soon. — Mark Kleinman (@MarkKleinmanSky) July 24, 2013 Higgins has [...]
Main street versus Wall Street: A mixed bag of corporate earnings July 24, 2013 Last week, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said that main street is doing better than Wall Street. Judging by today’s second quarter corporate results coming out of the US this afternoon, he could have a point. PepsiCo reported a 35 per cent boost in net income to $2.01bn, or $1.28 per share, up from 94 [...]
There will be a woman on our notes – Bank of England confirms Jane Austen will be on the £10 July 24, 2013 The Bank of England has confirmed that Jane Austen will feature on the next £10 note, due to be introduced in 2016. She replaces Charles Darwin. We'll be waiting just under a year for a (non-Royal) woman on our cash, as Sir Winston Churchill replaces Elizabeth Fry on the £5 issue. The image of Austen [...]
China scandal will hit business, warns GSK chief July 24, 2013 GLAXOSMITHKLINE’S business will inevitably be impacted by the Chinese bribery allegations, the pharmaceuticals firm’s chief executive said today. Sir Andrew Whitty told reporters at the second-quarter results presentation that GSK plans to commission an independent review into the scandal, adding that he was ready to go to China “when it is the right moment”. He [...]