FTSE 100 live: London slow as retail sales dip and China concerns weigh UK down August 18, 2023 The FTSE 100 continued Friday in sluggish fashion as UK retail sales fell almost double the amount expected. London’s premier blue-chip index dipped as much as 0.8 per cent in early trading, slouching at 7,251.32, 0.8 per cent down by midday. Nearing market close, it fluctuated between 0.8 and one per cent with largest caller [...]
Chinese property giant Evergrande files for bankruptcy in US amid debt overhaul August 18, 2023 Embattled developer China Evergrande Group has filed for bankruptcy protection in a U.S. court as part of one of the world’s biggest debt restructuring exercises, as anxiety grows over China’s worsening property crisis and a weakening economy. Once China’s top-selling developer, Evergrande has become the poster child of the country’s unprecedented debt crisis in the property sector, which accounts for [...]
Chinese economy: Country’s biggest property developer sees shares crash to record low August 14, 2023 Chinese property giant Country Garden’s debt problems deepened after its onshore bonds were suspended, sending its shares plunging 16 per cent to record low on Monday in a fresh blow to policymakers trying shore up confidence in a stuttering economy. Markets remain jittery as the trouble in China’s largest private property developer could have a chilling effect [...]
China’s economy slips into deflation as recovery from pandemic continues to falter August 9, 2023 China’s already “tortuous” recovery from the Covid pandemic continued to stall today as fresh data indicated that domestic demand remained depressed. Figures out this morning showed that the world’s second largest economy slid into deflation in July for the first time since February 2021, with the consumer price index (CPI) falling 0.3 per cent year-on-year. [...]
PwC steps down from auditing heavily-indebted property developer Evergrande January 17, 2023 PwC has resigned as Evergrande’s auditor following a series of disagreements with the heavily-indebted property developer over its audit of the firm’s 2021 accounts. In a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange, Evergrande said its board had decided to replace PwC as the company’s auditor after the two parties failed to reach an agreement [...]
PwC to face Hong Kong probe over Evergrande audit August 15, 2022 Hong Kong’s audit watchdog has launched an investigation into PwC over its audit of embattled Chinese real estate developer Evergrande. The city-state’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) today said it had opened an investigation into the Big Four accountancy firm’s audit of the heavily-indebted property firm’s 2020 results. The probe comes after PwC signed off [...]
Big Four cut ties to China’s debt-ridden property giants as developers delay results March 30, 2022 The Big Four auditors have begun cutting their links to China’s heavily indebted property developers, amid mounting concerns over the sector’s debt crisis. Accountancy giants Deloitte and PwC have both pulled out of auditing at a slew of Chinese property developers over the past three months. The exits come as PwC is reportedly set to [...]
HSBC profits double to £13.9bn as lender rebounds from pandemic slowdown February 22, 2022 HSBC has reported profits more than doubled last year as the lender recorded stellar growth across its divisions, driven by the release of expected credit losses stored up over the pandemic and a higher share of profits from the firm's associates.
Biden: US has taken ISIS leader “off the battlefield” in special forces operation February 3, 2022 US President Joe Biden has said American military forces have “taken off the battlefield” the leader of ISIS. Abu Ibrahim-al Hashimi al-Qurayshi was targeted in an operation in northwest Syria. “All Americans have returned safely from the operation. I will deliver remarks to the American people later this morning. May God protect our troops,” the [...]
China economy whacked by Omicron curbs and stalling property sector January 17, 2022 China’s economy is growing at the slowest pace in a year and a half as the world’s second largest economy contends with a concoction of headwinds, revealed official figures released today. Gross domestic product (GDP) jumped four per cent over the three months to December compared to the same period last year, the National Bureau [...]