SMMT: UK car sales plunge to six-year low despite electric growth January 6, 2020 British car sales slumped to a six-year low in 2019, as widespread economic uncertainty put the brakes on an industry whose only glimmer of hope came in the form of record electric vehicle sales. New car registrations fell two per cent to 2.31m last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), [...]
Going, going, Ghosn: Nissan saga rumbles on as fugitive former boss gears up for blockbuster press conference January 5, 2020 How did he do it? A week after Carlos Ghosn’s sensational getaway from Tokyo turned him into one of the most sought-after international fugitives on the planet, this will still be the question on Japanese officials’ lips. Did the former Nissan boss really jump bail in a double bass case? Read more: Carlos Ghosn met [...]
Tata chairman throws doubt over future of Port Talbot steelworks January 5, 2020 Port Talbot steelworks is facing fresh questions over its future as it heads into 2020, after the chairman of Tata Steel called for the plant to become “self-sustaining”. The biggest steel manufacturing base in the UK made losses of more than £370m last year, leading Natarajan Chandrasekaran to question whether his parent firm could keep [...]
Boeing scraps festive bonuses in UK amid ‘challenging time’ for aerospace giant January 5, 2020 Boeing’s UK employees will be glad to have put 2019 behind them, after the aerospace giant reportedly capped off a dismal year by cancelling workers’ festive bonuses. The US aerospace giant has been feeling the pinch in recent months, as it loses billions of dollars over the ongoing grounding of its best-selling 737 Max jet. [...]
British engineering firm Goodwin suffers 17 per cent dive in share price on profit drop December 19, 2019 British engineer Goodwin’s shares shed over 17 per cent this morning after reporting a “deterioration” in profit for the six months to 31 October. Pre-tax profit fell 5.1 per cent from £7.8m to £7.4m and the group expects similar profitability for the next six months. Read more: CBI urges PM to end uncertainty amid gloomy [...]
Software error scuppers space rocket’s search for Earth-like planet December 17, 2019 An IT glitch has scuppered the launch of a space rocket designed to study exoplanets after the craft’s automated take-off sequence was interrupted. The Characterising Exoplanet Satellite (Cheops) is a European Space Agency mission dedicated to studying nearby exoplanets, those outside the solar system, in search of a new Earth. It was the first mission [...]
CBI: UK manufacturers end 2019 under a cloud of worry December 17, 2019 The CBI has warned UK manufacturers are set to end the year on a low note. Manufacturing output volumes in the three months to December fell at the quickest rate since the financial crisis as output expanded in only six of 17 sub-sectors, CBI Industrial Trends data revealed today. The survey of 289 manufacturers showed [...]
Boeing mulls whether to cut 737 Max production as delays drag on December 16, 2019 Boeing is considering whether to cut production of the grounded 737 Max jet, after the US aviation regulator said it would not approve the plane’s return to service before 2020. The company’s board is midway through a two-day meeting in Chicago, and the company could make an announcement on production plans as soon as late [...]
Fiat Chrysler-Peugeot merger: French shareholders look for board control December 15, 2019 French shareholders are looking for confirmation that they will keep a numerical advantage on the combined board of PSA and Fiat Chrysler if CEO Carlos Tavares leaves after the two companies merge. The two firms are putting the finishing touches to a $50bn merger plan announced in October, that would create the fourth largest car [...]
Steel makers face another tough year ahead, says Moody’s December 10, 2019 European steel makers have been dealt a gloomy forecast for next year, as Moody’s ratings agency predicted slowing demand and deteriorating profitability for the industry. Key sectors using European-made steel such as the automotive industry are likely to need less of the material next year amid a wider market slowdown, it said. Read more: New [...]