Smart materials: Why the future face of manufacturing matters to investors February 16, 2015 The traditional resources services sector had a challenging year in 2014. While growth rates have trended positively in most parts of the world, resources equities and commodity prices, including oil and gold, declined because of uncertainties and increased supply. Longer term, population growth and demographic shifts will alter consumption patterns and place additional strain on [...]
Manufacturers line up for Arm’s blockbuster smartphone chip February 3, 2015 BRITISH chip designer Arm Holdings last night unveiled its next generation in mobile processors which it says will make next year’s smartphones 50 times more powerful than those from five years ago. The FTSE 100 firm’s marketing chief Ian Drew said the new high end chip design, known as the ARM Cortex-A72 processor, already has [...]
PMI: UK manufacturing gets off to a good 2015 as costs drop while orders grow February 2, 2015 UK manufacturing has had a good start to the year, with output and new orders both shrugging off the slowdown at the end of last year. Figures out this morning show that the UK's manufacturing PMI rose to 53 in January, up from 52.7 in December, which was itself revised up from 52.5. [...]
Eurozone manufacturing sector is growing at its fastest rate for six months February 2, 2015 As many headline stats for the Eurozone continue to cause headaches for markets and governments alike, there was a tiny spark of good news from the bloc‘s manufacturers. The purchasing managers’ index (PMI), compiled by Markit Economics, showed that the manufacturing sector’s rate of growth rose by 0.4 percentage points in January, to 51. Any [...]
Manufacturers want Heathrow expansion plan January 29, 2015 HEATHROW’S bid to build a third runway received a boost this morning after a leading business group added support for the plan just days before a consultation on airport expansion options closes. EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, conducted a survey that reveals 80 per cent of companies surveyed back expansion of Heathrow over rival Gatwick. The [...]
Bain Capital swoops on historic British car parts manufacturer TI Automotive January 27, 2015 The US private equity outfit founded by former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney yesterday snapped up a century-old British car parts maker. Bain Capital, which has a substantial London presence, has bought TI Automotive, which makes parts for Europe’s leading car manufacturers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but the transaction is thought to be [...]
Manufacturing confidence plunges from a year earlier January 5, 2015 UK manufacturers are gearing up for a tough year as the country's economy slows and global conditions worsen. The number of firms looking forward to an improved British economy slid to 37 per cent, from around two-thirds a year earlier, a survey by the EEF and Aldermore said today. Additionally, firms expecting conditions in the [...]
Eurozone manufacturing growth up slightly, but Italy hits 19-month low as France struggles January 2, 2015 After Draghi was doveish, manufacturing data was bearish. The rate of growth for the Eurozone's manufacturing sector was 50.6 compared to the Markit purchasing managers’ index score, where anything above 50 represents growth. The score brings the rate of growth for the quarter to 50.4, bumping along the line between growth and contraction [...]
UK manufacturing slows to three-month low January 2, 2015 UK manufacturing has hit an unexpected blip, slowing to a three-month low in December. The UK purchasing managers' index (PMI), from Markit/CIPS, slowed to 52.5, below the 53.7 score expected by economists polled by Reuters and lower too than the 53.3 recorded in October and November. Any score above 50 points indicates growth. [...]
Eight of Britain’s most endangered professions: Scissor-makers, denim manufacturers and beer barrel crafters December 31, 2014 Britain's fast-dying craft industry risks taking a whole number of valuable and interesting skills with it, according to the Heritage Crafts Association. This is because the skills needed to produce beautifully intricate crafted goods rests in the hands of an ageing population and could be extinct in the next five years. In conjunction with the [...]