Debenhams posts record December sales January 8, 2013 Debenhams posted record December sales this morning, boosted by growth in online shopping and an increase in promotional activity. Like for like sales in the five weeks to 5 January were up five per cent year on year, while over a period of 18 weeks, sales at stores open longer than a year rose 2.9 [...]
Barrick Gold ends talks with China Gold over sale of African unit January 8, 2013 Canadian producer Barrick Gold this morning said talks had fallen through regarding the sale of unit African Barrick Gold (ABG) to China Gold. The talks with China Gold regarding the London-listed gold producer, which is 74 per cent-owned by its parent Barrick Gold, were first announced in August. “These discussions were part of our ongoing [...]
Anglo American names Mark Cutifani for top job January 8, 2013 Miner Anglo American has appointed Mark Cutifani as its chief executive. Cutifani, currently chief executive of South African-focused gold producer AngloGold Ashanti, will begin his tenure on 3 April. He is also the current president of the South African Chamber of Mines. “He is a seasoned miner, with broad experience of mining operations and projects [...]
Banks steal spotlight despite weakness in FTSE 100 January 7, 2013 The FTSE 100 stalled this morning after closing at its highest level since February on Friday, with miners dragging down the index. In early deals, it was down around 0.25 per cent. A relaxation in bank liquidity rules dominated the headlines this morning, as regulators said last night that banks will have longer to build [...]
UK car registrations hits four-year high January 7, 2013 New car registrations jumped 5.3 per cent in 2012, boosted by strong consumer demand, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Over the year, 2.04m vehicles were sold, according to data out this morning, the highest figure since the recession started in 2008. In December, new car registrations rose by 3.7 per [...]
Ladbrokes in talks to acquire Betdaq January 7, 2013 Bookmaker Ladbrokes this morning confirmed it was in talks to buy Irish betting exchange Betdaq. “Ladbrokes enjoys a close commercial cooperation with Betdaq and can confirm discussions regarding a potential future acquisition,” the bookmaker said in a statement. Ladbrokes last year abandoned takeover plans with rivals 888 Holdings and Sportingbet.
Morrisons reveals worsening pre-Christmas sales January 7, 2013 Supermarket Morrisons posted declining sales in the run-up to Christmas this morning, as it admitted its sales were “disappointing”. Over the six weeks to 30 December, total sales excluding fuel were down by 0.5 per cent. Like for like sales suffered a larger drop, down by 2.5 per cent over the period, the retailer said [...]
UK house prices enjoy December rise January 7, 2013 UK house prices enjoyed a last-minute boost to 2012 and rose by 1.3 per cent in December, according to Halifax’s house price index out this morning. On an annual basis, house values edged down by 0.3 per cent over the year, the lender said. Overall, there were six monthly rises and six decreases during 2012. [...]
US adds 155,000 jobs last month January 4, 2013 The US added 155,000 jobs in December, with the unemployment rate steady at 7.8 per cent, official figures showed today. Employment increased in the healthcare, food services, construction and manufacturing sectors. The number of unemployed people in the US was broadly flat over the month, at 12.2m. On average last year, 153,000 jobs were added [...]
Mortgage approvals hit 10-month high January 4, 2013 The number of mortgage approvals hit their highest level since last January, data from the Bank of England showed today. Mortgage approvals hit 54,036 in November, the highest in 10 months, up from 53,071 in October. Before the 2008 financial crisis, monthly mortgage approvals ran at around 90,000, but the number of home sales has [...]
