Net immigration slips by 26,000 as more people leave the UK August 30, 2012 NET MIGRATION into the UK fell dramatically between 2010 and 2011, as more people left the country and fewer came in, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed yesterday. Three hundred and fifty thousand people left the country in 2011, compared to 339,000 the year before, while 566,000 came in, as opposed to [...]
Mortgages up ahead of new funding plans August 30, 2012 MORTGAGE lending rose firmly in July, Bank of England data showed yesterday, as banks geared up for the start of the funding for lending scheme (FLS). The number of home purchases approved rose from 6,725 in June to 7,101 in July, with the overall value holding steady at £5.5bn. Meanwhile remortgagings were almost unchanged at [...]
MPs criticise RBS and Lloyds for poor cash machine access August 30, 2012 VULNERABLE customers are being let down by the state-backed banks failing to offer access to all cash machines (ATMs) with their basic accounts, the influential Treasury Select Committee (TSC) of MPs said today. And if other banks followed suit, it could put more than one-third of the LINK network of machines at risk of closure, [...]
Government is not prepared for civil service staffing cuts August 30, 2012 CIVIL service cutbacks will lead to chaos in government departments unless they plan properly for life with lower staff numbers, a Commons committee warned yesterday. The public accounts committee found that departments have not thought about coping with workloads after cutting headcounts by 35,000 last year to meet targets in the 2010 spending review, meaning [...]
Initial jobless claims inch up August 30, 2012 INITIAL jobless claims in the US edged up for the week ending 18 August, according to the seasonally adjusted measure, the Department of Labor said yesterday. Yet the actual number of initial claims recorded was the lowest in almost five years. On the headline seasonally adjusted measure, new claims were up 4,000, at 372,000, while [...]
Evraz swings to loss due to fall in steel prices August 30, 2012 EVRAZ yesterday slumped to a 119 per cent loss for the first half of the year, as its profits were hurt by falling steel prices. The Russian miner’s net loss came in at $50m (£31.5m) for the first six months to 30 June, down from $263m over the previous year. Revenue for the firm, which [...]
Polymetal shrugs off drop in silver value as revenues rise August 30, 2012 PROFITS at Russian metal miner Polymetal fell by two per cent in the first half of this year, as it battled declining silver prices. The gold and silver miner, which joined the FTSE 100 last year, posted profit in the first half of $149m (£94m), hurt by a $60m foreign exchange loss thanks to fluctuations [...]
Cape shares soar almost 20 per cent on positive outlook August 30, 2012 SHARES in industrial services provider Cape soared by 19.42 per cent yesterday, despite its first half profit slumping by 70 per cent. Despite the sharp dip in profits, the firm said it is on track to meet its full-year targets, sending the shares up. The rise also came as several brokers issued “buy” notes on [...]
Demand for luxury boosts HR Owen August 30, 2012 LUXURY car dealership HR Owen reported a sharp lift in half-year earnings yesterday, as sales of new Ferrari and Lamborghini models, including the Aventador thrived. Pre-tax profit at the group, which opened a new Ferrari boutique at The Berkeley in June, rose by 23 per cent in the six months to the end of June.
Online firm Playtech cashes in on demand for social gaming August 30, 2012 DEMAND for bingo products and casino games such as blackjack, roulette and slots helped online software group Playtech post a better-than-expected 64 per cent rise in first-half earnings. Playtech develops software platforms for online and other games for clients including Irish bookmaker Paddy Power and gaming company Gala. It also has a 29 per cent [...]
