Sterling has hit a 16-month low agains the US dollar, as the City gives its verdict on today’s data. December 23, 2014 The pound is down almost 0.5%, or 0.7 of a cent, at $1.552, its lowest since September 2013. That’s partly because the dollar is rallying against most currencies; the euro has hit a 28-month low against the greenback. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) today confirmed growth at 0.7 per cent between the second [...]
Cocoa price up, coal price down: Why Santa is having his merriest Christmas in years December 22, 2014 The economic downturn was a tough time for most of us – and just because he runs on fairy dust and sparkles, doesn't mean Santa Claus was left out. Elves striking over low pay (probably), the cost of hay going through the roof – you name it, Father Christmas was hit with it. Thankfully, a [...]
London property prices: Do you live in the only London borough where demand for property is rising? December 22, 2014 Londoners are staying well and truly put, it seems. New data showing how much demand there is for property in each borough shows people just aren't interested in buying new homes. In fact, only one borough has showed an increase in demand since February. The research, by online estate agent eMoov, shows just how put [...]
Rouble rallies as oil price continues its rise December 22, 2014 The price of oil continued to rise this morning, lifting the rouble with it. The price of Brent Crude, which has dipped below $60 in recent days, jumped 2.2 per cent to $62.68 per barrel after Saudi Arabian oil minister Ali Al-Naimi said at a conference that the recent fall in prices was "temporary". Al-Naimi [...]
FBI confirms Sony hack was definitely North Korea – but maybe also China December 19, 2014 The FBI confirmed today that a massive data breach at Sony's movie production arm was, indeed, rooted in North Korea. North Korea seemed the obvious perpetrator, given the group behind the hack, Guardians of Peace, purported to take offence at upcoming movie Seth Rogen movie The Interview, which centres around a plot to kill North Korean [...]
2015: Bring on the year of empowerment December 19, 2014 It's dangerous territory, some smart-arse proffering a crystal ball projection of the future. From weathermen to economists, the curse of the prediction has floored many a better man and woman than I; but as the headline states, we are wallowing in the age of empowerment. I’m not talking about John Lennon’s “power to [...]
Nightmare on high street: How discounters stole Tesco’s market share December 19, 2014 Although at first glance any shift in the share of the grocery market seems slim, the changes that have taken place over the last two years tell an interesting story. It shows the gradual increase of smaller companies such as Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose at the expense of larger chains such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s [...]
Santa rally continues as European markets rise December 19, 2014 Is this a Christmas miracle, or merely a sign of a touch of festive merriment among investors? In looks like yesterday's "Santa Rally" will continue into today, as European equities markets rose in morning trading. The FTSE 100 was up 0.7 per cent in mid-morning trading, while the Dax rose 0.3 per cent and France's Cac 40 [...]
Philip Clarke, Euan Sutherland and Dov Charney – the bosses who left us in 2014 December 19, 2014 This year has had its fair share of disasters – from the Co-op’s continued struggles to Tesco’s melting share price. But what of the people behind the stories? We’ve got the best, worst and most surprising people moves of the year. 1. Philip Clarke makes an unceremonious departure from Tesco Clarke stepped down at [...]
Security threats mapped: Here are the riskiest countries to do business in December 18, 2014 In recent years, the government has become increasingly keen to encourage UK businesses to trade with developing economies – but with the world still reeling after two major terror attacks in a single week, how safe is it to do business abroad? Risk consultancy Control Risks has put together a map showing the world's most [...]
