The UK’s construction sector just had its best month since March January 4, 2017 Output in the UK's construction sector showed a surprise jump in December – causing the industry to enjoy its best month since March. Markit's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the sector rose to 54.2 in December, up from 52.8 in the previous month – despite economists expecting the figure to be flat. Any number above [...]
An actual earthquake actually happened in the UK yesterday January 4, 2017 The British Geological Survey has confirmed that an actual earthquake took place in the UK yesterday. Well, off the UK, anyway. According to the organisation, an earthquake with magnitude 3.8 struck in the Southern North Sea just before 7pm last night. The epicentre of the quake was 93 miles east of the town, at a [...]
Oof: Tesla didn’t quite deliver on its promise of 80,000 cars in 2016 January 4, 2017 Tesla may be the darling of Silicon Valley, but if you were awaiting a shiny new Model S in 2016, you may have been disappointed. The company said last night it had made 76,230 deliveries in 2016 – not quite the 80,000 to 90,000 it had promised. In the fourth quarter it delivered 22,200 vehicles, [...]
Ryanair passenger numbers soar again January 4, 2017 It seems Ryanair is about to have a good day: the airline has said passenger numbers soared 20 per cent in December, as passengers went berserk for lower fares. In an update this morning, Ryanair said it flew 9m customers last month, bringing its total for 2016 up to 117m, 15 per cent higher than the [...]
The gender pay gap has halved in a generation (for this group of women) January 4, 2017 The gender pay gap has halved over the course of a generation, new figures have shown – but only for one group of women. A study by think tank The Resolution Foundation found the pay gap for millennial women in their 20s has fallen to five per cent. For baby boomers at the same age, the [...]
Britain’s ambassador to the EU has unexpectedly resigned January 3, 2017 Sir Ivan Rogers, Britain's ambassador, has unexpectedly resigned from his role, just months before negotiations with the EU were due to begin. Rogers was due to finish his fixed-term role in October, but has told staff this afternoon that he will step down earlier than expected. The news came as the government prepares to trigger Article 50 [...]
Oil prices just hit an 18-month high January 3, 2017 The price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil rose to an 18-month high this morning, as a deal between Opec countries continued to boost the market. WTI crude rose 2.5 per cent to $55.06 in early trading, its highest since July 2015. That pushed the price of Brent crude up 2.4 per cent to $58.19. Oil [...]
Rail passenger group urges Southern to freeze fares to “rebuild trust” January 3, 2017 Freezing fares for Southern passengers would "help to start rebuild trust" in the franchise, a rail passenger group has said. Transport Focus urged Southern to freeze ticket prices after "months of misery they have experienced". Passengers were beset by strikes and disruption for much of 2016 – and the misery will continue into this year, [...]
Rail fares have increased twice as fast as wages in the past 10 years January 3, 2017 Ah, January. No alcohol, running in the cold – and the traditional annual rail fare increase. This year, fares are set to rise by 2.3 per cent, while Tube fares are also due to rise (despite Sadiq Khan's assurances to the contrary). And if that doesn't make you miserable enough, new research has shown UK [...]
Euronext has confirmed a €510m offer for LSEG’s French clearing house January 3, 2017 The London Stock Exchange Group today took a significant step in its attempts to complete its mega-merger with Deutsche Boerse, agreeing the sale of its French clearing business. Euronext, the owner of four of Europe's largest stock exchanges, confirmed it has agreed a €510m (£434m) deal for LCH SA, which the LSEG put up for [...]
