Tech stocks braced for sell-off as US results set to disappoint April 14, 2014 TECH stocks could be in for another hammering this week as nearly a tenth of the companies in the S&P 500 prepare to report what is expected to be the weakest quarter of profit growth since 2009. Analysts warn that last week’s dramatic sell off of tech, biotech and online retails stocks – that saw [...]
Economists fear official data underestimate firms’ investment April 14, 2014 BRITAIN’S official statistics do not properly measure investment in the services sector, TheCityUK and former-Bank of England policymaker Andrew Sentance warn in a report out today. Their analysis indicates research and investment, as well as investment in workers’ skills, are not properly shown in official data. “If the wrong things are being measured, or the [...]
Amazon preparing to push into your pocket April 14, 2014 FOLLOWING its move into the living room last week with the Fire TV, Amazon is reportedly going to launch a smartphone later this year capable of displaying 3D images, similar to a hologram, on its screen. The smartphone will be announced in June and start shipping in September ahead of the holiday shopping season, according [...]
Poor service in shops is costing retailers £5.4bn April 14, 2014 RETAILERS are losing out on £5.4bn of sales because of bad service in shops and not catering to the needs of ever more demanding consumers, according to a new report by Australian shopping centre giant Westfield. The retailer’s 30-page analysis released today identifies eight trends dictating UK’s changing shopping habits, including how technology and the [...]
Heineken to sell off 100 UK pubs April 14, 2014 HEINEKEN is considering plans to sell around 100 of its UK pubs, up to 10 per cent of its British pub estate. The Dutch brewer is understood to be in the earliest stages of talks to dispose of the poorest performing pubs in its portfolio. “We currently have around 1,250 pubs in our estate, but [...]
Travel agency insolvencies soar as buyers book for themselves April 14, 2014 THE NUMBER of travel companies and tour operators closing down has soared over the past year due to more Britons buying holidays online, figures released today show. According to accountants Wilkins Kennedy, 77 travel agencies and tour operators became insolvent in the year to 31 March, up 45 per cent on the previous year. Despite [...]
Odeon’s profits stall on a weak Spanish market April 14, 2014 CINEMA giant Odeon saw profits plummet last year as a lack of blockbuster movies and the weak Spanish economy left seats empty at the cinema chain. Odeon’s earnings before interest, tax and other charges dropped by 24 per cent to £69.2m while sales fell five per cent to £706.7m. In Spain, where Odeon operates 43 [...]
Consumers save up for luxuries and splash out on bargain buys April 14, 2014 CONSUMER spending at bargain and upmarket stores has grown sharply over the last year, according to new figures released yesterday, as shoppers buy from polar ends of the market. Data from Barclaycard, which processes nearly half of the UK’s debit and credit transactions, showed that spending at discount stores, budget grocers and fashion outlets has [...]
London takes the lion’s share of parking fines April 14, 2014 WESTMINSTER Council has kept its title as the biggest parking fine issuer in the country, handing out penalties worth more than £24m to motorists last year, according to figures out today. The council issued more than 455,000 penalty notices in 2013. This is more than twice the number of the next biggest issuer included in [...]
Defence firms speak out on Scots split plan April 14, 2014 ADS GROUP, which represents the UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space industries, yesterday became the latest organisation to speak out against Scottish independence. The trade body warned that if Scotland votes to break away from the UK at September’s referendum, the resulting uncertainty could have a damaging effect on investor confidence and export deals. “ADS [...]
