North Sea oil company EnQuest hindered by global oil price drop August 19, 2015 NORTH Sea oil firm EnQuest yesterday reported a 13 per cent fall in first-half revenue to $444m (£283m), compared with the same period last year, reflecting the sharp decline in the price of crude. Pre-tax profits at the Aberdeen-based firm were also down, from $120m to $11m. Production rose by 17 per cent in the [...]
Clearbell snaps up £200m of property assets August 19, 2015 CLEARBELL has splurged £200m on two separate portfolios of retail, industrial and office properties spread out across the UK, the private equity real estate fund management said yesterday. The Amber portfolio contains 29 properties totalling two million square feet and is let to tenants such as B&Q, Travis Perkins and Sports Direct.com. Clearbell acquired the [...]
Medium and small UK firms more upbeat August 19, 2015 THE UK’S small- and medium-sized firms are looking up, according to survey figures published this morning. The economic climate was cited as the biggest hindrance to business growth by 17 per cent of SMEs, the research from BDRC Continental shows, down from 34 per cent in 2012. Finances have also been steadily improving, with 78 [...]
Labour market avoids its usual summer lull August 19, 2015 EMPLOYERS have been busy looking to hire, with the job market dodging its traditional summer slowdown. There were 190,674 UK job vacancies in July, 27.7 per cent more than in June, job site CV-Library said today. Job openings are up 45.6 per cent on the year. “Traditionally, the recruitment sector experiences a slowdown during the [...]
Emirates is top destination for migrating professional workers August 19, 2015 THE ECONOMY appears to be recovering, the jobs market is booming and wages have finally started to creep up. However this isn’t enough to stop bored British workers seeking new opportunities a little further afield. LinkedIn has analysed changes members made to their profiles last year and ranked countries by their level of net migration [...]
Galaxy Entertainment earnings plummet 46pc on Macau downturn and costs of new casinos August 19, 2015 EARNINGS at casino operator Galaxy Entertainment plummeted 46 per cent in the second quarter amid higher operation costs at its new casino resorts and a declining market in Macau’s gambling industry. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation fell to HK$1.9bn (£156m) from a year earlier, Galaxy said yesterday. That compares with the HK$1.8bn [...]
City Moves for 20 August 2015 | Who’s switching jobs August 19, 2015 PwC The professional services firm has announced several appointments to its corporate finance deals team. Jon Shelley (pictured) becomes an equity partner. He joined as a graduate in 2002 and works out of its Aberdeen Centre of Excellence for Oil and Gas. Gareth Marshall and Charlotte Tracy, both from PwC’s Northern practice, become directors. Finally, [...]
Fed minutes raise concerns – New York Report August 19, 2015 US STOCKS fell in choppy trading yesterday as minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting highlighted concern over the state of the global economy. This drove markets to question the likelihood that the central bank will interest raise rates next month. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 162.61 points, or 0.93 per cent, to 17,348.73, [...]
Blame complex tax rules and a lack of competition for the airport VAT debacle August 19, 2015 I arrived back from holiday at Heathrow last week. After I picked up my bags, I went through customs and I saw some stewardesses walking through a passageway that avoided the arrivals duty free shopping area. I had everything I needed, so I decided to skip the shops and go through the passageway to head [...]
London can be top of the pile for skills and tech: New York shows us how August 19, 2015 Everyone in this city has their own story. Mine, like so many Londoners, is of someone whose parents moved here to make a better life for themselves and their family. And now, as my campaign picks up momentum, I’m fighting hard to become Labour’s candidate to be mayor of London. What an incredible honour. I [...]
