City grows confident about 2014 December 3, 2013 CLOUDS over the City of London are finally lifting, with firms growing confident that 2014 will mark the end of the difficult five years following the financial crisis. A report by TheCityUK released exclusively to City A.M. today shows London’s competitiveness as a finance centre is continuing to improve, and optimism for the year ahead [...]
Tube and bus fares rise in line with inflation December 3, 2013 THE COST of public transport in London will rise by an average of 3.1 per cent in January, the Mayor of London announced yesterday along with a claim that the change represents a real-term price freeze. Some tickets, including the single bus fare paid in cash and pay-as-you-go daily caps, will be kept at 2013 [...]
Npower chief facing bonus cut after customer service gaffes December 3, 2013 RWE NPOWER’S chief executive Paul Massara will have the size of his bonus slashed after research showed the energy supplier’s customer complaint levels had spiked in the last year. “Customer service is one of the elements of Paul’s bonus and it is clear that this element will be reduced for this year,” said a company [...]
Shop prices fall again to ease Christmas costs December 3, 2013 SHOP prices fell again in November, industry figures showed yesterday, recording the seventh consecutive month of deflation on the high street. Overall prices fell 0.3 per cent compared with the same month of 2012, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said. Food prices increased by 2.3 per cent on the year, but other products saw an overall dip [...]
Britons in top three for leaving big inheritances to their children December 3, 2013 BRITAIN’S pensioners plan to leave more to their children than any others in the western world, an HSBC study showed yesterday. Two-thirds expect to leave something to their families, with an average value of £182,144 – well above next ranked country France where the figure stands at £143,379. Only two countries in the world expect [...]
Foreign firms rush to buy up UK businesses December 3, 2013 THE ECONOMIC recovery is making the UK an increasingly attractive investment destination for overseas firms, analysts said yesterday, as official data showed a sharp rise in foreign firms buying UK businesses. In the third quarter 46 UK firms were acquired by overseas buyers, a rise of 39 per cent on the previous three-month period. The figure is also [...]
Festive retail jobs are on the rise December 3, 2013 RETAIL and construction employment are benefiting particularly from the boost to economic growth in recent quarters, with shops ramping up their hiring ahead of Christmas. Reed’s latest job index climbed by 28 per cent in the year to November, but the retail section has risen at almost twice the pace, with 49 per cent more [...]
Eurozone factory prices slump to near four-year low in October December 3, 2013 PRICES at factory gates in the 17 countries using the euro declined 0.5 per cent in October against September, the EU’s statistics office said yesterday, the first monthly decline in five months. Changes in producer prices, unless absorbed by retailers, eventually translate into changes in the consumer price index, which the European Central Bank wants [...]
Damac steers London listing over the line December 3, 2013 The Dubai-based property group became the first major company from the region to float in London since 2007, yesterday. David Hellier went to meet its founder. FOR a man who had just spearheaded a main market share listing in London and had been to the London Stock Exchange for its market opening ceremony, Damac founder [...]
Bottom Line: Bubble fears will always haunt Dubai floats December 3, 2013 PEOPLE have short memories. Except, that is, about situations where they’ve lost a lot of money. Since the financial crisis there are a lot more investors in the market who’ve been burnt before – and they’ll never forget that time Dubai property prices fell over 50 per cent between 2008 and 2010. So it’s no [...]
