Flybe to pull City flight to Dublin in May March 23, 2015 REGIONAL airline Flybe is cutting flights between London City airport and Dublin from next month due to poor passenger numbers. The company will suspend the route from 31 May onwards, following a recent review of the service. Paul Simmons, the airline’s chief commercial officer, said that following a review of the route, its passenger numbers [...]
Eurozone to see lending pick-up after long slump March 23, 2015 MORTGAGE lending is predicted to hit an all-time high in the Eurozone this year, while business lending will grow for the first time in four years, according to forecasts from EY. The accountancy firm says the bloc’s recovery, combined with lower energy prices, will mean this year is a turning point after a decade-long lending [...]
British shares and houses drive up investor confidence again March 23, 2015 INVESTOR confidence hit a nine-month high in March, as healthy UK stocks and house prices combined with a receding threat from the Eurozone. The sentiment index from Lloyds Bank’s private bank rose to a net balance of 16 per cent, as those investors reporting growing confidence outweighed those who are downbeat. The index rose from [...]
UK small firms quick to take up renminbi March 23, 2015 BRITAIN’S small businesses are more willing than European and US rivals to settle trade with Chinese firms in the renminbi, a study from HSBC shows today. Among firms which do business on the Chinese mainland, renminbi was used to settle 17 per cent of trade. That compared with 12 per cent among US firms and [...]
BT: 12 year mobile gap at an end March 23, 2015 BT IS getting ready to reveal its plans for a relaunch into the mobile market this week amid ongoing opposition to its purchase of EE. The telecoms giant will be utilising EE’s network under the terms of a wholesale agreement struck prior to its £12.5bn bid for the mobile operator. Existing customers are expected to [...]
Gordon’s Wine Bar owner Simon Gordon seeks Facewatch app funding March 23, 2015 The man behind London’s famous watering hole Gordon’s Wine Bar has given himself a new task as he seeks funding for his latest project Facewatch – a crime reporting app. Wine bar proprietor Simon Gordon, who runs the 125-year-old institution, originally hit upon the idea for the app – which enables the public and the [...]
Household debt to hit £10,000: Borrowers more exposed to hike in interest rates March 23, 2015 British borrowers are more vulnerable to an interest rate rise than ever before after new figures showed unsecured household borrowings hit an all-time high last year. Unsecured debt rose nine per cent in 2014 to a record £239bn in cash terms, or £9,000 per household, driven by an increase in student loans and credit card [...]
Bid war looms as Silver Lake eyes Clubcard March 23, 2015 SILVER LAKE has entered the race to acquire customer data company Dunnhumby, which made its name through establishing the Tesco Clubcard. The American private equity firm’s announcement follows a statement from WPP’s Martin Sorrell last week saying the PR and advertising company was planning an offer. Dunnhumby, which is currently owned by Tesco, could fetch [...]
Plastic Forth Bridge fivers are fine for laundering March 23, 2015 CLYDESDALE Bank will release Britain’s first plastic banknotes this week, with 2m £5 notes going into circulation. Giving new meaning to the phrase “flashing the plastic”, the polymer banknotes are being launched with a Scottish theme to mark the 125th anniversary of the Forth Bridge. The note features the image of Sir William Arrol, one [...]
Crash! Bang! Wallop! Comic Con goes to China March 23, 2015 The Capitalist loves a bit of dressing up, so thumbs up to events company Reed Exhibitions, part of the recently renamed RELX Group (formerly Reed Elsevier), for launching its comic book convention Comic Con in China in May. With 160m comic book fans in the country, China’s first Cosplay parade (like the one, above, in [...]
