House prices drop unexpectedly – but don’t rule out a bubble just yet January 8, 2014 Mortgage lender Halifax has reported that British house prices fell 0.6 per cent month-on-month in December. The unexpected dip in house prices is a stark contrast with the 1.4 per cent month-on-month increase reported for December by Nationwide. In a poll of economists conducted by Reuters before the data release, not one predicted a fall [...]
Mothercare profit warning sees shares dive January 8, 2014 Mother and baby products retailer Mothercare has warned that "difficult trading" conditions could push its annual profits well below current market expectations. Shares are down over 27 per cent, at 305p, on the news. The company has been particularly squeezed by competitive discounting over the Christmas season. Like-for-like sales at Mothercare stores fell by four [...]
Domino’s takes away bumper sales growth in 2013 January 8, 2014 Domino's Pizza has seen like-for-like sales jump by an impressive 10.9 per cent in its 670 UK mature stores in the 13 weeks to 29 December. The takeaway food company said the rise in sales was partly driven by increased digital marketing activity, as well as a more favourable timing of the Christmas break compared [...]
Germany’s paradox: How €100bn meant more renewables yet more carbon emissions January 7, 2014 The share of German electricity generated by coal has soared to its highest levels since 1990. Figures published on Tuesday, showed that brown coal (lignite) and bituminous coal together accounted for 45.5 per cent of Germany's energy production in 2013. This was up from 44 per cent the previous year. Despite billions of pounds in [...]
Watchdog: We were right to back Paul Flowers January 7, 2014 The man who gave the green light to the appointment disgraced former Co-op chairman Reverend Paul Flowers yesterday said he “stands by” his decision. Clive Adamson told MPs it was clear Flowers had no banking experience – but that he needed a big personality to whip the bank’s “large and unruly board” into shape. The [...]
UK becomes world number two for 4G sign-up rate January 7, 2014 Mobile operator EE announced on Tuesday it had reached 2m 4G customers. The announcement comes only 14 months after the company launched the UK's first superfast broadband service. EE has witnessed a dramatic growth in customers clamouring to sign up to the 4G service. The first million customers signed up in 10 months and the [...]
The race that Android is set to win against Apple January 7, 2014 The number of devices shipped using Google's Android operating system will reach over a billion in 2014, according to research group Gartner. The number of Android users is set soar by 26 per cent to 1.1bn over the course of the year. Gartner forecasts that the strongest demand for devices will come from emerging markets. [...]
Labour calls for showdown with betting machines January 7, 2014 The Labour party will use an opposition day on Wednesday to force a vote on its plans to crack down on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs). The machines allow players to bet on a variety of games, with payouts reaching as much as £500. Labour leader Ed Miliband has attacked FOBTs labelling them as "dangerously [...]
EasyJet rings in New Year with steady growth January 7, 2014 EasyJet continues to show steady growth, as passengers opting to fly with the low-cost airline continued to increase through December 2013. The company saw passenger numbers rise by 3.5 per cent compared to the same time last year, reaching a total of 4.3m. This marks further improvement for the company which posted positive numbers for [...]
Google’s plan to take Android to the open road January 6, 2014 Google has announced a new partnership with car manufacturers Honda, Hyundai and Audi to customise its operating system for their vehicles. The Android system would allow apps and music from Android devices to be integrated with onboard car systems. This would be powered by Nvidia chips, for its multimedia platforms. The move could spell an [...]
