British economy enjoys surprise July jump in activity to record strongest growth in almost a year September 10, 2018 The British economy surprised economists in July as output grew by 0.3 per cent, with a sunny services sector outlook alongside unexpected support from the construction sector contributing to the pick-up. The three months to July saw GDP expand by 0.6 per cent, picking up from 0.4 per cent growth in the second quarter of [...]
Sweet relief: Primark boosts revenue to alleviate owner ABF’s sugar woes September 10, 2018 Despite a gloomy outlook for retailers, Primark expects to increase revenue by 1.5 per cent to boost profits this financial year, offsetting a fall in sugar prices in Europe for owner Associated British Foods (ABF). Strong first and second half sales are expected to help the budget clothes brand to post the increase, with UK [...]
Sterling lifts as Barnier says Brexit can lead to ‘unprecedented’ UK-EU partnership September 7, 2018 Sterling climbed 0.89 per cent against the euro today after the EU’s chief negotiator sounded positive notes about the likelihood of the UK securing a Brexit deal. Michel Barnier said there were positive elements of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Chequers plan, which Brexiteers had previously dismissed as “dead in the water”, as a transcript of [...]
UK house prices growth accelerated in August September 7, 2018 Annual house price growth picked up in the three months to August, growing by 3.7 per cent, compared to a 3.3 per cent annual rise in the run up to July, according to new figures released today by Halifax. With the average home costing £229,958, house prices remained steady month to month, ticking upwards by [...]
US tech firms ask Trump for Chinese tariff exemptions in ongoing trade war September 7, 2018 US tech giants have asked President Donald Trump’s administration for an exemption from new tariffs against China. With President Donald Trump set to reveal a fresh tranche of tariffs targeting $200bn (£154.6bn) of Chinese exports, Cisco, Dell, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks urged the White House to whitelist components behind some of their products. [...]
Impeach Trump? It wouldn’t affect the US economy one jot, says Barclays September 6, 2018 Impeaching President Donald Trump would have little to no effect on the fortunes of the US economy, according to Barclays. Trump said the economy would crash in the event of his impeachment, leaving everybody “very poor”, in an interview with Fox News last month. In reality, whether Trump sees out his four-year term in the [...]
Weir Group share price falls on ‘softening’ industry demand September 6, 2018 FTSE 250 firm Weir Group’s share price sunk up to six per cent on news of “softening” demand for original equipment this morning. Shares fell to £16.76 in early morning trading, as the engineering firm issued an unwelcome update about its North American oil and gas market activity. “There was a considerable softening in demand [...]
Dixons Carphone reveals flat revenue growth following data breach September 6, 2018 Dixons Carphone said it has avoided a loss in its latest trading period, following a cyber attack that saw up to 10m customer records hacked. The figures The electricals retailer said both UK & Ireland and group revenue was flat for the three months to the end of July in a trading update for its [...]
Ofgem is set to cap energy bills September 6, 2018 Households stand to save up to £120 a year following the introduction of a proposed cap on energy bills. Energy regulator Ofgem plans to cap tariffs at £1,136, saving 11m households around £75, and £120 for those on the most expensive gas and electricity deals. Read more: Eurozone producer price inflation spikes due to [...]
Brexit: New poll says UK would vote to remain in the EU September 5, 2018 Brits would vote 59-41 in favour of remaining in the EU if another Brexit referendum occurred today, according to a new poll. The six-point swing away from Leave saw Remain win its highest level of support since the 2016 referendum, and contrasts the actual result at the time, which saw 52 per cent people vote [...]
