Kazakhstan government returns to bonds with $2.5bn debt sale October 6, 2014 OIL-RICH Kazakhstan yesterday announced it was selling 10-year and 30-year US dollar debt to investors, marking the central Asian state’s return to the bond market after a break of more than 14 years. Russia’s neighbour, which is also a major exporter of industrial metals, uranium and grain, will price the 10-year paper at an implied [...]
Business chiefs query Cable’s apprentice plan October 5, 2014 BUSINESS secretary Vince Cable today unveiled plans to boost pay for thousands of apprentices that would create a single national minimum wage for 16- to 17-year-olds in work. But business leaders quickly poured cold water on the plan, saying that they had already paid their fair share in training. Vince Cable, speaking at the party [...]
Hewlett-Packard to be split in two to battle younger rivals October 5, 2014 Computer giant Hewlett-Packard plans to split into two companies as it looks to put more focus on the faster-growing corporate services market, according to a Wall Street Journal report yesterday. Under the plan, HP will separate its computer and printer businesses from its corporate hardware and services operations, and spin off the unit through a [...]
US deploys attack helicopters as fight intensifies against jihadis October 5, 2014 THE US has begun using Apache AH-64 attack helicopters to strike at jihadi targets in Iraq, the first time they have been used in this operation. A defence official confirmed yesterday that Apache helicopters were used this weekend as part of four airstrikes on a large jihadi force northeast of Fallujah. The attack was conducted [...]
Bleak Thursday as FTSE 100 slumps to new 2014 low October 2, 2014 The FTSE 100 yesterday slumped to its lowest level since last December on the back of investor disappointment with the European Central Bank’s latest stimulus measures. The blue-chip index ended down by 1.7 per cent, or 111.13 points, at 6,446.39 points – its lowest closing level since ending at 6,439.96 points in December 2013, and marking one [...]
David Cameron’s party conference speech bounces Tories into first poll lead since 2012 October 2, 2014 David Cameron’s barnstorming performance at this week’s Conservative Party conference seems to have helped the Tories to take their first poll lead since March 2012. According to a YouGov poll published today in The Sun, the Conservatives have 35 per cent (up four), Lab 34 per cent (down four), Ukip 14 per cent (down one) and the [...]
Walker Greenbank posts rise in pre-tax profits in three markets October 1, 2014 FURNITURE maker Walker Greenbank yesterday announced that its first-half, pre-tax profits rose from £2m to £2.3m on the back of strong performances in its three main markets – the UK, Europe and the US. In the UK, the firm’s main market, sales grew 10 per cent year-on-year, while they rose 12.2 per cent in constant [...]
Big Six energy suppliers set to lose customers October 1, 2014 THE BIG six energy suppliers could face the loss of a quarter of their customers over the next six years, knocking £500m a year off their collective profits, according to a report issued yesterday. Some large companies could be driven out of the market, the research arm of Citigroup investment bank said in a report [...]
Apple share price rises even as EU claims Irish tax deal may have broken laws September 30, 2014 The European Union yesterday accused Ireland of breaking its EU tax laws by letting Apple shelter tens of billions of dollars worth of profits from revenue collectors in return for maintaining jobs. Europe’s Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia wrote to Dublin that tax deals agreed in 1991 and 2007 amounted to state aid and might have broken EU [...]
Tekmira Pharmaceuticals share price shoots up 27pc after Ebola case confirmed in US September 30, 2014 Shares in Canadian drugmaker Tekmira Pharmaceuticals soared in after-hours trading yesterday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first case of the Ebola virus on US soil. After closing about two per cent up, shares jumped 27 per cent to $26.82 on heavy volume. In August, the US Food and Drug Administration [...]
