CITY VIEWS | DO YOU THINK THE OLYMPICS HAVE BROUGHT THE UK TOGETHER? August 6, 2012 ELLIOTT TIERNAN QBE The Olympic Games have been a great success in uniting the country. There’s a real resurgence in British pride. The atmosphere has been overwhelmingly positive given all the initial pessimism and London has been a very welcoming environment to the rest of the world. ANDY HORRICKS BW INTERIORS I’ve been enjoying the [...]
Slump expected as house prices tumble in July August 6, 2012 HOUSE prices across the UK dived by 0.6 per cent last month, according to a widely-regarded survey released yesterday, with analysts warning that the rest of 2012 will remain gloomy for the sector. Prices in three months to July were flat compared to the previous three months. Halifax, which compiles the data, said that prices [...]
Judge rejects claim that work schemes are modern slavery August 6, 2012 GOVERNMENT schemes designed to help the unemployed gain work experience are lawful, a judge ruled yesterday, in a major victory for the Department of Work and Pensions. Graduate Cait Reilly won a judicial review of one back-to-work scheme after being told by a Jobcentre that she must work unpaid shifts at a branch of Poundland [...]
London’s hotels knocked by a drop in occupancy rates in 2012 August 6, 2012 HOTELS in the capital suffered lower occupancy rates in the first six months of the year, PwC said yesterday, revealing that the sector was suffering even before the so-called ghost town effect attributed to the Olympic Games. PwC’s data showed an occupancy slip of 1.2 per cent in the six months to June, culminating in [...]
Consumer dip defied by car registrations August 6, 2012 NEW car registrations spiked upwards in July as a year of growth for the automotive industry continued to strengthen, with luxury brands performing well. Registrations jumped 9.3 per cent last month to 143,884 vehicles, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) – the sharpest increase of any month [...]
Summer sun and Olympic fever fail to reignite UK’s retail sales August 6, 2012 RETAIL sales failed to significantly recover last month despite improved weather and the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, figures from the industry have revealed this morning. Like-for-like sales in UK shops were virtually flat in July, edging up just 0.1 per cent compared to a year earlier, according to the British Retail Consortium [...]
Bernanke: US still suffering August 6, 2012 US FEDERAL Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said yesterday that although broad measurements of the economy point to recovery, many people and businesses are facing tough times. “Even though some key aggregate metrics — including consumer spending, disposable income, household net worth, and debt service payments — have moved in the direction of recovery, it is [...]
Morgan Sindall profits jump but tough market conditions persist August 6, 2012 BUILDING group Morgan Sindall reported a 13 per cent leap in profits yesterday despite weaker revenues for the first half of the year. The group, which has a host of infrastructure and social housing subsidiaries, said pre-tax profits had shot up from £16.7m last year to £18.8m for the first six months of this year [...]
Titanium manager fees on track August 6, 2012 Aim-listed fund manager Titanium Asset Management yesterday posted an increase in assets under management and uptick in fund manager fees. Average assets under management were $8.58bn (£5.67bn) for the second quarter of this year, up 1.8 per cent from the same period last year. Titanium chief executive Robert Brooks said: “The improvement largely reflects higher investment [...]
Chinese Origo funds dip in value August 6, 2012 Chinese private equity investors Origo Partners, which is listed in London, reported a 4.8 per cent dip in its portfolio values yesterday, falling to $227.7m (£149.5m) over the quarter as waning commodity prices dented its mining investments. The firm, based in Beijing but listed on the Alternative Investment Market, saw a drop in net asset [...]
