Sony turns on PlayStation network for first time since hacking scandal May 15, 2011 SONY started restoring its PlayStation online network yesterday, three weeks after a security breach leaked 77m customers’ personal data to hackers. Sony switched on the network for players in the US yesterday, with other countries returning to the gaming service over the next two weeks. The company insisted that it has beefed up its online [...]
UK spending cuts are less severe than Euro average May 15, 2011 GEORGE Osborne’s initial government spending cuts are even less severe than average austerity measures across the Eurozone, a leading think tank will say today. UK public spending will slow by 2.2 per cent of GDP from 2010 to 2012, according to the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) – below the Euro area average [...]
Low rates are propping up house prices May 15, 2011 HISTORICALLY low interest rates and a weak supply of new property listings are boosting asking prices for UK homes, according to a leading survey released today. Asking prices on newly listed houses have almost hit a three-year high, according to the Rightmove house price index, jumping 1.7 per cent in April and 1.3 per cent [...]
Carbon policies will hit UK May 15, 2011 CLIMATE change policies proposed by a Westminster committee would harm UK companies, a leading manufacturers’ group will claim today. Recommendations from the climate change committee would commit the UK to a 30 per cent reduction in carbon emissions with no guarantee of peer countries following suit, the EEF said. International competitiveness and investment prospects for [...]
Inflation is expected to rise again May 15, 2011 OFFICIAL figures out tomorrow will show whether inflation sprang forward in April, with the Bank of England fearing it could hit five per cent this year. The Bank said last week consumer price inflation could remain above its two per cent target until 2013. In March, inflation surprisingly eased to four per cent annualised – [...]
Boost productivity by encouraging better work-life balance, study says May 15, 2011 MANAGERS can improve productivity by actively encouraging a better “work-life balance”, a group of economists announced today. Flexible working policies “do little to reduce stress unless there is positive endorsement from managers”, the report from the London School of Economics and Political Science argues. “Stress results in increased absenteeism and reduced productivity so it is [...]
ECONOMIST VIEWS: DID INFLATION BOUNCE BACK IN APRIL? May 15, 2011 PHILIP SHAW | INVESTEC “We are forecasting a rise to 4.2 per cent in the consumer price index for April, up from four per cent in March. We still consider there to be a risk that inflation hits five per cent later this year, but this would be diminished were oil prices to remain below [...]
Strengthening global market ties vital for UK plc May 15, 2011 IN a fast-changing world, the last thing the UK can afford to do is stand still. A strategic vision is needed when it comes to trade and investment or else we will become increasingly irrelevant while our rivals build the alliances that shape the global economic future. That is why I was delighted to attend [...]
M&A deals down as wary market means talks are more likely to fail May 15, 2011 HEADWINDS in the market are putting pressure on UK M&A deals, leaving a raft of takeover bids struggling to reach completion, new research published today shows. Despite a rebound in bid talks, completed M&A deals fell 60 per cent in the first quarter of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010, as companies snubbed [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS May 15, 2011 COMPASS GROUP RBS rates the catering group “buy” with a target price of 660p. The broker hopes to see 4.5 per cent organic growth revenue for the current year. MARSTON’S Deutsche Bank rates the pub chain “hold” and has a target price of 115p. The broker expects the firm to report slightly poorer half-year results [...]
