Demand for permanent staff declines as Britain’s economic outlook worsens November 8, 2011 EMPLOYERS are increasingly reluctant to take on permanent staff, preferring temporary contracts because they are uncertain about the strength of the economy, a report published today from KPMG reveals. Permanent placements fell for the first time in two years in October. The survey’s index now stands at 49.7, down from 51.2 in September and 52.4 [...]
People on middle incomes to suffer the most in 2012 November 8, 2011 THE RICH and poor will both experience rising living standards next year, while middle earners will see disposable incomes stagnate, according to a report out today from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Disposable income is set to rise by 0.5 per cent for the top and bottom earners, but only by 0.1 [...]
Record fall in business confidence November 8, 2011 CONTRACTION looms in the UK as business confidence has plummeted, according to the ICAEW/Grant Thornton business confidence monitor published today. The index has fallen from 8.1 in the third quarter to minus 9.7 in the fourth. This is the largest decline the monitor has ever recorded, taking confidence to levels last seen in the depths [...]
INFLATION IS BRITONS’ BIGGEST CONCERN November 8, 2011 THE MAIN concern of most consumers is inflation, according to a survey out yesterday from Absolute Strategy Research. Ninety-one per cent are concerned about household finances, up from 83 per cent last year. Jobs are high up the list of concerns, but 52 per cent cite inflation, at 5.2 per cent in September, as their main [...]
Encouraging US sales figures November 8, 2011 Chain-store sales rose by 3.1 per cent last week, compared with the same period of 2010, figures out yesterday from Redbook Research showed. Sales for November are 1.4 per cent higher than those in October, Redbook reported. Meanwhile the International Council of Shopping Centres and Goldman Sachs index showed chain store sales for last week up [...]
AstraZeneca depression drug fails test November 8, 2011 AN EXPERIMENTAL antidepressant from AstraZeneca and Targacept failed to meet the goal of changing a key depression rating score in the first of a series of pivotal clinical trials, in a setback for both firms. The result, announced by the companies yesterday, relates to the so-called Renaissance 3 Phase III study into TC-5214, a flexible [...]
Toyota ditches its profit forecast after Thai floods November 8, 2011 TOYOTA withdrew its annual profit guidance yesterday as Thai floods threaten output just as it had recovered from supply shortages that battered production after the March earthquake in Japan. Like Toyota, Honda also dropped its earnings forecasts after being hard hit by Thailand’s worst floods in at least 50 years, although Nissan raised its outlook [...]
Devro on track for full year November 8, 2011 Sausage skin maker Devro said yesterday it was on course to meet board expectations for 2011, with sales volumes showing strong growth compared to the same period last year. Growth in western and eastern Europe and in Russia has driven momentum, while volumes in the UK and Australia have declined slightly. As expected, the group’s [...]
Bodycote to meet expectations November 8, 2011 Metals and alloys treatment company Bodycote has said it saw strong trading over the past four months, and remained on track to meet full-year forecasts. Revenues for the ten months to 31 October were up 15.1 per cent on last year, the company said yesterday, though it warned that year-on-year comparatives had been getting more [...]
AZ Electronic revenue up 15pc November 8, 2011 AZ Electronic Materials, a supplier of chemicals used in Apple’s iPad, said it was continuing to perform well, shrugging off weakness in some end markets for electronic products such as flat panels. The group posted 15 per cent higher revenue of $202m (£125.6m) in the third quarter, broadly in line with market forecasts and keeping [...]
