RMT announces new strike dates on Southern Rail August 23, 2016 The RMT has announced that further strikes will take place on 7 and 8 September as part of their long-running dispute with Southern Rail. General secretary of the RMT Mick Cash said: This action has been forced on us by the arrogance and inaction of the Govia Thameslink and the government who have made it clear that [...]
Kier shares up over four per cent as it is included on an NHS construction shortlist August 23, 2016 Construction group Kier this morning announced it had scooped up to £5bn of potential new work, sending shares up five per cent in morning trading. The biggest potential deal was the revelation the group had won a place on the Department of Health's Procure22 framework – a contract which could be worth £4bn alone. The two other key revenue sources were a [...]
No man is an island: Air Mauritius benefits from a move out of its comfort zone August 23, 2016 Air Mauritius posted its best first quarter results in ten years as lower oil prices piloted a return to profitability. Although modest, the €2m net profit for the three months to June 2016 was a huge turnaround from a €9.8m loss during the same period in 2015. "This positive performance is due to the company’s efforts to improve [...]
Output up but sentiment downbeat – Japan’s latest PMI data gives hope for a recovery reinvigoration August 23, 2016 Japan's manufacturing sector was given a boost as output expanded for the first time since February although PMI sentiment remained subdued. The Flash Japan Manufacturing Output Index for August rose to 50.6 from 49.4 in July but the manufacturing PMI remained below the bell-weather 50 mark at 49.6 – up from 49.3 in July. “Japan’s manufacturing sector edged closer [...]
SMMT reveals bumper used cars sales in first half of 2016 but remains cautious about further growth August 23, 2016 There was the highest number of used car sales on record in the first of half this year according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The number of used cars changing hands grew by 7.9 per cent in the first six months of 2016 and during the second quarter of the year [...]
Firing on all fronts. Leicester is voted Britain’s greatest sporting city August 23, 2016 Leicester City may be making a stuttering start to their defence of the Premier League title but last season's heroics helped them jump to the top of the UK's greatest sporting cities of 2016. Leaping 17 places and pushing Manchester down to second place, Leicester's success wasn't just down to its football team. Leicester Tigers made the Aviva Premiership rugby [...]
There was a window of opportunity for pension buy-ins post-Brexit. But now it has gone… August 22, 2016 Spiralling pension deficits in the wake of the Brexit vote may have caused many people headaches but a leading insurer of defined benefit pension schemes said that it provided a short window of opportunity for some schemes. "There has been a tangible increase in interest from trustees in buy-ins since the Brexit referendum and we have completed [...]
Half of Britain’s small businesses say they aren’t worried about Brexit August 22, 2016 Far from adversely impacting Britain's small businesses, many leaders believe that the Brexit vote will cause no significant disruption, but concerns remain within London. Positive sentiment came from nearly half of small and medium sized businesses polled by CitySprint, with over two-thirds of respondents saying that they are either as confident or more confident about trading outlook as this time last year. [...]
Egdon shares flat after increasing stake in North Yorkshire project August 22, 2016 One of only two British shale exploration companies considered "investable" announced this morning that it had increased its stake in a North Yorkshire project. Egdon Resources purchased a further 20 per cent interest in the Kirkleatham gas field near Redcar from DESS Energy. This takes its total stake to 60 per cent. Sam Wahab of Cantor Fitzgerald said that "Egdon remains [...]
ChemChina purchase of Syngenta signed off by US authorities: shares up 12 per cent this morning August 22, 2016 The $43bn (£33bn) Chinese takeover of Syngenta came one step closer after US foreign investment authorities cleared the deal. State-owned chemical company ChemChina is hoping to purchase the Swiss agri-business in what would be the largest foreign acquisition by a Chinese company. Although the news marks the overcoming of a significant hurdle, the deal will next be further scrutinised by anti-trust [...]
