Eurozone ‘remains close to stagnation’ amid manufacturing slump November 6, 2019 The Eurozone remains close to stagnation, according to a fresh set of gloomy manufacturing figures released this morning. The bloc’s rate of growth was among the weakest seen in the past six-and-a-half years during October, underlining fears of a slowdown in some of Europe’s biggest economies. Read more: UK economy to hit decade-low even with [...]
SocGen profit slumps amid major restructuring November 6, 2019 Societe Generale has posted a steep drop in profit for the third quarter of this year, missing analyst expectations amid a major restructuring effort. The bank reported net profit of €854m (£734m) for the three month period, dropping almost 35 per cent when compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expected a net income [...]
Insurance industry must improve corporate culture, Bank of England warns November 5, 2019 The Bank of England sent out a warning to insurance bosses today, demanding that they improve workplace culture following a spate of sexual harassment revelations. In a “dear CEO” letter written to corporate heavyweights in the insurance industry, the Bank’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) flagged recent instances of alleged abuse as of “deep concern”. Read [...]
Labour Party’s four-day week to cost ‘at least £17bn’ November 5, 2019 Labour Party proposals for a four-day week would cost the taxpayer at least £17bn, according to a new report. Cutting the working week to 32 hours for public sector employers would result in an expansion of the workforce that could cost the Treasury between £17bn and £45bn, the Centre for Policy Studies has warned. Analysis [...]
FTSE 100 climbs higher on US-China trade war hopes as pound slips November 5, 2019 The FTSE 100 opened higher as it mirrored a rise in Asian markets and Wall Street overnight amid growing optimism over US-China trade negotiations. Buoyed by reports that President Trump may remove tariffs from some Chinese goods, Japan’s Nikkei climbed 1.8 per cent while China’s Shanghai Composite moved 0.5 per cent higher. Read more: US [...]
Xerox to sell off stake in Fuji Xerox for $2.3bn November 5, 2019 Xerox has sold off its 25 per cent holding in Fuji Xerox, bringing an end to one of the largest and oldest cross-border partnerships between a Japanese and US firm. Fujifilm has snapped up Xerox’s stake in Fuji Xerox, giving Fujifilm complete control of the company. Read more: Ousted McDonalds CEO is allowed to keep [...]
Primark bounce helps offset sugar slump at ABF November 5, 2019 Ingredients group Associated British Food posted a slight rise in profit for the last 12 months, as a strong showing in fashion arm Primark offset a sharp slowdown in its embattled sugar business. Shares in the FTSE 100 group climbed four per cent to 2,329p in early morning trading. The figures Adjusted operating profit hit [...]
UK PLCs suffer ‘worst quarterly results in years’ November 4, 2019 The UK’s publicly listed companies have suffered their worst quarter on average in nearly three years, according to a new report. More than half of UK firms listed on the main market have reported lower profits for the second consecutive quarter, collectively falling 4.5 per cent in the first drop since 2016. Read more: ECB [...]
Santander takes majority stake in Ebury for £350m November 4, 2019 Santander has snapped up a majority stake in UK-based fintech firm Ebury for £350m. The Spanish bank’s acquisition of a 50.1 per cent holding in the firm comes as part of a wider effort to target more growth from SMEs. Read more: Debate – will Uber’s move into banking succeed or fail? Ebury, which operates [...]
FTSE 100 and European stocks leap on trade deal optimism November 4, 2019 European markets including the FTSE 100 opened higher this morning, as traders began the week with growing optimism over the current US-China trade war. London’s blue-chip index rose 1.1 per cent to 7,384 points in morning trading, while the Dax and the Cac also made similar gains. Read more: Volatile markets boost TP Icap revenues [...]
