New US jobless claims rise more than forecast July 25, 2013 THE NUMBER of Americans claiming for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, in a sign that the US economic recovery may be slower than initially thought. Initial claims for jobless benefits increased by 7,000 to 343,000, according to new official data from the US Labor Department today. Analysts had expected a smaller rise [...]
UK GDP grows by 0.6pc in second quarter July 25, 2013 UK GDP grew by 0.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2013, in line with analysts’ expectations, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics today. The services sector grew by 0.6 per cent, while construction increased by 0.9 per cent quarter-on-quarter. While the figures are an encouraging sign for sustained growth [...]
Unilever sales disappoint as emerging markets growth slows July 25, 2013 CONSUMER goods giant Unilever today posted underlying sales growth of five per cent in the second quarter of the year, falling short of forecasts, due to a slowdown in emerging markets. Emerging markets grew at 10.3 per cent, slightly down on 10.4 per cent in the previous quarter, while developed markets fell 1.3 per cent. [...]
Rolls-Royce profits rise 34pc July 25, 2013 ENGINEERING firm Rolls-Royce today posted a 34 per cent increase in underlying pre-tax profits to £840m for the first half of the year. Revenue rose 27 per cent to £7.3bn and shareholder dividends rose 13 per cent to 8.6p per share. Chief executive John Rishton said that while “good progress” had been made, “it is [...]
BT Sport signs up half a million pre-launch July 25, 2013 TELECOMS company BT today said more than half a million households have ordered its new sports offering to challenge Sky Sports, as it reports a smaller than expected decline in first quarter profit and revenue. BT Sport is being launched in August as part of the British firm’s plan to compete with Sky and [...]
China scandal will hit business, warns GSK chief July 24, 2013 GLAXOSMITHKLINE’S business will inevitably be impacted by the Chinese bribery allegations, the pharmaceuticals firm’s chief executive said today. Sir Andrew Whitty told reporters at the second-quarter results presentation that GSK plans to commission an independent review into the scandal, adding that he was ready to go to China “when it is the right moment”. He [...]
Carphone Warehouse sales rise despite French decline July 24, 2013 CARPHONE Warehouse today posted a 10.6 per cent increase in first-quarter sales, despite a 15.1 per cent revenue decline in its joint venture Virgin Mobile France. The mobile retailer said that its UK division benefited from the continued shift towards high-end smartphones, which drive higher revenue per connection. Fierce competition in the French market and [...]
Hope for Eurozone as private sector order book hits 18-month high July 24, 2013 MANUFACTURING and services orders in the Eurozone expanded for the first time since January 2012, according to new data released today. The Markit Purchasing Managers’ composite index – which measures the outlook of the manufacturing and services industry – hit 50.4 in July, up from 48.7 in June. A figure above 50 denotes growth rather [...]
Summer weather warms up Kingfisher sales July 24, 2013 KINGFISHER, the home improvement retailer that owns B&Q, today unveiled a 5.2 per cent increase in sales over the quarter, helped by improved weather conditions. Sales in the UK and Ireland rose 3.6 per cent, while sales of outdoor and seasonal products rose by nearly 20 per cent, representing almost 40 per cent of total [...]
EasyJet third-quarter revenues soar over 10pc July 24, 2013 EASYJET today posted a 10.5 per cent jump in third revenues to £1.1bn, attributed to increased capacity and improvement in revenue per seat. The budget airline forecast pre-tax profits for the full year to be between £450m and £480m, compared to £317m last year. “EasyJet has delivered a strong performance in the third quarter in [...]
