FTSE 100 falls on last day of 2015 December 31, 2015 Britain's blue-chip index was down 0.13 per cent at 6,266.14 points in the final half day trading session of 2015. Elsewhere, the French Cac was 4,663.42 points lower while the German Dax was closed for a public holiday. The FTSE 100 has failed to reach a record high hit in April, partly due to the market turmoil bought about by concerns over [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 index closes down on commodities and banks December 30, 2015 The FTSE 100 index closed down today over renewed fears of weakness in commodity markets and concerns over bank stocks after reports the Chinese central bank suspended a number of foreign banks from conducting some foreign exchange business. The UK's top blue-chip index shut 0.64 per cent down at 6,274 points, led lower by Glencore, [...]
Bank shares fall after China’s central bank suspends at least three banks from some foreign exchange business, reports December 30, 2015 Bank stocks took a hit in early afternoon trading after the Chinese central bank suspended at least three foreign banks from conducting some foreign exchange business, according to reports. Shares in Royal Bank of Scotland were down 1.81 per cent at 304.5p per share, while HSBC shares fell 1.52 per cent to 536.35p per share and Standard [...]
Six free online courses to improve your career prospects in 2016 – from learning Chinese to the art of persuasion December 29, 2015 New year, new you? Resolutions for 2016 don't always have to be long-winded, life changing or expensive. One of the simplest ways to kick start the year is to look at how you can edge ahead in the career jungle to improve your job prospects in 2016. And what better way than by learning a [...]
The five most important books Mark Zuckerberg read during his “A Year of Books” December 28, 2015 Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg this year set himself a personal challenge: To read a new book every other week in what he termed A Year of Books. Read more: Three of the best business books to read this Christmas "Reading has given me more perspective on a number of topics – from science to religion, from poverty to [...]
Sport, cosmetics and the internet: Why it’s time for investors to be more mature about China December 24, 2015 It’s not hard to find bad news stories about China's economy. China's stock market has plummeted 40 per cent from its peak, iron ore prices have collapsed by 75 per cent, Macau gaming revenue has halved in two years, luxury goods profit warnings abound and the yuan has been devalued. While the quality of official gross domestic [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 index makes strong gains on the back of commodities December 23, 2015 The FTSE 100 index closed sharply higher on Wednesday, with the bounce-back led by mining companies with oil companies not far behind. The UK's top blue-chip index closed 2.6 per cent up at 6,240 points, as the dead cat bounce in resources continued. "Stock markets have been encouraged by a stabilisation in commodity prices which has picked up [...]
Chick sexer, train pusher, beer smeller: The eight weirdest jobs you can apply for in 2016 December 23, 2015 Want a new direction for your career in the new year? How about becoming a chick sexer? With January just around the corner, plenty of us start thinking about a fresh start. But maybe these weren’t exactly the dream jobs you had in mind. From beer sniffer to train pusher, CV site StandOut CV has [...]
Christmas quiz 2015: How much do you remember of the year in business, politics and economics? December 23, 2015 Deloitte chief economist Ian Stewart asks some of the trickiest business, politics and economics questions of the year. Answers can be found below. 1 According to the OECD, Mexicans work the longest hours. In 2014, the average Mexican worker put in 2,228 hours, equivalent to a 43-hour working week with no holidays. Which country’s workers [...]
Luxury stocks including LVMH, Burberry and Kering have fallen out of favour: These days, it’s all about the stratospheric rise of Greggs’ sausage rolls December 22, 2015 Is this the end of luxury? It's certainly been a tough year for the most luxurious of brands, thanks in part to the slowdown in China, one of the fastest growing consumer markets. Options trader Banc de Binary has tracked the performance of some of the most high-end brands, including Kering, which owns Gucci, Balenciaga and [...]