Which countries eat the most ice cream in the world? Here’s the scoop July 23, 2015 Things are changing in the delicious world of ice cream. The Chinese are warming up to the icy delights of the classic treat and have just stolen the crown from the US as the biggest consumers of the treat in the world, licking up more than 5.9m litres of the stuff in 2014. The change [...]
The end of China’s migrant miracle could see global asset prices plunge July 22, 2015 China’s meteoric economic transformation has brought billions of workers out of poverty and into the global labour market. But recent discussion has raised the possibility that China’s “migrant miracle” (fuelled by the influx of people from the countryside to work in the cities) could now be over as the so-called “Lewis point” is reached – [...]
Apple’s chip maker Arm’s share price has dropped, despite upping its dividend by 25 per cent July 22, 2015 Apple's chip maker Arm Holdings's share price dipped this morning, despite upping its interim dividend 25 per cent after being buoyed by yet another strong quarter. The figures: Group revenues for the second quarter were up 15 per cent year-on-year in dollar terms, or 22 per cent in sterling. Most of that came from [...]
Commodities crash to 11-year low as deflation fears grow: Latest price slump complicates backdrop for interest rate hikes July 20, 2015 Global commodity prices have slumped amid a glut of supply and low demand – and now experts are foreseeing the prospect of deflation in the West. A basket of commodities measured by the Bloomberg commodities index has fallen to an 11-year low, and the index is down 42 per cent since its peak in [...]
New Zealand dollar: Rock star no longer – CNBC Comment July 20, 2015 It’s that time of the year again – the excitement of the Ashes is palpable. There are a lot of cricket fans in my office and, although I can’t count myself as one of them, a crash course has taught me that the Antipodean teams often win. Indeed, Sunday marked a crushing defeat for England [...]
Europe should rediscover its confidence in battling against China’s protectionism July 19, 2015 “Giving people self-confidence is by far the most important thing I can do. Because then they will act.” – former GE chief executive Jack Welch Beyond doubt, we are not living through a golden age for Europe. But just as feckless champions of the EU as a superpower have been found intellectually wanting, so [...]
Bungles and blunders: From the life insurance scandal to confusion over HSBC, here are Financial Conduct Authority boss Martin Wheatley’s worst moments July 17, 2015 As Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) chief executive Martin Wheatley takes his final bow, many in the City will be celebrating – after all, this is the man who famously promised to “shoot first and ask questions later” when it came to regulating the finance sector. Read more: George Osborne ousts Wheatley from the FCA [...]
Burberry share price hit by slower trade in Hong Kong July 15, 2015 British fashion brand Burberry hopes to head off deceleration in the Hong Kong market with a variety of cost-reducing moves, including possible job cuts and downsizing. The company reported an eight per cent uplift in retail revenue to £407m in the first quarter of 2015. Shares in the group were down by 2.59 [...]
Chinese economic growth steady July 15, 2015 CHINA’S economic growth held steady from April to June, equalling its slowest growth since the global financial crisis. The economy was seven per cent bigger than it was during the same period last year, according to figures released by the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics yesterday. The economy has struggled to achieve the double-digit growth [...]
Dairy Crest finds the right baby formula as project nears finish line July 14, 2015 Dairy Crest said yesterday that is was near to completing a project to make two crucial ingredients found in baby formula that it seeks to sell into the £7bn Chinese market. The Cathedral cheese-maker struck a deal with New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra last year to sell whey – the key ingredient in baby formula [...]