UK’s surge in renminbi trading cements European hub status August 26, 2014 The UK is fast become the dominant European hub for renminbi trading, with payments in the Chinese currency more than doubling in size over the last year. Data from currency trackers Swift show that renminbi trading in the UK has surged, rising by 123.6 per cent in the year to July. Activity in Germany has [...]
Dish of the Day: The Noodle House’s Pad Thai August 21, 2014 The Noodle House opened on Shaftebusry Avenue in April. Ambitious head chef Dariusz Dziadkiewicz aims to give customers a taster of the diverse food of South East Asia, from curries, to noodles to spicy broths. The restaurant serves seven different types of noodle and 17 blends of herbal tea. I joined The Noodle House [...]
Glencore share price rises as mining giant gives $1bn buyback to shareholders August 20, 2014 Mining and commodities giant Glencore kept to its commitment to reward shareholders as it announced a $1bn share buyback yesterday, with shares rising on the news and strong first-half results that saw its profits rise above expectations. The Switzerland based firm, founded in 1974, saw its underlying profit rise by eight per cent to [...]
BHP Billiton demerger share price drop: Worth digging past the disappointment – Bottom Line August 19, 2014 Plans for a leaner, meaner and more profitable mining giant drew little love from investors yesterday. It was easy to see why – but that doesn’t mean the prospects for a slimmed-down BHP Billiton aren’t shiny. The air of disappointment that saw BHP’s shares fall nearly five per cent over the day was down largely [...]
Deepening concerns for Chinese economy as 64 cities report falling property prices in July August 18, 2014 The Chinese property market’s slowdown is starting to alarm analysts, with more cities now reporting falling prices than at any time since at least a decade ago. Official figures showed that prices were falling in 64 cities during July, against only two cities where prices were rising. Prices in Beijing also dropped for the first [...]
How to handle “Do you have any questions?” in a job interview August 8, 2014 “So do you have any questions for us?” This is not a polite way to end the interview and usher you out of the room quickly before they cross you off their list. It is another interview question and should be treated as such. It is also a huge chance to move from defensive “I” [...]
Apple and Samsung scale back global smartphone patent war August 6, 2014 Global tech titans Samsung and Apple have agreed a truce to drop all litigation between the two smartphone giants outside the US. The deal means that legal battles between the two companies, over the rights to the technology used in their rival iPhone and Galaxy smartphones, will end in nine countries, including the UK, Germany [...]
Chinese services PMI at its lowest since records began August 5, 2014 The Chinese services purchasing managers' index came in at 50.0 for July, its lowest reading since data collation began in November 2005. According to research by HSBC and Markit, the sector was stagnant as a result of slowing market conditions in the property sector. Any reading above 50.0 indicates growth, and this is the first [...]
Lend Lease to build homes at dockyards site August 4, 2014 AUSTRALIAN property and industrials giant Lend Lease is to build 905 new homes in east London after agreeing to buy the former dockyards site in Deptford from City & Provincial Properties. Lend Lease has been ramping up its exposure to London’s housing market and began work last year on its £1.5bn regeneration of Elephant & [...]
UK bank credit lags G7 as BRIC credit explodes August 3, 2014 UK BANK lending to the private sector is still well behind the average for G7 countries, while that in developing economies has surged, according to research published this morning. Data compiled by UHY Hacker Young shows that, taking inflation into account, British bank lending to private sector companies dropped by another 2.24 per cent in [...]