May retail sales dip after Easter buying splurge June 19, 2014 Retail sales fell 0.5 per cent between April and May, dipping after the Easter boost to families’ shopping, even with strong growth on the year. Sales by quantity were 3.9 per cent higher last month than in May 2013, and up 1.3 per cent in the three months to May, when compared to the three [...]
London Report: Concern over oil price pushes up London shares June 18, 2014 THE FTSE 100 was up yesterday, with oil companies lifting the market due to high crude prices in the wake of heavy fighting in Iraq, Opec’s second-largest producer. The index closed up 0.2 per cent, or 11.79 points, at 6,778.56 points. Brent crude oil rose towards $114 a barrel as Sunni militants pushed forwards in [...]
UK inflation rate fell to lowest level in five years last month June 17, 2014 Inflation fell to its lowest level in five years this May, coming in at just 1.5 per cent, despite the continued strength of the economic recovery. A 3.2 per cent drop in air fares between April and May, driven by a spike around the Easter school holidays, helped to trim CPI to its slowest growth [...]
Rolls-Royce and airline share price falls put FTSE in a spin June 11, 2014 Trouble in the skies and a reduction in the World Bank’s global forecast and a couple of companies going ex-dividend yesterday brought the FTSE down. The FTSE 100 closed down 34.68 points at 6,838.87, a fall of 0.50 per cent. The cancellation of Emirates Airlines’ major order for 70 new Airbus A350s hit shares of [...]
Justin King’s final curtain: Sainsbury’s CEO goes out on sliding sales June 11, 2014 It is chief executive Justin King’s last set of results, and Sainsbury's has reported a 1.1 per cent fall in like-for-like sales – in line with expectations. Including fuel, they dropped 2.4 per cent in the 12 weeks to 7 June. But shares have risen by as much as two per cent this morning. Darren [...]
Indian President says reducing inflation is Modi’s primary task June 9, 2014 COMBATING India’s elevated inflation will be the priority of the incoming government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a statement of its principles by the country’s President yesterday. “We will work together to usher our economy into a high growth path, rein in inflation, reignite the investment cycle, accelerate job creation and restore the [...]
Shop prices still falling as retail enters second year of deflation June 3, 2014 PRICES have now been falling for over a year in Britain’s shops, according to figures released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen today, with the continued recovery still putting little pressure on price tags. The BRC/Nielsen index registered a 1.4 per cent decline in prices overall. Food prices rose by 0.7 per cent, [...]
Euro inflation drops ahead of likely rate cut June 3, 2014 INFLATION across the Eurozone dropped in May, according to official figures released yesterday, giving the European Central Bank (ECB) its last price data before a major decision on interest rates tomorrow. Consumer prices in the Eurozone rose by just 0.5 per cent in the year to May, the joint-lowest increase since 2009. Inflation was similarly [...]
Why India’s political earthquake is the most significant turning point of 2014 May 19, 2014 GENOA – I find myself in this predictably beautiful Italian city, about to visit the house of Christopher Columbus. Like most American schoolchildren, I remember finding the fact that Columbus discovered the new world by mistake uproariously funny, as the “Admiral of the Ocean Sea” literally bumped into the Americas, sitting annoyingly in the way [...]
Why India’s political earthquake is the most significant turning point of 2014 May 18, 2014 GENOA – I find myself in this predictably beautiful Italian city, about to visit the house of Christopher Columbus. Like most American schoolchildren, I remember finding the fact that Columbus discovered the new world by mistake uproariously funny, as the “Admiral of the Ocean Sea” literally bumped into the Americas, sitting annoyingly in the way [...]