Asian markets slide after Chinese house prices disappoint May 19, 2014 Asian markets have suffered declines as weak housing data from China renewed fears that the slowdown in the world's second largest economy could be getting worse. House prices for new homes rose in 44 of 70 cities surveyed last month, compared with 56 cities is March. The People's Bank of China has instructed financial institutions [...]
Vodafone divi takes payouts to new record May 19, 2014 VODAFONE’S world record dividend payout to investors took global payments to a new high last quarter, as ongoing unrest in Ukraine slashed dividends at Russian firms by more than a half, new research claims. The telecoms giant made a special $26bn (£14.5bn) payment to investors on the back of its Verizon Wireless deal, taking the [...]
Three things you didn’t know about… May 19, 2014 UK chairman of public affairs, Weber Shandwick Jon McLeod 1 Jon was a member of “moderately successful” eighties band, The Red Army Choir. They supported New Order when they had Blue Monday in the charts and Peter Hook once warned, “keep your f****** hands off our equipment or I’ll smash your face in.” 2 He’s [...]
Ukraine crisis and warm weather hammer EU-Russia trade May 15, 2014 Trade between Russia and the EU slumped in the first three months of 2014, according to figures to be released by Eurostat on Friday, reports Euractiv. EU imports from Russia dropped nine per cent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, with the volume of Russian imports standing at €49bn (£40bn), [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 15 May 2014 May 14, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Sanctions put squeeze on Russia Russian companies are facing tougher lending restrictions from western banks as sanctions against the country start to bite. Banks are insisting that new loans to Russian businesses that are not directly targeted by sanctions carry clauses forcing immediate repayment or default if sanctions affect those companies. “If someone [...]
Abramovich ups stake in Velocys May 13, 2014 Chelsea football club owner and Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has increased his stake in innovative fuel firm Velocys, boosting his voting share to 5.33 per cent of the company. Velocys works on converting gas into liquid fuels, and has also pioneered research into transforming household waste into useable fuel. Abramovich, acting though Ervington Investments, already [...]
Plea for Ukraine talks marred by violence May 13, 2014 GERMAN foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for talks between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian government yesterday, despite the deaths of seven Ukrainian soldiers in the country’s eastern region. Arriving in Kiev, Steinmeier said that he hoped to launch “round table” discussions and a “national dialogue” which would help to disarm rebel groups and end the [...]
Opec maintains forecast for oil demand in 2014 May 13, 2014 THE ORGANISATION of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) yesterday maintained its forecast for world oil demand growth in 2014 and predicted “a fairly balanced market this year”, ahead of a meeting in Vienna next month to consider adjusting its output target. In its monthly report, Opec maintained its forecast that global oil demand will rise [...]
Markets cool on Germany after Ukraine tension May 13, 2014 INVESTOR confidence in Germany appears to be weakening, with the political crisis in Ukraine helping to send a major index of sentiment to its lowest level since the beginning of 2013. The Zew index for economic sentiment announced yesterday stood at just 33.1 for May. It has now fallen for five months in a row, [...]
Asian markets rise after strong finish on Wall Street May 13, 2014 Asian markets are on the rise as investors welcomed a weaker yen and a strong performance on Wall Street, with US equity indexes climbing to record highs. Japanese car maker Nissan enjoyed strong gains after full-year profits jumped 10 per cent beating analysts' estimates and forecast increasing dividends. Mitsubishi Chemical also rose sharply on reports [...]