At the close: FTSE 100 index closes down on Sports Direct, Old Mutual December 10, 2015 The FTSE 100 index slid in Thursday's trading despite gains by Glencore as both Sports Direct and Old Mutual tumbled. The index closed 0.63 per cent down at 6,088 points. Sports Direct slumped after Mike Ashley's retailer posted underwhelming first half results and the company was criticised for staff working conditions. Group revenue ticking up 0.1 per cent to £1.43bn, [...]
As Tesco’s share price drops to an 18-year low, it’s clear the rollercoaster ride will continue for some time yet December 10, 2015 Tesco has turned back time this week, with its share price dropping to an 18-year low. The less said about what was going on in 1997 the better – instead, we turn our focus to the rollercoaster ride that is the UK's largest retailer. Dave Lewis has certainly ushered in some change, but given where Tesco's [...]
Tesco share price falls to an 18-year low: What was going on last time it was this low? December 10, 2015 Shares in embattled supermarket Tesco ended at an 18-year low yesterday, having closed down 2.27 per cent to 153.00p per share. The declines are part of an ongoing saga that the retailer has been battling for over a year now, but the failure of the top team to get to grips with the issues has led to [...]
‘Tis the season to slack off: Why your month-long Christmas holiday is bad for everyone December 9, 2015 "I will be out of the office travelling and attending events and seminars until 4 January 2016. I will only have intermittent access to email.” I received this remarkable auto-reply on 4 December from a senior marketing executive in a large bank. Unless you are an academic, why would you need to spend an [...]
EU-wide cap on credit and debit card fees could save businesses money – but customers miss out thanks to slashed rewards programmes December 9, 2015 A new EU-wide cap on credit and debit card fees intended to save consumers cash may have unforseen consequences, experts have warned. The cap on how much credit and debit card companies can charge retailers, which went into effect today, limits fees on credit card payments to 0.30 per cent of the transaction value. Fees [...]
Sainsbury’s, Asda, Tesco and Morrisons will all cut petrol prices as oil falls below $40 a barrel December 9, 2015 Oil prices plunging below $40 a barrel for the first time since February 2009 may have thrown the markets, but it’s good news for consumers, as the price of petrol may fall to £1 a litre for Christmas. The RAC estimates that the average price of unleaded petrol will fall by 3p in the next [...]
Oil price drags on the FTSE 100 as airlines takeoff – London Report December 8, 2015 OPEC’S failure on Friday to agree to curb oil production weighed yesterday on the FTSE 100 index. The cartel failed to reach agreement despite a global supply glut and the strength of the dollar, which is leading to the collapse of global oil prices, with the resulting uncertainty hitting stock markets. The FTSE 100 closed [...]
Your new must-have gadget is already in your attic – CNBC Comment December 8, 2015 It’s finally happened. As well as my ever-expanding waistline and retreating hairline, there’s been an important development in my life. In the last few weeks, a sizeable chunk of wall space in my living room has been taken up by a collection of 12-inch LPs, and a rather weighty hi-fidelity music system complete with a [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 index closes down on oil companies December 7, 2015 The FTSE 100 index closed down today as oil companies were hit after the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries failed to agree to curb production. Opec failed to agree on curbing production despite a global supply glut and the strength of the dollar, which is leading to the collapse of oil prices, with the resulting uncertainty [...]
Tesco’s getting into vinyl and will start selling records by Coldplay, George Ezra and classics from the Beatles, and Nirvana December 6, 2015 Music fans worried that the spectre of streaming is killing off the music industry, relax – here's one sign that vinyl still holds a place in people's hearts Now, along with supermarket staples such as bread and milk, shoppers can add the sounds of Coldplay, The Rolling Stones and Radiohead to there shopping basket, in LP format. [...]