The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK retail sales beat forecasts in September, led by spending on electrical goods such as laptop computers. According to the Statistics Office, sales rose by 0.6% last month, reversing the 0.4% fall in August. Furthermore, the figure was 0.6% higher on an annual basis. Retail sales [...]
Figures today have revealed Ireland’s economy continued to see growth in the April to June period. According to the Central Statistics Office, the economy grew by a better than expected 1.6% in the three-month period and this follows a revised 1.9% growth rate in the first quarter. This represents the first time since 2006 that [...]
London-based emerging markets bank, Standard Chartered, has today posted half-year pre-tax profits of $3.6 billion (£2.2 billion) – a rise of 17% compared with the same period a year ago. The figures represented its ninth consecutive first half of record profits and beat expectations of $3.47 billion. The bank, which has a strong presence in [...]
Wall Street banking giant Morgan Stanley has today reported a rise in quarter two revenues – beating forecasts. The US bank reported a 17% rise in revenues for the three months to the end of June totalling $9.3 billion (£5.7 billion) – up from $8 billion in the same period a year ago. However, the [...]
US banking giant Citigroup reported a 24% rise in second quarter profits as losses were reduced from bad loans. The bank, which is in the third largest in the US, reported net income of $3.34 billion (£2.07 billion) in the three month period to the end of June. The results beat market forecasts and represented [...]
The US banking reporting season has got off to a good start today after JP Morgan reported a 13% increase in profits to $5.4 billion (£3.3 billion) – exceeding analysts’ expectations. Furthermore, revenues were 7% higher in the three months to the end of June at $27.4 billion. The good performance comes despite losses from [...]
Official figures today revealed New Zealand’s economy surged in the January to March period despite the devastating earthquake which hit Christchurch, the country’s second largest city, on 22 February. The economy grew by 0.8% in the three month period – the fastest pace for over a year, according to Statistics New Zealand. The figure was [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK industrial output grew at its fastest rate since March 2010 last month after plunging in April due to the Royal Wedding and the impact of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, which disrupted the supply chain. April’s fall represented the biggest since August 2009. However, output rose [...]
Official data from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) today revealed UK house prices rose by 0.3% in February compared with January, with the average UK home costing £204,164. On an annual basis, house prices rose 0.7% – beating expectations for a 0.1% rise. The data from the DCLG is based on mortgage [...]
British retailing giant Marks and Spencer (M&S) has today reported like-for-like sales, which strip out new store openings, grew 0.1% in the 13 week period to 2 April. The figures were marginally better than expected and sent shares up 13.3p today to 353.5p. The 127-year-old retailer which sells clothes, food and homewares said general merchandise [...]
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS)/Markit construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) has today revealed UK construction activity eased slightly in March. The PMI edged lower to 56.4 in March, from February’s 8-month high of 56.5 – albeit better than forecasts of 54.8. However, the index remains above the crucial 50 mark, which indicates [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK manufacturing output bounced back in January after December’s weather related fall. According to the ONS, manufacturing output rose 1% in January – its fastest monthly pace in 10 months. It also beat analysts expectations who forecast a rise of 0.8%. In the meantime, output was [...]
Japanese core private-sector machinery orders – a highly volatile series seen as an indicator of corporate spending – rose 4.2% in January on a monthly basis – easily beating expectations of a 3.1% increase. The increase in orders represented the second consecutive monthly rise, according to the Cabinet Office, and follows December’s 1.7% rise and [...]
Statistics Korea today said South Korea’s industrial output has expanded at its fastest pace since September 2009. Output grew by 4.6% in January compared with December, while on an annual basis, output grew by 13.7% – much higher than the 10.6% annual gain posted in December. The figures easily beat analysts expectations of a 1.4% [...]
Taylor Wimpey, which was formed by the merger of Taylor Woodrow and George Wimpey, today said it had returned to profitability but remains cautious. The housebuilder, which is the country’s third largest by value, said pre-tax profit before exceptional items came in at £75.1 million for the 2010 year – against a loss of £96.1 [...]
The Bank of England has today revealed mortgage approvals rose in January. According to the Bank, there were 45,723 loans approved in the month, up from December’s 42,719 – a month when the country was hit by the coldest weather in more than a century. The level of approvals easily beat analysts forecasts of a [...]
A monthly survey by the European Commission has reported a rise in euro zone economic sentiment in February. The Indicator rose to 107.8 in February, up from 106.8 in January and exceeded forecasts of a reading of 106.8. In a statement, the Commission said: “The ESI (Economic Sentiment Indicator) is now above its long-term average [...]
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has revealed sales of previously owned homes in the US rose in January. The industry body said sales grew 2.7% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.36 million units – beating forecasts of 5.23 million units. Sales were also up 5.3% compared with January 2010 levels. [...]
The latest survey from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) has revealed a rise in US factory output. According to the ISM, the manufacturing activity index rose to 60.8 in January, from December’s 58.5. The reading, which was the highest since May 2004, was better than analysts expected and drove US stocks up to a [...]
M&S Money launches 3% cash ISA
M&S Money has launched an Advantage Cash ISA paying 3 per cent, and which allows transfers in from other ISAs. It can be opened with a minimum deposit of £100 lump sum followed by minimum monthly deposits of £25. The 3% rate is variable, but there is no short-term bonus so the return won’t plummet [...]
Google suspends UK Compare Mortgages site
Google has closed its UK mortgage comparison site which it launched in July last year, after it proved to be less popular than expected. Mortgage comparison sites are designed to allow visitors to compare mortgages quickly and easily without having to visit each lender’s individual site. Google was competing with several well-established comparison sites, including [...]
AA launches ‘black-box’ policy for young drivers
The AA is launching an innovative car insurance policy called Drivesafe which could help younger drivers save up to £850 a year. Younger drivers already pay substantially higher premiums than other motorists and these costs are increasing. A new study by Confused.com suggests insurance costs for younger driver have gone up by 5.7 per cent [...]
ATOL scheme updated to protect online bookers
ATOL, a financial protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, is being extended to protect up to six million more holidays a year. The scheme ensures that holiday makers do not lose out financially if a travel company collapses, and that they are not stranded abroad. An increase in the number of holidays booked [...]
Home repossessions lowest for four years
The number of UK homes repossessed fell to 36,200 in 2011, significantly below the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ forecast of 40,000, and lower than 2010 when 37,100 homes were repossessed. With interest rates remaining low and lenders adopting a sympathetic attitude to customers in financial difficulty, repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007. However, [...]
Monthly pay lasting just 17 days
Workers are running out of money just 17 days after receiving their monthly pay, according to new research by the Halifax bank. This means that the average UK worker spends half the month worrying about money. The study, based on the responses of more than 2,000 adults, found that 10 per cent of workers start [...]
Women disadvantaged by auto-enrolment changes
Government proposals to increase the auto-enrolment threshold to £10,000 could put 1.8 million women at risk of missing out on a pension, the TUC has warned. Under the auto-enrolment scheme, which will be phased in from October, private sector employers will automatically enrol workers between the age of 22 years and the state pension age, [...]
Emergency household repairs company Homeserve is taking longer than expected to get back on track after its operations were suspended last October. The company expected customer numbers to fall by 5% this year but it has increased this estimate to 8% and announced the loss of 200 jobs. It estimates that renewal revenue in 2013 [...]
Sale rumoured for Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks
There is growing speculation that National Australia Bank (NAB) may sell Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank after the Australian parent company announced a strategic review of the two banks’ operations. The Australian economy is performing well and NAB reported strong profits for the final quarter of 2011 but with the UK economy at a virtual [...]
More women experiencing debt difficulties
Women in Debt, which offers female-focused debt advice, has warned that the number of UK women facing serious debt has grown significantly over recent years. The organisation believes that more women will need advice on solving debt problems in the future because they are building up an unsustainable level of indebtedness. Women in Debt’s director, [...]
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