The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has today revealed sales of previously owned homes fell more than expected in October, following two months of strong gains. The industry body said sales fell 2.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual unit rate of 4.43 million units, down from September’s 4.53 million units. Commenting on today’s figures, Lawrence [...]
Official data today revealed Japan’s economy grew strongly in the July to September period after the expiry of a Government incentive prompted a rush of car buyers and a sharp rise in cigarette sales before a new tobacco tax was levied. In addition, the hottest summer ever boosted sales of air conditioners and other related [...]
Germany’s largest bank, Deutsche Bank, today saw its shares fall after issuing a profit warning. The banking giant said its takeover of retail bank, Postbank, would lead to a €2.3 billion loss. Shares fell 8% to €41.12 on the news. In order to fund the takeover, the bank has launched a €10 billion (£8.1 billion) [...]
Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, has today announced its profits for the July to September period and has exceeded analysts expectations, which led to an 8% rise in its shares in pre-market trading to $28.68. The software giant, which released its new Windows 7 operating system yesterday, said net profit came in at $3.57 [...]
At 0930 BST today, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will release UK GDP figures for the third quarter. If the UK economy experiences positive growth in the July to September period, it will mean the economy has exited recession. If not, it will be the first time the UK has endured six consecutive quarters [...]
Swedish telecoms equipment firm Ericsson has today reported a worse-than-expected 71.5% fall in profits in the July to September period. The Stockholm-based group said net profit was 810 million kronor (£71.2 million), compared with a 2.84 billion kronor in the same period a year earlier. In the same period, sales were down by 5.6% to [...]
Online search giant Yahoo has posted its quarter three profits today and exceeded analysts expectations, suggesting that advertisers are spending again. Yahoo said it earned $186 million (£113.6 million) in the July to September period, more than treble the $54 million earned in the same period of 2008. Since chief executive Carol Bartz took over [...]
Morgan Stanley has struck a deal with investment manager Invesco which will see the US bank sell its retail asset management business for $1.5 billion (£913 million) in stock and cash. The purchase price includes $500 million in cash and $1 billion in stock. Morgan Stanley is to acquire a 9.4% equity stake in Invesco, [...]
The world’s largest phone maker, Nokia, has today posted a loss for the July to September period sending its shares falling 4% as the market digested the news. The group said it made a net loss of €913 million (£838 million) for the period, compared with a profit of €1.1 billion in the same period [...]
There has been mixed news today across the Atlantic after banking giant Goldman Sachs exceeded analysts expectations while Citigroup posted a quarterly loss. Goldman Sachs said net earnings for the third quarter were $3.19 billion (£1.96 billion), compared with $845 million in the same period a year ago (prior to the collapse of Lehman Brothers). [...]
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has cast doubt over the UK’s exit from recession in the third quarter. Many reports are suggesting that the UK will emerge from recession in the July to September, however the leading business group said while business confidence has strengthened, the economy was still “frail”. Recently, there has been [...]
Electronics retailer Philips has today exceeded market forecasts by posting bumper third quarter results but said it remains cautious about the short-term. The group’s cost-cutting programme meant it made a profit of €174 million (£161.4 million) in the July and September period – more than treble the €57 million in the same quarter a year [...]
Figures from the US Commerce Department have revealed today that the US economy contracted at its fastest pace in the July to September period, since the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks 7 years ago. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is used as a measure of economic health, fell by 0.5% in the third quarter, [...]
The State Information Centre is predicting that the Chinese economy is set to stabilise and will see growth of 10.2% in the third quarter – slightly higher than the 10.1% rise in the second quarter. Growth has slowed this year, down from 11.9% in 2007 due to falling global demand and measures by the Government [...]
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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