The US economy is losing momentum, according to new business surveys November 16, 2015 The US economy is set for an end-of-year slowdown, according to new survey data published today, with business confidence falling to its lowest level for two years. World Economics’ sales managers' index (SMI) dropped to a score of 54.3 in November – its fourth consecutive monthly fall. Any score above 50 signifies growth, with higher scores [...]
Bitcoin price: More people are now searching for bitcoin than Chinese yuan or Japanese yen – but it can’t match the pound or the dollar November 16, 2015 Bitcoin’s wild surge and fall has had people flocking around the cryptocurrency. Now fresh data reveals that more people are interested in finding out how bitcoin is doing than the Chinese yuan, or renminbi. Google search data shows that more people have been searching for the digital currency than the renminbi over the past month, [...]
Insurance Fraud Bureau: Crash for cash style fraud drops almost £60m in three years as criminals move onto new claims November 16, 2015 Crash for cash style fraud – where people stage motor accidents to claim fraudulently on insurance – has dropped by nearly £60m in the last three years, according to a report by the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) released today. Figures from the fraud-fighting not-for-profit found that the total value of such scams is now worth [...]
Standard & Poor’s: Abrupt climate change could challenge insurance industry November 16, 2015 Insurers could be underestimating how climate change will affect their business, according to a study released today by ratings agency Standard & Poor’s. Miroslav Petkov, director, insurance ratings at Standard & Poor’s, said: “Our analysis indicates that insurers' capital management will be sufficient to manage the additional strain of a reduction of about 0.5 per [...]
Retiring baby boomers creating skills gap headache for more than three-quarters of employers November 16, 2015 More than three-quarters (77 per cent) of finance directors are worried that their business will struggle with skills gaps over the next five years as the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age. Research released today by recruitment consultancy Robert Half found that, of the more than 200 senior finance executives surveyed, 88 per cent were [...]
Barclays: It’s a great time to start a business in the UK November 16, 2015 It’s a great time to start a business in the UK, according to research published by Barclays today. Start-up survival rates are at their highest since Barclay’s began their in-depth Entrepreneurs Index in 2012 while the number of active companies in the UK increased to 3,260,879 in June 2015 – a 3.86 per cent climb on [...]
Paris attacks: Oil prices climb nearly two per cent on Middle East uncertainty November 16, 2015 Oil prices edged up today with analysts attributing the climb to greater uncertainty in the Middle East as a result of the Paris Attacks and the French strikes on Isis targets in Syria. Brent crude – the North Sea benchmark – climbed 1.1 per cent, just creeping past $45 a barrel. The US benchmark, West Texas [...]
Eurozone inflation edges up to 0.1 per cent in October as European Central Bank vice president Vitor Constancio hints at more stimulus measures November 16, 2015 Eurozone inflation ticked up in October, but remains far too weak to deter analysts from betting that stimulus measures will be ramped up – while yet another European Central Bank (ECB) official has strongly hinted the central bank will take further action to boost growth and inflation in the currency-bloc. October’s annual inflation rate was 0.1 [...]
Knight Frank development opportunity areas: These 18 places could experience the highest levels of housebuilding over the next few years November 16, 2015 The Conservatives may have promised a housebuilding revolution during the election – but where will those new homes actually appear? New research by Knight Frank suggests the answer is Manchester and Leeds. The upmarket estate agent has ranked the local authorities which provide the best opportunities for property developers over the next 10 years – and the two areas are [...]
Eurozone recovery unlikely to be derailed by Paris attacks, but long-run growth will depend on political responses, say economists November 16, 2015 The attacks in Paris are unlikely to derail the economic recovery in France and the Eurozone, economists have said, but equities could be hit this week and the longer-term economic outlook is clouded by possible political decisions. "It is obviously likely to significantly hit the Paris economy in the near term, and there could also be a knock-on [...]