National Grid kicks off sale of UK gas distribution business November 10, 2015 UK power operator National Grid has kicked off the process of flogging a majority stake in its gas distribution business. The figures The UK electricity and natural gas operator reported a 21 per cent jump in its adjusted pre-tax profits, up from £1.14bn to £1.37bn, in the six months to 30 September. Earnings per share were also up [...]
Sharm el-Sheikh Metrojet A321 Russian airliner plane crash raises concerns over airport security costs November 10, 2015 Thousands of tourists stranded in the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh are continuing to be brought home this morning, amid concerns businesses could have to absorb the cost of increased security. The foreign secretary Philip Hammond said that if the crash in Egypt is found to have been caused by a bomb, increased security at airports [...]
Cranes fill London’s skyline as office building activity hits seven-year high November 10, 2015 Building activity in central London has jumped by 28 per cent in the last six months to a reach a seven-year high, according to data released today. Deloitte Real Estate’s latest Crane Survey, which tracks building activity across the capital, said there were 26 new starts in the period totalling three million square feet and [...]
Hunger Games production firm Lionsgate posts $42m loss for the third quarter November 9, 2015 Lionsgate, the company that produced the Hunger Games, American Pscycho and the gruesome Saw series, recorded a loss of $42.1m (£27.9m) in the three months to September. The company posted a profit of $20.8m during the same period a year ago. However, the firm expects a twist in the tale with Orange is the New Black and the [...]
Equities may not survive aggressive dollar – eToro Tips & Picks November 9, 2015 There is only one place to start this week, and that’s the jobs report. Given all the attention on last week’s stellar non-farm payroll report, however, many have overlooked the average earnings reading, despite it being far more important at this point in time. It now looks likely that Janet Yellen will increase interest [...]
E.on slapped with £7m fine over failure to supply customers with smart meters November 9, 2015 Utility giant E.on will be fined £7m by the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority for failing to supply its business customers with smart meters. The Big Six supplier has agreed to pay the fine to the Carbon Trust for missing an April deadline to ensure 20,000 of its eligible business users had access to the energy-saving [...]
Tinder, OKCupid and PlentyofFish owner Match Group seeks valuation of $3.8bn in stock market float November 9, 2015 Match Group, the owner of dating sites Match and OK Cupid as well as dating app Tinder, is seeking a valuation of as much as $3.8bn (£2.5m) in its initial public offering. The group plans to sell 14 per cent of the company in 33.3m shares at a price between $12 and $14, meaning it could [...]
Financial Stability Board unveils $1.19 trillion plan to prevent “too big to fail” November 9, 2015 The world's biggest banks could be forced to issue as much as $1.19 trillion (£790bn) in bonds by 2022 under new regulations set out earlier today. The Financial Stability Board (FSB), which was set up by the G20 after the financial crisis to coordinate regulation across the group’s economies, published the new rules for the [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 taken lower by Glencore and InterContinental Hotels Group November 9, 2015 The FTSE 100 ended Monday's trading session lower, taken down by utility and mining companies as well as InterContinental Hotels Group. The blue chip share index closed 0.92 per cent lower at 6,295. InterContinental Hotels Group, one of the world's largest hoteliers, saw its share price fall 4.83 per cent during the day to 2,640p per share, [...]
Volkswagen downgraded to BBB+ by Fitch Ratings over emissions test scandal November 9, 2015 Troubled car manufacturer Volkswagen’s credit rating has been downgraded by Fitch Ratings to BBB+, from A. Fitch has also given the car maker a negative outlook. The ratings agency highlighted the recent emissions test scandal, which is now thought to have affected up to 11m of diesel vehicles, as the main driver behind the downgrade. In particular, VW’s corporate [...]