Apple commits to Ireland expansion despite looming EU tax ruling November 11, 2015 Apple has said it is committed to its operations in Ireland regardless of the outcome of an investigation into its tax affairs. “You can tell by our announcement today, we’re all in,” Apple chief executive Tim Cook told Irish national broadcaster RTE after the company announced it was creating 1,000 new jobs in the country [...]
Eurozone asset purchases could be ramped up in December, says European Central Bank’s Benoit Coeure November 11, 2015 A European Central Bank (ECB) official has hinted that the central bank could ramp up its €1.1 trillion (£780bn) asset purchase programme as soon as December. “The debate is open” due to the fact that inflation expectations are still weak, Benoit Coeure told Le Figaro in an interview due to be published tomorrow. A major issue [...]
A tiny insect is wiping out Florida orange groves and causing juice prices to soar November 11, 2015 Orange juice drinkers face a fresh squeeze. Orange juice futures – agreements to buy orange juice at a specific future date – are soaring in price due to growing concerns over pest damage across orange producers in Florida. Citrus greening – a bacteria spread by the Asian citrus psyllid bug that causes fruit to shrink [...]
Portuguese Socialist Party tries to stop imminent privatisation of state-owned airline day after ousting centre-right government November 11, 2015 Well that didn’t take long. Portugal’s Socialist Party has penned a letter requesting that state-owned company Parpublic halt the privatisation of airline TAP. The letter, which has been seen by Reuters, comes just a day after a Socialist-led coalition managed to oust the centre-right government from office. The new left-wing coalition could be brought into [...]
Apple boss Tim Cook isn’t a fan of Microsoft’s new Surface Book November 11, 2015 Apple boss Tim Cook has described the concept of Microsoft’s new Surface Book as “sort of deluded”. Collecting a gold medal award in Dublin as honorary patron of the Trinity College Philosophical Society, he engaged in a Q&A session with students where he also said: My view on the surface is very simple and straightforward. [...]
Fitch warns that Portuguese government debt is at risk of downgrade if Socialists take over November 11, 2015 A major ratings agency has said today that Portugal’s government debt is at risk of losing its already mediocre credit rating if the Socialist-led coalition is appointed to govern. Fitch said: Fiscal relaxation resulting in a less favourable trajectory in government debt/GDP levels could lead to negative rating action, as could weaker growth that had a [...]
Great Portland’s first half results boosted by mammoth Facebook letting November 11, 2015 Great Portland Estates posted record beating results in the first half of the year after Facebook agreed to take all of its office space at Rathbone Square near Tottenham Court Road, in one of its biggest lettings deals to date. The West End developer made 29 new lettings in the six months to 30 September [...]
EU migrant crisis: Advanced countries need to take more migrants, says International Monetary Fund boss Christine Lagarde November 11, 2015 The head of the influential International Monetary Fund has thrown in her two cents on the EU’s migrant crisis with a two-page blog post published today. Lagarde said those who had accepted large numbers of refugees should be commended, but that “others, especially among the advanced countries, should look at how they might increase their [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 closes marginally up despite losses from Sainsbury, housebuilders and miners November 11, 2015 The FTSE 100 rose marginally on Wednesday, despite by falls in Supermarkets, miners and housebuilders. The UK's top blue-chip index rose 0.35 per cent to 6,297 points. The largest casualty, by some way, was Sainsbury, which today reported profits had slumped 18 per cent and slashed its interim dividend by a third. Sainsbury's group sales were down two per [...]