Standard Chartered results: Investors are backing Bill Winters while analysts raise red flags November 3, 2015 Standard Chartered may have posted another “disappointing” set of results, but the Asia-focused bank’s biggest investors are enthusiastically backing new chief executive Bill Winters. Winters announced earlier today that he planned to axe 15,000 jobs and raise $5.1bn (£3.3bn) in capital, as the bank posted an operating loss of $139m in the third quarter. Revenue had [...]
Ford and General Motors US sales hit full speed – as Volkswagen eases on the brakes November 3, 2015 As the emissions scandal of Europe's largest car marker continues apace, across the pond, things have been rather less fraught, after both General Motors and Ford reported encouraging sales in October. Even Volkswagen managed to edge up… General Motors sold 262,993 cars in the US in October, 16 per cent higher than this time last year. [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 marginally up despite slides from housebuilders and Standard Chartered November 3, 2015 The FTSE 100 closed marginally up on Tuesday after energy stocks rallied to counter to slides in housebuilders' stocks and Standard Chartered's share price. The FTSE 100 ended the session 0.2 per cent up at 6,374. Housebuilders were hit after being downgraded by Liberum, a broker, to "sell" saying the largest housebuilders' valuations were "too optimistic". Barratt [...]
World Wealth: Britain crowned fifth richest country in the world behind US, China, Japan and Germany November 3, 2015 The UK has been crowned the world’s fifth richest country in the world in a new report that measures the total wealth amassed by each country’s individuals. Britain’s population holds $9.24 trillion (£6.01 trillion) in private wealth, surpassing France, Italy, Canada and Australia. This is despite its relatively small population compared with countries such as Germany, [...]
Vegan-friendly pints from Guinness are coming to you next year November 3, 2015 Vegans rejoice: Next year you will be able to drink a pint of Guinness, after the company announced it will be removing the fish guts from the brewing process. The hearty Irish black-stuff will be made fully vegan for the first time since brewing began 256 years ago. Read more: The 39 signs you're a modern gentleman [...]
London house prices: Renting in the capital? These are the best postcodes to find a flatshare in London, based on supply and cost-per-month November 3, 2015 Renting in London? You're not the only one. More and more of the capital's population are living in shared flats and houses – but it's been leading to some pretty extreme situations. There's been a mattress in a cupboard in Clapham, on offer for a snip at £500 a month (excluding bills). Then there was the [...]
Michelin to close Ballymena tyre factory in County Antrim, resulting in the loss of 860 jobs November 3, 2015 French tyre manufacturer Michelin announced it is closing its factory in Ballymena, County Antrim, which employs some 860 people. The factory is to close by 2018, as part of a wider restructuring, which will also see a German factory close next year. The company cited "specific difficulties the site has been experiencing for several years" in forcing [...]
Candy Crush maker King Digital bought by US games giant Activision Blizzard for $5.9bn November 3, 2015 Activision Blizzard, the US gaming giant behind Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, announced this morning it's bought iPhone games developer King Digital, the European company behind the notoriously addictive Candy Crush, for $5.9bn (£3.8bn). The company said it will pay $18 per share for the company, a 20 per cent premium over King's closing price [...]
GSK has 40 new medicines in its pipeline, and half of these could be released in the next 10 years November 3, 2015 GSK has revealed it has 40 new drugs in the pipeline, including medicines to treat HIV and respiratory diseases. The British pharmaceutical company, which recently rejected a takeover approach from Pfizer, said during a presentation to investors in New York today that half of these could be released by the end of 2020. Seven are in [...]
Swiss bank UBS lowers profit guidance and pushes back targets November 3, 2015 Swiss bank UBS has warned that tougher regulation in Europe as well as a slowing global economy is going to weigh on profits over coming years. Despite stronger third quarter results than many of its European and US rivals, the bank's share price dropped by five per cent on the news. Net profit at the bank [...]