Halifax: Reluctant sellers push UK house price growth up again September 10, 2015 Another day, another confirmation that UK house prices are rocketing, after new figures showed prices were nine per cent higher in the three months to August than they were during the same period last year. To be fair, that was still lower than the impressive 9.6 per cent rise in June – but higher than [...]
Next’s share price climbs as profits and sales rise, but retailer warns that Living Wage will cost retailer £27m a year September 10, 2015 Next's share price climbed this morning after the high street giant revealed better-than-expected results, keeping it ahead of Marks & Spencer yet again. Total sales up 2.7 per cent for the first half to the end of July. Pre-tax profits were up 7.1 per cent, while earnings per share rose eight per cent, thanks [...]
John Lewis Group warns of lower profits for 2015 due to higher pension costs September 10, 2015 The John Lewis Partnership has warned of lower profits this year on the back of pension charges and low price inflation. The figures John Lewis reported a 1.9 per cent increase in revenue to £4.5bn for the first half of the year ending 1 August against the same period last year. Like-for-like sales were down [...]
Greece’s debt crisis: What’s a Greek earn? A lot less than last year September 10, 2015 With deflation entrenched, its industrial base shrinking and a tough new bailout to service, Greece’s economy is heading for another fall with even those of its citizens lucky enough to be in work poorer than at any time since 2001. Given that gloomy backdrop the main party leaders, campaigning for what looks certain to [...]
Miners come up gold for FTSE 100 as London rallies – London Report September 10, 2015 Asian market gains helped the FTSE to rally yesterday for a third straight session – also boosted by encouraging corporate news from mining companies and financial firms. The FTSE 100 index was up 1.4 per cent at 6,229.01 points at its close, still around 12.6 per cent off April’s record high, after uncertainty over China’s [...]
UK house prices: Growing gulf between supply and demand is heating up the property market September 10, 2015 House prices could rocket even faster than previously forecast, as research reveals that accelerating demand for homes is coming up against a brick wall of scant supply. Prices are set to climb six per cent this year, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said today, doubling the estimate it made at the start [...]
George Osborne’s national living wage under attack September 10, 2015 The government's new national living wage (NLW) will offer little relief to workers, according to a new report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The IFS said any benefits for employees on the new minimum wage would barely offset the negative impact of other changes proposed by chancellor George Osborne to the tax [...]
Peppa Pig brings home the bacon for FTSE 250 company Entertainment One as revenue rises September 10, 2015 Entertainment One (eOne), the Canadian company responsible for distributing blockbuster series Twilight and the Hunger Games, reported revenues were up one per cent in yesterday’s trading update. Primary school favourite Peppa Pig, bought home the bacon for eOne’s TV operations – revenues in the unit were up by 32 per cent. While performance was largely [...]
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wants the Eurozone to have its own Treasury September 9, 2015 European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker thinks that the single currency area should have a common system of guaranteeing bank deposits, as well as its own treasury. "We are also in favour of introducing a European treasury… Obviously there will be a lot of work to be done on the content of it, but I think it [...]
Association of Graduate Recruiters: Record number of graduates are being hired September 9, 2015 Britain's graduate job market is booming, with record numbers being hired this year, according to an annual survey of the country's biggest recruiters. The association of graduate recruiters' (AGR) annual survey said that more university leavers are being hired than ever before, with a 13.2 per cent rise in graduate vacancies for 2014-15. Accounting and [...]