Finance jobs of the future: As automation speeds up more routine tasks, finance chiefs need to become more strategic in their work March 9, 2016 Finance chiefs of today might not recognise their department in a few years time, as the function is set to undergo a massive change, according to a report out today. Specialist recruiter Robert Half has discovered that the finance chiefs of tomorrow will be focused more on plotting financial growth for their company, particularly as [...]
BMW racks up another record year, pushed on by favourable currency headwinds as share price falls due to outlook for “slight” sales increase in 2016 March 9, 2016 German carmaker BMW's share price dropped this afternoon, despite posting a record breaking sixth year in a row. Shares dipped by two per cent immediately after the figures were released. Revenue, sales, and pre-tax profit all set fresh records at the luxury car firm, though investors baulked at the suggestion 2016 would see numbers only "slightly up" [...]
Zara owner Inditex to slow down store openings as consumers shift online March 9, 2016 Inditex shares rallied this morning after the world's largest fashion retailer posted a strong start to the year and said it will be slowing down the pace of store openings as consumers shop increasingly online. The Zara and Massimo Dutti owner said it plans to grow store space by six to eight per cent in the coming year compared with eight per cent [...]
The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund had its worst year since 2011 last year, but managed to avoid negative returns March 9, 2016 The Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund has returned 2.7 per cent on its investments in 2015 thanks to a rally in equities late in the year. The low oil price and slowing emerging markets dragged on returns however, meaning the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund recorded its weakest performance since 2011. The oil fund, managed by [...]
Prudential share price up as company announces boost to profits for the full-year ended December 2015 and reveals a special dividend March 9, 2016 Share price for Prudential rose this morning as the financial services company revealed a boost to its profits for the year and awarded a special dividend. Operating profits for the group rose to £4bn, up 22 per cent on the year before. Business was booming in the UK, with operating profits from the company's UK [...]
Airlines in America introduce a class below economy March 9, 2016 Airlines in the US are further segmenting their customers, creating a new class for the particularly thirfty (or those who simply can't afford the cost of air travel as it stands). The lowest class will sit below economy, and is called "basic economy", first introduced by Delta airlines. It's now also been announced by United Airlines and [...]
Ryanair to launch private jet charter service to capitalise on demand March 9, 2016 Budget Irish airline Ryanair has today launched a corporate jet charter service, aiming to capitalise on growing demand for chartered jets. A customised Boeing 737-700 jet for corporate and group hire is available, seating 60 people and capable of flying to destinations up to six hours away. Read more: Private jet membership set to take off in [...]
UK manufacturing output rebounds in January March 9, 2016 UK manufacturing output bounced back in January, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics this morning. The sector's output increased 0.7 per cent compared with December. Factory output suffered a sharp drop in December and contracted over the whole of 2015. Total industrial production, which includes mining and quarrying as well as manufacturing, also rebounded, rising [...]
The number of people on zero-hours contracts leaped in the final quarter of 2015 – but it’s not why you think March 9, 2016 Oh dear. The government may be doing everything in its power to rid the UK of those pesky zero-hours contracts, but it seems its efforts aren't working: the number of employees on the contracts jumped by 15 per cent in the final quarter of last year, new figures have shown. But before you grab your pitchfork, take [...]
FTSE 100 index opens flat as Prudential rises but miners extend losses after falling yesterdays March 9, 2016 The FTSE 100 index opened flat today, after it faltered yesterday on the back of weak Chinese trade data. The UK's blue-chip index rose 0.02 per cent to 6,126 points on the news. "The weakness of yesterday’s data merely serves to reinforce the importance of this weekend’s retail sales and industrial production data. A similarly abysmal showing here [...]
