FTSE 100 index opens higher as miners extend gains December 23, 2015 A dead cat bounce by miners yesterday has been extended, leading the FTSE to a strong opening on a shortened week of trading. The UK's blue-chip index opened 1.03 per cent higher at 6,145 points, led by Anglo American and Glencore. Anglo American opened 3.59 per cent higher at 307.83p per share, while Glencore rose 4.25 per [...]
Christmas comes early for Uber as burdensome regulations look set to be disregarded December 23, 2015 Uber is expected to receive an early Christmas present today as a raft of burdensome regulations that would have effectively shut the firm down in the capital look set to be disregarded after fierce opposition from business groups and consumers. The final responses to a Transport for London (TfL) consultation on how to better regulate [...]
Nike share price climbs as strong China sales offset drag from strong dollar December 22, 2015 Bumper sales in China are boosting revenues at sportswear giant Nike. Global sales reached $7.7bn (£5.2bn) in the three months ending 30 November, a rise of four per cent compared with the same period last year, the company said today. Footwear sales in China were up 30 per cent to $600m, lifting total revenues from the country [...]
HMRC national task force considering clampdown on eBay and Amazon over VAT fraud by overseas retailers December 22, 2015 The government is considering forcing online retailers such as Amazon and eBay to pay for millions of pounds of unpaid VAT owed by small overseas traders that sell through their sites. Lord Ashton of Hyde, a Treasury spokesperson, told the House of Lords on Monday evening that HM Revenue & Customs had established a national [...]
Boeing agrees $12m settlement with US regulators December 22, 2015 Aircraft maker Boeing, which has over 2000 workers in the UK, has agreed a $12m (£8.1m) settlement with US regulators. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) said today that the settlement resolves multiple pending and potential enforcement cases. The first case involved Boeing's provision of information regarding the installation of fuel tank flammability reduction equipment. It also said the [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 index closes up as oil companies and miners make gains December 22, 2015 The FTSE 100 index maintained gains today to close up after the price of oil rose and a dead cat bounce from miners. The UK's top blue-chip index shut 0.8 per cent higher at 6,083 points, led higher by a number of mining and oil companies. Anglo American closed 5.7 per cent up at 296.5p per share, while [...]
Skoda emissions scandal: Volkswagen says 1.2m Skodas fitted with emissions cheat software December 22, 2015 More than a million Skoda vehicles are fitted with the software which was used by Volkswagen to cheat emissions tests, the troubled car company admitted today. Worldwide, 1.2m Skodas on the road are fitted with the software, Reuters reports. In total more than 11m VW cars across multiple car brands are affected by the issue. Earlier [...]
London house prices: The prime London property market has peaked – 2015 prices have hardly risen December 22, 2015 London's prime property market faltered at the end of the year thanks to taxes and stamp duty changes continuing to dampen things. The premium housing market fell 0.8 per cent, on average in the last quarter of the year, compared to a 4.4 per cent rise in other prime markets across the country in places such as Cambridge, [...]
Shell share price rises as it says BG acquisition will “strengthen” financials amid oil price downturn December 22, 2015 Royal Dutch Shell today said that its £35.6bn acquisition of BG Group will strengthen the company's financials, amid what could be a prolonged low oil price environment. Shell said the acquisition of its smaller rival should bolster its cash flow providing Brent trades at about $15 more than the current level of around $35, and that it [...]
European Stability Mechanism grants Greece another billion euros, taking total bailout so far to €21.4bn December 22, 2015 Greece has been granted a further €1bn (£740m) today, the Eurozone's bailout manager said. The European Stability Mechanism's (ESM) approval of the payment rounds off the first tranche of bailout cash for Greece after it agreed a new rescue package in August. Greece's government will be able to use the cash for "debt service, budget financing, and [...]