Shell’s chief executive Ben van Beurden announces an extra $1bn of savings to make $70bn BG deal work with low oil prices November 3, 2015 Royal Dutch Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden sought to reassure investors today that Shell's planned takeover of rival BG group will still work, assuming oil prices stabilise at around $60 a barrel. The deal, which is expected to complete early in 2016 and could be worth as much as $70bn (£45.3bn), is one of the biggest mergers announced [...]
Tullow Oil’s share price is rallying as investors cheer maintained bank lending limit November 3, 2015 Tullow Oil's share price is leading the FTSE 250 today, as investors celebrated banks maintaining lending to the company. In mid-morning trading the oil and gas producer's share price was up 14.03 per cent up at 227.8p. This goes against the trend of oil producing companies of late, who have suffered due to global supply glut concerns. [...]
UK house prices: It’s not just London where luxury house price growth is slowing – prime property price growth is slowing across the world November 3, 2015 It's well known that price growth among London's most high-end properties has slowed in recent months as various factors – including a punishing stamp duty regime and a slowdown in China – took effect. But it turns out it's not just London where prices have slowed: growth is slowing across the world. The Prime Global Cities [...]
Forget clicks vs bricks: Amazon is opening its first physical bookshop Amazon Books today in Seattle November 3, 2015 If you needed further proof that the distinction between clicks and bricks is a thing of the past, look no further. Strange as it may sound, Amazon is moving firmly into the physical world with Amazon Books. The online retail giant is opening its first real bookshop in Seattle today. Unlike the online marketplace, though, [...]
EU referendum: More than half of Londoners believe Brexit will boost house prices November 3, 2015 On the fence about Britain’s EU membership? If you’re a London homeowner, this news may sway you. More than half of Londoners believe that leaving the EU will strengthen the value of their home. (No mean feat when the capital’s housing market is already the most overvalued in the world.) Across the nation, homeowners are [...]
Imperial Tobacco profits rise despite drooping cigarette sales November 3, 2015 Cigarette sales are down for the FTSE-listed tobacco firm, despite an increase in growth for brands like Davidoff and Gauloises. The figures Imperial Tobacco reported full year profits of £3.05bn, up 2.4 per cent from £2.98bn last year. Net sales of tobacco are down 2.6 per cent to £6.25bn, but volume of the company’s “growth [...]
Profits and revenue fall at Primark’s parent company Associated British Foods – but will still pay a dividend November 3, 2015 Primark parent company Associated British Foods (ABF) has said it will still pay a dividend, despite falls in both profit and revenue for the year to 12 September. The figures Adjusted operating profit was down six per cent in real terms, or four per cent on a constant currency basis, to £1.09bn, while group revenue [...]
University education is failing to create work-ready students November 3, 2015 More than half (54 per cent) of education experts believe that post-secondary educational institutions, such as universities, fail to adequately prepare students for work, a World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) study has today revealed. Despite this, 69 per cent of the 1,550 educational experts from around the world, including teachers and education policymakers, questioned [...]
Standard Chartered share price plummets on 15,000 job cuts as part of $5.1bn-plan to rebuild troubled bank November 3, 2015 Standard Chartered is cutting 15,000 jobs as it looks to shore the business up after posting “disappointing” third quarter results this morning. The figures The Hong Kong bank reported revenues of $3.7bn for the quarter ending 30 September, down from $4.5bn for the same period last year. This fell short of the $4.1bn forecast by most [...]
Hey big spender! US firms splash out a record $1.8 trillion on M&A as 2015 marks return of the mega-deal November 3, 2015 US companies have spent a record $1.8 trillion on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) this year as they scramble to offload huge cash piles before an expected increase in interest rates. The figures, from Dealogic, include Visa Inc’s $23.4bn (£15bn) purchase of Visa Europe yesterday, the latest in a frenzy of multi-billion dollar mega deals signed off in [...]
