UK house sales at their highest since 2007, but seasonally adjusted figures show drop July 22, 2014 There was another sign that the UK property market may be cooling, after the HMRC released figures showing that the number of properties sold in the month of June had dropped – when the numbers are adjusted by season. Although the raw number of sales for June, 109,580, is the highest since November 2007 (and [...]
Apple orders record number of new iPhone 6 handsets ahead of possible September release date July 22, 2014 Apple has ordered into production more iPhone 6 handsets than any other model before, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The paper is reporting that Apple has ordered 70-80m units which is to be split between the 4.7 and 5.5 inch models, both of which are larger than the current 4-inch screen on the [...]
London property market in graphs: Where is the easiest place to sell a house? July 18, 2014 We all know London house prices have been skyrocketing, and a 20 per cent rise in the last 12 months shows a market where demand is high and supply is low. But where is the easiest place in London to sell a house? Data from property website Rightmove shows how long a house stays on [...]
Lower China GDP growth is acceptable, says Chinese premier Li Keqiang July 18, 2014 Chinese premier Li Keqiang has indicated that if China fails to hit the 7.5 per cent target for 2014 it will not be a cause for concern, so long as wages are rising and the economy is creating jobs. The Chinese government has embarked on a mini-stimulus programme to reassure investors that the economy's trajectory [...]
AbbVie seals £31.1bn deal for rival Shire in tax inversion move July 18, 2014 After weeks of speculation, US pharmaceutical giant AbbVie has wrapped up the acquisition of Shire for £31bn as it stands to benefit from the UK's more lenient tax laws. For each Shire stock they hold, shareholders will receive 0.9 of a new AbbVie share and £24.40 in cash. AbbVie has become the latest US company to [...]
Apple’s iPhone 6 to begin production next week ahead of possible September UK release date July 18, 2014 Apple's new iPhone looks set to begin production next month, with Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd manufacturing the majority of the new handsets. The widely anticipated iPhone 6 is expected to come in two sizes, one with a 4.7-inch screen and another at 5.5 inches. According to Taiwan's Economic Daily News, which did not cite sources, [...]
How Morgan Stanley more than doubled its profit since last year July 17, 2014 Morgan Stanley has beaten both analyst expectations and its main competitors as its second quarter results showed a huge surge in profits – 132 per cent – compared to the same period last year. Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America all recorded lower second-quarter profits, but Morgan Stanley's was up on the first [...]
Cambridge beats London as fastest selling location for properties in UK July 17, 2014 Despite the talk of the London housing market overheating, it is Cambridge where houses are selling like hot cakes. According to data from Rightmove, a house in Cambridge stays on the website for an average of 27 days before it is marked as sold, above the average for Great Britain which is 65 days. Cambridge [...]
Eurostar passenger numbers up but World Cup dampens revenue growth July 17, 2014 Eurostar has announced a two per cent rise in passenger numbers in the first half of 2014 but admitted revenues have suffered from the World Cup effect. Sales revenues showed modest growth, rising 0.5 per cent to £456m but suffered as a result of families postponing holidays until after the final game of the Fifa competition. The [...]
ITV share price skyrockets as Liberty Global pays £481m for stake July 17, 2014 It seems to be the season for media dealmaking; as 21st Century Fox courts Time Warner, Liberty Global has paid out £481m for a minority stake in ITV. The cable company announced on Thursday that it had acquired the stake from BSkyB and now owns a 6.4 per cent share of the UK's biggest commercial [...]
