Author Archive: Jeremy Parkinson
Saudi Arabia unveils $385bn spending plan
Saudi Arabia plans to build schools, hospitals, housing and other infrastructure projects as part of a five-year plan budgeted at $385bn, the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) has reported. Ageing King Abdullah is under pressure to create jobs and build housing as the population grows and unemployment rises, hitting 10.5 percent last year. Two-thirds of […]
TUI Travel warns on FY as budget measures hit UK
Europe’s biggest travel firm TUI Travel said it expected its full-year profit to be at the lower end of expectations after trading was hit by uncertainty among British consumers following June’s emergency budget. TUI Travel, in which Germany’s TUI AG holds a controlling stake of 57.5 percent, also said airspace closures as a result of […]
Morgan Sindall says construction recession not over
British construction group Morgan Sindall said growing demand for office buildings was helping to offset the impact of government spending cuts on its business, although the construction recession was not over yet. “The commercial side is growing, but let’s not over exaggerate – it’s growing a bit but not as quickly as governments are spending […]
Astra pays $198m to settle US Seroquel claims
AstraZeneca has agreed to pay $198m to settle some 17,500 US personal injury claims related to its schizophrenia and bipolar disorder drug Seroquel, the company has announced. The top-selling medicine, which had worldwide sales of $4.9bn in 2009, accounting for 15 percent of group revenue, has been subject to long-running legal claims after being linked […]
UK taxpayer moves into black on bank stakes
British taxpayers are sitting on a 3.5 billion pound ($5.6 billion) paper profit on its stakes in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds after both swung back to profit, driving their shares higher. Britain’s profit could be more than five times that amount — potentially bringing in much needed income for the cash-strapped UK government. […]
Hungary to struggle without IMF
Hungary hopes to emulate the few countries that have spurned IMF aid and emerge from crisis on their own, but it is much more likely to follow the example of other crisis-hit EU states and be forced back to austerity. It is no Malaysia or Turkey, the first of which rejected the International Monetary Fund’s […]
FTSE steady as results mixed; rate decision awaited
Britain’s top share index was little changed early on Thursday as strong results from insurers were offset by disappointing numbers from Barclays and Unilever By 0811 GMT, the FTSE 100 was 3.01 points, or 0.1 percent, lower at 5,383.15 after it ended 0.2 percent lower on Wednesday. Investors are waiting for an interest rate decision […]
Versace to get 2010 China sales boost
Italian fashion house Versace expects to post higher sales in 2010 on the back of its restructuring and China’s growing appetite for luxury goods, its chief executive said. In an interview with Reuters, Gian Giacomo Ferraris said he remained confident about a return to profitability in 2011, thanks to a more efficient distribution network and […]
Next says consumer slowdown will be modest
Consumer spending in Britain is likely to remain constrained for the foreseeable future, but any slowdown in demand is likely to be modest, the chief executive of fashion retailer Next told reporters. Simon Wolfson also said in a telephone interview that the group was stepping up spending on standalone homewares stores, where new shops are […]
Romania meets IMF, EU conditions for bailout deal
Romania has met IMF and EU conditions for continuing its €20bn bailout programme, offering some reassurance to investors concerned about the country’s deep and prolonged recession. IMF mission chief Jeffrey Franks has said no major policy changes were needed after the latest review of Romania, which has slashed public spending including wages and raised value […]
