Britain's top share index shed 0.3 percent in early trade on Thursday, weighed on by some weakness in banks and miners and with investors cautious ahead of the UK interest rate decision due at 1200 GMT and Friday's U.S. jobs report. At 0909 GMT the FTSE 100 index was down 14.33 points at 5,515.65, slipping
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Equities came off the boil globally on Thursday, after rising every day so far this year, as investors stepped back to await key U.S. economic data at the end of the week. The dollar firmed, partly due to the yen softening after new Japanese Finance Minister Naoto Kan said he wanted it to weaken more.
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House prices in Britain rose for a sixth consecutive month in December, increasingly by 1.0 percent to bring their total rise since April's low to 9.4 percent, mortgage lender Halifax said on Thursday. December's rise followed a revised 1.3 percent gain the previous month and means the average property ended the year 5.6 percent higher
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Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer unveiled a new Hewlett-Packard Co tablet computer on Wednesday, beating Apple Inc's hotly anticipated move into the market. But analysts were skeptical that Microsoft and HP could generate as much consumer excitement as Apple's new device, widely expected to be unveiled on January 27, though the company has not
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Asian shares eased after hitting a 17-month high on Thursday, while the dollar was steady as investors kept caution before U.S. nonfarm payrolls data later in the week for hints on the greenback's direction. Commodities came off the boil, dragged lower after China's central bank took steps to tighten monetary policy and soak up money
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New car sales in Britain rose an annual 38.9 percent in December, their sixth consecutive monthly rise, but full year registrations were at their the lowest level since 1995, the Society of Motor Manufacturers said on Thursday. The industry body said 150,936 cars were sold last month, the third best December on record and the
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European shares fell back from a closing 15-month high on Thursday, with banks taking most points off the index, and ahead of the Bank of England's decision on interest rates. At 0809 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was down 0.5 percent at 1,055.49 points, having hit a 15-month closing high on
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George Syrimis, former Cyprus Finance Minister and founder of the accounting firm that eventually became KPMG Cyprus, died on Tuesday. He was 88. Syrimis was born in Nicosia, but his family came from Agros in the Pitsillia area, He studied economic in England where he became a certified accountant and returned to Cyprus in 1948,
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Moody's Investors Service said that the Icelandic President's refusal to approve amendments to the "Icesave" agreement with the British and Dutch governments has uncertain credit implications, but will certainly complicate any near-term plans to exit from its financial and economic crisis. "On the one hand, the government's financial position is well placed to weather a
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Finance Minister Charilaos Stavrakis announced on Tuesday that the Government will issue new long term bonds to the international markets around mid January in order to meet public needs for the 2010, which approach 2.5 billion euros. Stavrakis reviewed the issue with Central Bank officials, while there was also a telephone conversation with the foreign
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