BUSINESS

Jaguar Land Rover Hikes Investment at UK Engine Plant

Luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover informed that it would scale up investments at its UK engine plant by more than 40 percent as demand for the SUVs increased in China and other emerging markets as well. In addition, Jaguar Land Rover plans to double the head count by creating additional 700 jobs and invest £500 million at its i54 business park.

UK Sees Retail Sales Increase in February

On the 5th of February, the survey by the British Retail Consortium indicated that the UK retail sales increased in February at the fastest rate in about three years. The latest figures suggested that consumer confidence was boosted as UK customers went out to buy clothes, home furnishings and electronics goods.

HSBC Reports Declining Full Year Profits

On the 4th of March, HSBC Holdings reported a fall in its full year preliminary profit for the year ended December 2012. The bank cited debt revaluation and the US related money-laundering fine as some of the major determinants which led to declining profits.
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New Pope 2013: Start of Conclave Delayed by 12 Late Cardinals, Talks on Corruption, Sex Issues

Majority of the cardinal electors are already present in Vatican, hobnobbing with each other in and outside private meetings. But this majority chose not to determine yet a date for the start of the papal conclave as they wait for the arrival of 12 more fellow cardinals. In the meantime, talks on corruption and sex issues hounded the first day of pre-conclave meetings on Monday.

Gina Rinehart Still Australia’s Richest Person with $17B Wealth

Hancock Prospecting owner Gina Rinehart must be on a roll this week after scoring two back-to-back victories. After losing her shares in the Rhodes project last week to Wright Prospecting, she accepted the flag of surrender from recalcitrant daughter Hope Welker over the weekend and retained the richest person in Australia title.

Papal Conclave 2013: Bogus Bishop Almost Entered Pre-Conclave Talks

Had he researched much better and prepared enough, self-proclaimed Bishop Ralph Napierski may have been able to penetrate, witness and even mingle in this year's highly guarded and secluded papal conclave up to the very end. But the black fedora hat, when it should have been a red skullcap, and the glaring purple or magenta scarf, when it should have been a red sash, gave him away.

Australian Stock Market Report – Midday 3/5/2013

The local share market is performing very strongly at lunchtime in the East, clawing back from yesterday's heavy losses which were exacerbated by concerns out of China and the fact 22 listed companies traded without rights to their dividends.

iPhone 5 vs HTC One: 5 Ways the 'One' is Killing Apple iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 Anticipation

HTC One has been drawing a lot of attention since it was announced last month and unveiled last week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It is frequently being compared to iPhone 5 in many tech sites. The new flagship smartphone of the Taiwanese tech player even won "Best Device in Show" at the MWC. Considering very good mobile specs, those who have been holding out for the iPhone 5s or iPhone 6 are being pulled in by the "One."

Uranium's Fretful February

By Andrew NelsonFebruary might not have been a busy month as far as uranium volumes go, but it sure was an eventful month.

Australian Jobs Outlook Gloomy

- Dun & Bradstreet report negative jobs growth- High operating costs keeping Oz Business at bay- Capital spending lowest level since September 2011- Cash flow seen as a major issue By Andrew NelsonAustralian businesses are increasingly putting off investments as the cost of doing business continues ...

Why You Should Be Looking at Chinese House Prices

China's official purchasing manager's index expanded in February. It read 50.1, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Planning, and anything over 50 indicates an expansion. It's also a fact that the February reading was lower than the January reading. Cue the nerves about the strength of China's expansion.

Is this a Secret Signal for When to Buy Gold and Sell Stocks?

The Dow Jones Industrials are again trading at over 14000. The S&P 500 is prepared to make an attack run on 1600. Weary cash, tired of sitting on the sidelines waiting for something of value to come along, is off the bench and into the game. And the game itself is at an interesting turning point.

Global Markets Overview –3/5/2013

No major data was released in the US overnight, with most investors were watching Vice Chairman Yellen's speech to the National Association for Business Economics (NABE). She reiterated Chairman Bernanke's view that a hasty end to easing could backfire. This added additional weight to the earlier comments and alleviated 'liquidly dependant' fears sparked on February 21. Professor Yellen's speech helped all three major US indices finish in the green as they did on Friday after Bern...

UK Urged to Develop Plan B in Case of New Nuclear Project Delays

It seems that the UK government is in need of working out an alternative energy "plan B" provided that new nuclear power plants are not constructed by 2013, according to the Energy and Climate Change Committee. It was underlined in a statement that a failure to build them in 10 years would make it undeniably hard to meet goals, including reduction of carbon emissions.

Australian Stock Market Report – Morning 3/5/2013

China´s Shanghai Composite share index slumped by 3.7pct on Monday in response to Friday´s decision by state authorities to tighten restrictions on housing finance. China´s CSI300 index lost 4.6pct, the biggest drop since November 2010. Hong Kong´s Hang Seng index fell by 1.5pct.

IAG Records Alarming Loss

On the 28th of February, International Airlines Group informed that it reported a net loss worth €943 million after battling through restructuring charges from its Spanish division Iberia. In addition, the company is planning to downsize its workforce by 3,800 people at its Iberia division in order to reduce costs.

Why China’s Economy is Flashing Red

There's a bit of friendly biffo going on in the office over China's economy. We think the country has deep structural problems, is horribly unbalanced and is about to suffer an almighty credit-induced hangover. For Australia, the fallout won't be pretty.

When the Bernanke Bluff is Called

The stock market fell 27% in a single day. Bank of America suspended ATM payouts and JP Morgan applied for bankruptcy protection. Citigroup defaulted on its bonds and Deutsche Bank shares weren't allowed to trade on Europe's stock markets after its shares fell 86% on America's stock market.

Experts Pick Surface Pro as Best Windows 8 Tablet

In response to reader's request asking for advice on what is the best high-end Windows 8 tablets in the market, tech experts from CNET pointed to the Surface Pro as the top tablet device they would recommend.

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