Reuters UK Business

By Sudip Kar-Gupta PARIS (Reuters) – The downturn in French business activity eased considerably in February, according to a monthly survey, as employment rose for the first time since October and business confidence strengthened to a seven-month high. The HCOB flash purchasing managers index for France’s dominant services sector, compiled by S&P Global, rose to …

French business activity inches closer to recovery in February -PMI Read More »

(Reuters) – Poland’s Orlen on Thursday reported a 60% slump in fourth-quarter profit to 7.35 billion zlotys ($1.84 billion) on lower sales volumes and weaker prices for its refined products. The state-controlled refiner’s 2023 full-year profit was also 30.5% lower year-on-year at 27.55 billion zlotys. Weak results from units Lotos Group and Baltic Power impacted …

Refiner Orlen’s Q4 profit falls 60% y/y on lower volumes, prices Read More »

By Paul Sandle LONDON (Reuters) -WPP, the advertising group that owns Ogilvy and GroupM, said clients in the United States were starting to feel more positive but it would see little or no upside in the first half of the year due to the loss of some creative accounts. The British company said on Thursday …

WPP sees signs of optimism among key U.S. clients Read More »

STUTTGART (Reuters) – Mercedes-Benz will be able to sell combustion engine cars well into the next decade, its chief executive said on Thursday, adding there would be “peaks and troughs” in the transition to electric cars. “We want to make clear to customers and investors that we will make use of strategic flexibility,” Ola Kaellenius …

Mercedes-Benz CEO: we can produce combustion engine cars “well into” next decade Read More »

By Diana Mandia (Reuters) – Europe’s biggest hotel group Accor reported a bigger than expected jump in full-year core profit and gave an upbeat forecast for 2024 thanks to major international events and increased business travel, sending its shares up as much as 5%. The sector continues to benefit from the post-pandemic boom in leisure …

Accor ‘blessed’ by 2024 prospects after record 1 billion euro profit Read More »

(Reuters) – A recovery in purchasing managers’ index data from a low late last year offers grounds to think the British economy will emerge from its shallow recession in early 2024, Bank of England policymaker Megan Greene said on Thursday. “The PMI was more in contractionary territory. It seems to have ticked up and that …

Stronger business surveys positive for UK’s 2024 outlook, BoE’s Greene says Read More »

(Reuters) – Bank of England policymaker Megan Greene said on Thursday she wanted more evidence that inflation pressures were easing before voting to cut rates, after dropping her call for higher rates at the start of this month. “Markets are pressuring every central bank to cut rates. I would need to wait to see more …

Bank of England’s Greene wants more evidence for rate cut Read More »