Reuters UK Business

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Euro zone companies expect to slow the pace of price increases this year as their outlook for costs and demand becomes less clear, a survey by the European Central Bank (ECB) showed. The central bank raised interest rates for the fifth straight times on Thursday and signalled more hikes ahead, reaffirming it …

Euro zone companies to slow price increases this year, ECB poll shows Read More »

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Euro zone inflation is set to decline to 2.1% in 2025, just a shade above the European Central Bank’s target, an ECB poll of economists forecast on Friday. The ECB raised interest rates for the fifth straight time on Thursday and signalled more hikes ahead, reaffirming it would stay the course in …

Euro zone inflation seen just above ECB’s target in 2025, poll shows Read More »

BERLIN (Reuters) – German services sector activity rose in January for the first time in seven months and companies showed increased optimism, a survey showed on Friday. S&P Global’s final services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 50.7 from 49.2 in December, going above the 50.0 threshold that separates growth from contraction. “A slight rise …

German services sector activity rose in January – PMI Read More »

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Sweden-based Volvo Car AB said on Friday its sales increased by 2% year-on-year in January to 48,520 cars, but tumbled in China due to public holidays. Volvo Cars, which is majority-owned by China’s Geely Holding, said the increase at group level was led by markets such as Britain, Italy and Belgium while in …

Chinese New Year slows Volvo Cars’ sales growth in January Read More »

PARIS (Reuters) – French luxury goods group Kering said Friday it was entering the cosmetics business, with the announcement that it has recruited seasoned Estee Lauder executive Raffaella Cornaggia to head the push into the new segement. “We are building this new area of expertise within our Group to ensure that our brands can fulfill …

Kering recruits Estee Lauder exec for push into cosmetics Read More »

(Reuters) – European shares fell on Friday, weighed down by losses in technology stocks after disappointing earnings overnight by their major U.S. counterparts rekindled concerns about global economic demand and the impact of high interest rates. The pan-European STOXX 600 was down 0.5% as of 0812 GMT. However, the benchmark index was on track for …

European shares hit by weak earnings from U.S. tech giants Read More »

By Jesús Aguado MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s Caixabank expects higher interest rates to boost its lending income by around 30% this year, it said on Friday after posting better than expected quarterly and annual results, sending its shares around 3% higher. Spain’s biggest domestic bank said its net profit last year rose 29.7% on a …

Caixabank sees strong lending income growth in 2023 after profit beats Read More »

(Reuters) -Swiss federal prosecutors have launched criminal proceedings targeting the perpetrators of a 2022 leak of information on thousands of Credit Suisse accounts, they said on Friday. The leak covered more than 18,000 accounts, including human rights abusers, fraudsters and businessmen subject to sanctions, thereby plunging Switzerland’s biggest bank into a dirty money scandal. The …

Swiss prosecutors launch case over Credit Suisse dirty money data leak Read More »

By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) – Keeping Britain’s financial sector globally competitive will be “integral” to a Labour government’s plans to increase prosperity, a senior party official said on Thursday. Labour, Britain’s main opposition party in parliament, is ahead of the Conservative government in the polls, with a general election expected next year. Labour is …

‘You can trust us’, Britain’s Labour Party tells finance industry Read More »