Latest financial news from PA - MSN Money UK

Barclays and HSBC to give results

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Banking giants Barclays and HSBC should confirm a widening gap in performance with their part-nationalised counterparts when they report third quarter figures on Tuesday.

US stocks rise as job losses slow

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Investors added to the week's strong gains in the stock market after finding some positives in a surprisingly weak jobs report.

BA and RBS shares lift FTSE

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Share bounce backs for British Airways and Royal Bank of Scotland helped nudge the FTSE 100 Index higher and offset disappointing data out on Wall Street.

RBS loses half toxic debt 'excess'

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Part-nationalised Royal Bank of Scotland has already eaten through nearly half the Â£60 billion "excess" on toxic debts insured by the taxpayer, it has emerged.

BA cabin crews balloted over cuts

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Union leaders have served formal notice of a ballot among thousands of British Airways cabin crew in a dispute over new contracts and job cuts.

Tenth of Americans out of work

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

The level of joblessness in the US has hit double figures for the first time in more than a quarter of a century.

Fire sales at closing First Quench

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

A giant booze sale has begun after Threshers and Wine Rack stores earmarked for closure launched "very substantial" discounts.

Rentokil narrows City Link loss

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Recent postal strikes have not proved a windfall for Rentokil Initial's troubled City Link delivery business, the firm has said.

Food and drink sweetens Tate result

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Tate & Lyle has said its first-half performance was better than expected after sales to food and drink customers held firm.

National debt could grow by Â£1.5trn

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

The financial crisis is likely to add up to Â£1.5 trillion to the national debt, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

More BA jobs to go after Â£292m loss

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

British Airways is to cut an extra 1,200 jobs, taking the total reduction to 4,900 by next year, it was revealed.

Dyson's salary slashed to Â£457,000

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Vacuum cleaner mogul Sir James Dyson saw his salary slashed last year as profits slid at his technology firm.

More car dealers close in recession

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Insolvencies among UK car dealers have doubled this year, according to a new report.

Stocks surge after fall in jobless

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

A drop in unemployment claims and an upbeat forecast from Cisco Systems Inc. gave investors a jolt of confidence a day before a key government report on jobs.

1,700 jobs go as off-licences close

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

More than 1,700 workers are to lose their jobs after administrators for Threshers parent First Quench announced the closure of 373 stores.

Bank fined Â£8m for gambling

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Investment bank UBS was hit with an Â£8 million fine after traders gambled clients' cash without permission and tried to cover their tracks.

Results give a boost to blue chips

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

British Airways and Royal Bank of Scotland clawed back some recent lost ground in a busy session for blue-chip results.

RBS posts third-quarter losses

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Part-nationalised Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has posted third-quarter losses of Â£1.53 billion despite slim signs of improvement at the beleaguered business.

Bank pumps extra Â£25bn into economy

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Rate-setters have elected to pump an extra Â£25 billion into the economy amid concerns over getting the UK's faltering recovery out of recession.

Quantitative easing boosts FTSE

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

London's blue chip share index staged a sharp recovery after a smaller-than-expected Â£25 billion money boost from the Bank of England.

September factory output boost

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Manufacturers have bounced back from a weak August with the biggest monthly rise in output for more than seven years during September, official figures show.

Insurer reports UK premium pressure

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

More Than insurer RSA said income from UK premiums continued to fall in the third quarter of the year, despite hiking rates by up to 8%.

BA to announce first summer loss

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

British Airways will announce its first ever summer loss as the airline counts the cost of a gruelling six months.

Cable and Wireless in demerger plan

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Telecommunications giant Cable and Wireless has revived demerger proposals that will see the group split its UK and regional businesses.

National gives up rail franchise

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

One of the UK's biggest rail franchises will come under public control next week, the Department for Transport has announced.

Unilever boosted by new products

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Consumer goods giant Unilever has said it has boosted sales in "challenging" markets as a promotional push and new products lifted trading.

Wincanton remains on track

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Haulage and logistics firm Wincanton has said a mix of new contracts and cost-cutting helped stem the impact of recession in the first half of the year.

ITV upbeat after revenues boost

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

ITV's leadership crisis took a back seat after the broadcaster forecast a return to growth in its key measure of advertising revenues.

Quantitative easing stems FTSE losses

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

The London market pared its losses after the Bank of England opted for a smaller than expected Â£25 billion boost to the money supply.

Cheaper gems boost Signet results

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Cheaper diamond prices helped H Samuel and Ernest Jones deliver a marked improvement in third quarter sales as consumers snapped up more affordable sparklers, parent company Signet said.

Foreign banks 'could buy assets'

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Foreign banks will not be prevented from snapping up parts of the UK's part-nationalised lenders when they are sold off to boost competition in the UK market, MPs have been told.

FTSE down amid investor fears

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Investors took shelter in defensive stocks amid uncertainty over the outcome of rate-setting meetings in London and Frankfurt.

Quantitative easing rise expected

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

The Bank of England could set off fiscal "fireworks" amid expectations that up to another Â£50 billion will be pumped into the economy.

Factory output bounces back

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Manufacturers bounced back from a weak August with the biggest monthly rise in output for more than seven years during September, official figures have shown.

GM to axe 10,000 Vauxhall-Opel jobs

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

General Motors expects to axe around 10,000 jobs across Europe as part of its restructuring of Vauxhall and Opel.

Dull session ahead of rates update

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

The London market was on the back foot as markets awaited the latest policy decision from Bank of England rate-setters.

'Cash for bangers' boosts car sales

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

New car sales soared last month as buyers continued to take advantage of the Government's "cash for bangers" car scrappage scheme.

Stress 'costs employers billions'

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Stress, anxiety and depression in the workplace is costing employers billions of pounds, the NHS watchdog has warned.

Wall Street gives up early gains

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

A late slump left stocks mixed on Wall Street as investors' optimism waned after an initial fillip as the Federal Reserve gave an encouraging assessment of the economy.

M&S leads FTSE 100 Index gains

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Retail bellwethers Next and Marks & Spencer led strong gains on London's blue chip share index as economic and corporate news buoyed stocks.

Unrest after GM scraps Opel sale

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

General Motors's decision to scrap the sale of European subsidiary Opel has raised new uncertainty over the unit's future, astonishing politicians in Germany and Russia, and prompting workers to plan walkouts in protest.

US bankers in interest rates pledge

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

US central bankers have pledged to hold interest rates at record lows for an "extended period" to help foster further economic recovery.

Capital hosts sport business event

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

London is to host the 2011 international SportAccord Convention, one of the key business events for international sports leaders, London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced.

Housing upturn boosts Rightmove

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

The UK's biggest property website has said this year's mini-revival in the housing market is gradually drawing back advertisers to the business.

Sales go flat at Wetherspoon

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Pubs chain JD Wetherspoon has expressed optimism for its full-year prospects despite a sales slowdown during the first quarter.

FirstGroup hit by Greyhound dent

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

FirstGroup has suffered a slump in profits after its recession-hit Greyhound intercity coach business dented half-year results.

Rock 'improving despite losses'

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Nationalised Northern Rock has said that it expected a "significant improvement" in second-half trading as growth in mortgage arrears slowed.

Surprise profits boost for M and S

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:11:45 GMT

Marks & Spencer boss Sir Stuart Rose has drawn encouragement from recent trading after the chain posted an unexpected rise in half-year profits.