Business News Articles

Markets tumble on recession fears
Global stock markets have seen their biggest fall since 9/11 as fears grow that the US is heading for recession. The FTSE fell by 5.5% on 21 January, with Asian and European markets also tumbling, as the fallout from the global credit crunch continues. ... more

Shock fall in December sales
UK retail sales fell 0.4% in December from November's figure, despite the run-up to Christmas being the time of year that is traditionally busiest for retailers. The figures from the Office of National Statistics showed that overall spending rose by just 0.4% in the last three months of 2007, down from 1% in November. ... more

Firms resigned to fraud cases
Businesses have lost faith in the ability of the criminal justice system to deal with fraud, BDO Stoy Hayward’s annual FraudTrack survey claims. The research found that while 87% of companies in the financial services sector reported cases of non-VAT fraud, the total for all other sectors of the economy stood at just 13%. ... more

Olympic boost for small firms
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has launched a website to help small businesses take advantage of opportunities brought about by the 2012 Olympic Games. The ‘London 2012 Business Network' site will to allow small businesses to register as potential suppliers, compete for sub-contracting opportunities and get advice on how to meet criteria on corporate social responsibility. ... more

Free business energy audits
Business can receive free energy audits to help them identify what they need to do to become more green. OneWorldEnergy claims to be the “first green one-stop-shop for homeowners and businesses to receive simple and honest advice, and purchase everything relating to green energy from solar panels to green electricity tariffs”. ... more

Seasonal rush for domain names
Over a third more entrepreneurs register domain names in January than at any other time of the year, according to web hosting company Amenworld.com. In 2007, the company saw a 36% rise in .co.uk domain name registrations and a 22% rise in .com applications and has seen a steady rise every January since 2005. It expects to see more of the same in 2008.... more

UK house prices still falling
The UK housing market is continuing to slow down with prices falling by 0.8% in November, according to figures from the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG). The fall in prices brought the annual rate of house price inflation down from 11.3% to 9.5%, with the three-month figure slipping from 11.1% to 10.5%. ... more

Inflation stats boost rate cut hopes
UK inflation remained unchanged at 2.1% in December despite rising food and fuel prices, figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed. The move will be welcome news for the Bank of England, which has been concerned that inflation could rise still further above its target rate of 2.0%, and makes an interest rate cut next month more likely. ... more

Profit warnings at six-year high
The number of profit warnings issued by UK-listed firms is at a six-year high as fears grow that the UK could be heading for recession. Research by Ernst & Young revealed that there were nearly 400 such warnings in 2007, a 10% rise on the previous year. ... more

Call to ban interests from CVs
Employers have little or no interest in job candidates' interests outside work and would like that information removed from CVs. That's the message from recruitment consultancy Unity Personnel, which claims 67% of employers no longer wish to see such details. ... more