Nissan announce improved Leaf battery performance As competition in the electric car industry starts to motor (and about time in my opinion) Nissan announce range improvements to their Leaf electric car. The new Leaf electric car can travel approximately 50% further than its predecessor (depends on terrain). The new Leaf …

Micro Focus International PLC completes deal. Micro Focus International PLC (MCRO) shares are up this morning by 7.6% at: £23.75 The company on 1st September 2017 successfully completed its merger with HPE Software. This has been an exceptional period for Micro Focus as it was itself the target of a …

FTSE 100 down after service sector data The FTSE 100 closed down today (05/09/17) at: 7372 after a survey suggested service sector growth had slowed. North Korea’s nuclear test continues to bear heavy on global politics and therefore financial markets.

UK company Destiny Pharma takes AIM This company has just shot across my radar screen. It is has recently listed shares on the London AIM market and raised £15 million by doing so. Destiny Pharma is a UK pharmaceutical company involved in the research and development of drugs to target …

Asian stocks slip After Fridays small gains Asian stock slip back again. The news of North Korea testing a nuclear device saw Japan’s NIKKEI close down at: 19527 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index also close down at: 27740 Wall Street is closed Monday 4th September for Labor Day!   …

Beige book published on 6th September 2017. But what exactly is the Beige Book? Beige Book Facts It is called The ‘Beige Book’ because its cover is the colour beige. It is a report published by the US Federal Reserve eight times a year. The report is published in advance …

US non-farm payroll data update The US economy created fewer jobs than expected in August adding 156,000 (180,000 expected) still a good number though. However, the previous months figures were later revised down. The US unemployment rate has held at or close to 4.4% since April this year. Has US …

FTSE 100 companies going ex dividend this week on: 07/09/17 Standard Life Aberdeen PLC (SLA) Shire PLC (SHP) Antofagasta PLC (ANTO) Admiral Group PLC (ADM) RSA Insurance Group PLC (RSA) Conva Tec Group PLC (CTEC) BHP Billiton PLC (BLT) Glencore PLC (GLEN) CRH PLC (CRH) Land Securities Group (PLC)  

Good bye Yellow Pages. The business directory Yellow Pages will no longer be a ‘paper’ publication and is going fully digital from next year. After 51 years in print the familiar yellow book used by millions over the years will be no more. Sad in a way as yellow pages …

DOW Jones back close to 22000 levels – but for how long this time? The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Friday 1st September moved to just under 22000, but only just. It closed at: 21987 but with intra day highs above 22000. The NASDAQ closed at a record high of: …