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BUSINESS LIVE: PageGroup profits slip; Crest Nicholson costs rise; Audioboom…

LIVE BUSINESS LIVE: PageGroup profits slip; Crest Nicholson costs rise; Audioboom returns to growth By Live Commentary Updated: 03:09 EST, 15 January 2024 e-mail View comments The FTSE 100 will open at 8am. Among the companies with reports and trading updates today are PageGroup, Crest Nicholson and Audioboom. Read the Monday 15 January Business Live blog below. > If you are using our app or a third-party site click here to read Business Live 08:09 Advances in artificial intelligence risk sparking a public backlash The public is losing trust in the pace of technological change amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI),…

Teesside firm Ramsdens hits 'milestone' as profits top £10m for first time

Pawnbroking chain Ramsdens has returned profits above £10m for the first time in its history after a big rise revenues. Annual results from the Middlesbrough-based firm show that its revenue for the year ending September 2023 rose 27% to £83.8m. Over the same period, profit before tax increased 22% to £10.1m - something the firm’s chief executive called a ‘milestone’ figure. The firm, which now has 165 outlets around the UK and employs nearly 800 people, has increased its dividend to shareholders. It said current trading was in line with expectations and there were “significant opportunities to grow each of its income streams”. :…

UK house prices forecast to rise 3% in 2024; oil prices fall back below $80 –…

Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Live feed Key events 12m ago Introduction: UK house prices forecast to rise 3% in 2024; oil prices fall back below $80 1m ago 02.54 EST Stephen Innes , managing partner of SPI Asset Management, has looked at Taiwan’s election and what it means for the country’s fraught relations with China. Geopolitically, tension rises following more US airstrikes on Yemen over the weekend, and domestically, President Biden faces challenges in foreign policy on two fronts: the Middle East and Taiwan. Both of these issues could weigh negatively on Consumer Sentiment. Xi Jinping…

Presidential hopeful Baswedan says Indonesia's democracy is declining and…

A former Jakarta governor seeking Indonesia's presidency said democracy is declining in the country and pledged to make changes to get it back on track. Anies Baswedan said in an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday that concerns about neutrality in the current government and the institution arose when the frontrunner in the presidential race, Prabowo Subianto, picked the son of the current president as his running mate. The issue of neutrality has not existed in Indonesia's s since the fall of dictator Suharto in 1998, Baswedan said. “This means that there is a decline in trust, it means that our democracy is experiencing…

House sellers bump up asking prices by £4,500 in a month - latest updates

The average price tag on a home jumped by around £4,500 in January compared to the previous month, according to a property website, as sellers hope to an improvement in the affordability of mortgage rates will support the market. Across Britain, the average price of a property coming on the market increased by 1.3pc, or £4,571 month-on-month, to £359,748, Rightmove said. It comes as lenders battle to offer buyers lower mortgage rates amid expectations that interest rates will be cut this year. Despite the increase in average asking prices over the last month, they are still 0.7pc lower than a year earlier. Rightmove said the volume…