Author: Practicenet

The services sector has enjoyed a strong finish to 2017, according to the latest Investec Services PMI Ireland report. The headline PMI strengthened to 60.4 in December, an eight month high, from November’s 56.0 outturn. Any mark over 50 is deemed growth. The improvement appears to have been domestically-driven, as the new export orders component […]

The tax take for last year reached a record high of just over €50bn. The State took in €2.87bn more in taxes last year than had been initially expected. The figures were further boosted by the one-off sale of AIB shares, according to the Exchequer Returns published last night. The State’s tax income is now […]

“Mega” offshore wind projects off Ireland’s coast will require increased investment in the country’s port infrastructure, according to a Dublin-based consultant engineering group. GDG (Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions) is currently working with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland on a gap analysis designed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the offshore renewable-energy supply chain […]

Ireland has risen two places in a global economic ranking, but is expected to fall over the next decade as Asian economies leapfrog those in the west. The index by the London-based think tank Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) ranks Ireland 33rd in the world out of 192, up from 35th place last […]

The National Treasury Management Agency’s (NTMA) charge out of the traps, expected as early as this morning, will test the market in more ways than one. Wholesale regulatory changes, collected into the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive or Mifid II, come into effect across Europe today and, at a purely technical level, both human and […]

European finance has been abuzz over an obscure acronym – MiFID II – set to radically change how assets from stocks to commodities are traded and investors’ money is managed. EU firms have spent more than €1.6bn preparing for it. Regulators say it will protect investors, boost transparency and rebuild trust tarnished by the crash. […]

Technology rules our lives these days. So what will 2018 bring? Here are five things to expect over the next 12 months. 1. Your face will replace your password For a decade, we’ve been wondering when a ‘Minority Report’-style facial-recognition service might arrive into the mainstream. With the arrival of Apple’s latest iPhone X here […]

Ireland has risen two places in a global economic ranking, but is expected to fall over the next decade as Asian economies leapfrog those in the west. The index by the London-based think tank Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) ranks Ireland 33rd in the world out of 192, up from 35th place last […]

Save thousands by changing how you use your TV and phone, and by becoming more tech-savvy with bills, writes Louise McBride. The New Year is shaping up to be a mixed bag of financial fortunes. There are more jobs and higher wages on the cards, according to various economists. However, the New Year is also […]

Existing only in the digital sphere but currently worth a fortune, it is the virtual currency that has gone mainstream in recent weeks. However, it has emerged that the production of bitcoins uses so much energy it threatens to seriously harm the planet. In recent months investors have flocked to the currency that exists only […]