Author: Practicenet

Euro drops on ECB fears the currency is now too strong

The euro’s gains against currencies including the dollar and the pound have been enough to alarm European Central Bank policymakers, who fear the currency could overshoot beyond levels justified by growth. The concerns were raised when rate-setters met on July 20 to discuss policy, and are including in minutes of the event published yesterday. The […]

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Ireland ‘ideally positioned’ to be a global leader in wave and tidal energy

Ireland is “ideally positioned” to become a global leader in wave and tidal energy production, according to the organiser of an international conference being held in Cork at the end of this month. More than 400 experts, entrepreneurs and researchers will attend the European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference in Cork this month. “With our […]

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Private data exchange between businesses set to surpass the internet

The bandwidth used in private data exchange between businesses will be six times that of the internet by 2020, with interconnection bandwidth outpacing growth of the internet by nearly two to one. According to interconnection and data centre company Equinix, who have produced the Global Interconnection Index, global interconnection bandwidth – which is the total […]

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Weaker euro and stronger growth lift European shares

European shares were already on track for their best week since late April on Wednesday, gaining almost 1pc on forecast-beating growth data, rising metals prices and a weakening euro. US stocks were also set to open some 0.2pc higher, index futures suggested , Metals markets were buoyant, with the price of zinc, used to galvanise […]

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Housing shortage to drive up prices by 15pc over the next three years

House prices are set to rise by 15pc over the next three years, a survey conducted by the Central Bank has found. The survey of estate agents, auctioneers, economists and surveyors indicates prices will rise by eight per cent nationally this year. Dublin prices are set to rise by 10pc, the property professionals told the […]

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A design for life: Irish business star Chupi chases jewellery dream

‘Start small and make your mistakes while no one is watching’ – Chupi Chupi Sweetman, the Irish designer behind the jewellery brand ‘Chupi’ has been designing and creating since she got her first Singer sewing machine at the age of five. Now 32 she says that key to her success has been starting small and […]

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E-commerce transactions now make up almost half of credit card spending

E-commerce now accounts for 30pc of debit card point of sale transactions and almost one in two credit card purchases, according to the latest data from the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI). Overall debit card point of sale transactions in Ireland were worth €2.9bn in June 2017, 16pc higher than the same month in 2016, […]

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Budget cuts preventing investment in tech

Eight in ten IT departments in Ireland are being held back from making investments in new technologies due to budget cuts, according to research from Sungard Availability Services. This figure is considerably higher than their counterparts in other countries including the UK and Canada, where 61pc said that they have been held back from making […]

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Property market ‘at middle stage of upturn’

The two-tiered nature of Ireland’s economic recovery has been highlighted again in a new commercial property report. The latest quarterly commercial property monitor from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) found that only half of members nationally believe that the property market is at the middle stage of an upturn. But that figure is […]

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Four tips to save money on the cost of running your car

The average cost of running a car has fallen by €178.05 or 1.6pc on the same figure for last year, according to the latest AA’s calculations, bring the cost of running a family car for a year to €10,671.37. Despite a minor increase of 0.46pc in the cost of fuel, recent CSO data highlighting a […]

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