Author: Practicenet

Sterling drops after UK election shock

Sterling dived and the FTSE share index was set to fall 1pc on Friday after a shockingly bad election result for Prime Minister Theresa May plunged Britain into political chaos days before the start of Brexit talks. The surprise of a result that raises questions about how Britain will advance with its plan to leave […]

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ECB signals ultra-cheap debt era is almost over

Mario Draghi has given the clearest indication yet that the era of record low borrowing costs is drawing to a close. The European Central Bank (ECB) ruled out further interest-rate cuts yesterday, in a sign that it’s moving towards the final chapter of a vast stimulus program that pumped cheap cash into the financial system […]

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Motor premium costs fall for second month

The cost of motor insurance premiums fell for the second month in a row in May. New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that motor cover was 8.6pc cheaper last month than a year earlier. It comes after a fall of 2.6pc in the cost of insurance in April. Overall price changes were flat […]

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Irish economy on a normalised footing as demand for sovereign debt grows

The rebound in demand for Irish sovereign debt shows little sign of dwindling following this morning’s €1bn auction by the National Treasury Management Agency. In a further indication that Ireland’s economy has regained a normalised footing after its crippling banking crisis, investors piled into the sale pushing yields below comparable issuances earlier this year. A […]

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Brexit means harmonised corporation tax closer

Brexit will make it much more difficult for Ireland to fight plans by the European Commission to standardise the way corporation tax is calculated and paid across the EU, an academic has warned. Aidan Regan, an assistant professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at UCD, said the UK’s withdrawal from the European […]

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Moody’s upgrades the long-term bank deposit and debt ratings of Bank Of Ireland and AIB

Credit ratings agency Moody’s has upgraded the long-term bank deposit and debt ratings of Bank Of Ireland and AIB. As part of the same action, Moody’s upgraded the baseline credit assessments (BCAs) of AIB and BOI. The news comes one week after the Government announced that it is to float a quarter of its share […]

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Greenfield investment into UK plunges 42pc after vote to quit EU

The Brexit vote has dealt short-term damage to the UK’s offering as a foreign direct investment location, a report claims, with the country experiencing a 42pc fall in greenfield capital investment year-on-year. The number of projects dropped by 9pc, as did job creation, according to the data from the ‘Financial Times’ FDI Intelligence unit. The […]

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How 30pc of houses for sale can’t find buyers despite crisis

One-in-three houses put on the market almost three months ago has failed to sell. A snapshot of almost 200 properties across 15 counties ranging from two-bed apartments to €1m-plus homes shows that 30pc, or 58, remain on the market despite the housing shortage. Experts said that in many cases, houses were overpriced leading them to […]

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Retail data startup wins pitch contest

Technology firm Popertee has walked away with first prize in the Wayra UK pitch contest at the TechConnect Live showcase at the RDS. Six finalists had been selected to participate in the live Dragons’ Den-style pitch – all with the ambition to see their business selected to access technology incubator Wayra and Telefónica’s vast network […]

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EU trade deal will open doors for more exporters in Canada

This week saw a number of Irish businesses announce deals and partnerships in Canada, one of the world’s most successful and stable economies. It was the result of a three-day trade mission, led by Minister of State Seán Canney, aimed at promoting the potential of the new Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), recently agreed […]

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