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US officially designates China a ‘currency manipulator’ as trade war rages

US officially designates China a ‘currency manipulator’ as trade war rages The United States has formally accused China of manipulating its currency, marking the second major escalation in the two countries’ spiralling trade war in just 24 hours. Washington’s sudden move came the day China allowed the yuan to fall below seven to the dollar […]

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Irish bond yield spreads amid no-deal Brexit worries

Irish bond yield spreads amid no-deal Brexit worries Irish Government bond yield spreads over Germany have hit their widest in nearly two months, as chances rise of a no-deal Brexit that would cause particular damage to Ireland. Sterling has dropped to 28-month lows against the dollar and euro on growing worries that Britain will leave […]

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Eurozone growth halves in second quarter of 2019

Eurozone growth halves in second quarter of 2019 Eurozone economic growth halved in the April-June period and inflation slowed sharply in July even though the unemployment rate fell to its lowest in 11 years, data from the European Union’s statistics office has shown. Eurostat’s preliminary flash estimate of gross domestic product growth in the 19 […]

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110,000 fewer jobs after no-deal Brexit – Central Bank

110,000 fewer jobs after no-deal Brexit – Central Bank The Central Bank has warned of major job losses across the economy in the event of a no-deal Brexit. In its latest Quarterly Bulletin, the Central Bank forecasts 34,000 fewer jobs by the end of next year and 110,000 fewer jobs over the next ten years. […]

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NAMA seeking €125m for 80% stake in docklands development

NAMA seeking €125m for 80% stake in docklands development NAMA is seeking bids of over €125 million for an 80% stake in the Poolbeg West Development in Dublin’s docklands. The asset management agency will retain an interest of a fifth in the development on 37 acres of land commonly referred to as the old Irish […]

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Grocery sales slow down slightly in early summer

Grocery sales slow down slightly in early summer Grocery sales have slowed down slightly in the 12 weeks to 14 July compared to the same period last year, according to the latest Kantar figures. Overall sales are up 2.7%, compared with a 3.1% increase last year, which was thanks to a bumper summer featuring soaring […]

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Euro zone lending continues to grow but money supply slows

Euro zone lending continues to grow but money supply slows Euro zone lending continued to grow at a steady pace in June while a money supply indicator, which often foreshadows future activity, lost pace, data from the European Central Bank showed today. Household lending expanded by 3.3%, keeping a steady growth pace for the fifth […]

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NAMA wind-down date extended from 2021 to 2025

NAMA wind-down date extended from 2021 to 2025 The Minister for Finance had recommended that NAMA should continue to manage its loan book beyond the agency’s expected 2021 wind-down date so as to deliver the best financial return for the taxpayer. The Department of Finance’s second review of the National Asset Management Agency – as […]

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Mortgage drawdowns up by 8.8% in second quarter

Mortgage drawdowns up by 8.8% in second quarter A total of 10,157 new mortgages to the value of €2.25 billion were drawn down by borrowers in the second quarter of the year. This is according to the latest figures from Banking & Payments Federation Ireland. The figures marked an increase of 8.8% in volume terms […]

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Planning permission granted for Wicklow data centre

Planning permission granted for Wicklow data centre An Bord Pleanála has granted planning permission to Echelon Data Centres as the company moves forward with plans to build a 100MW, 484,000 sq ft facility at the Avoca River Business Park in Arklow, Co. Wicklow. Wicklow County Council originally granted planning permission in February 2019, a decision […]

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