Saturday, August 30, 2008

FT headlines this week

Here are a few headlines that caught my eye this week:


Spectris lifted by growing demand for efficiency

Instrument and manufacturing controls maker doing well with wide range of products used in increasing energy efficiency. eg. engine testing equipment used in developing lighter, more fuel-efficient cars. CEO says "rising fuel and raw material prices had imporved demand for products that could help manufacturers reduce waste and control costs". "Efficiency of manufacturing has become a hot topic".

Wealthy Indians let trains take the strain

Frequent flyers are moving back to long distance trains. Airline tickets up 20% in the year with a drop by 12% in passengers numbers. At the same time, luxury class train travel has increased by 50%.

Indonesia to limit tin output to lift market

Indonesia is the world's biggest exporter of tin. Cap of 90,000 tonnes to be introduced this year and 100,000 next year. 140,000 produced in 2005 but declined since. Estimated global deficit recently revised upwards to 20,000 tonnes for 2008. Estimated reserves in Indonesia 800,000 tonnes.

Price of homes falls for 10th month
Year-on-year fall into double figures.



Shirtmaker has his work cut out for him

Robert Boyd Bowman bought his english shirt manufacturer in order to secure his supply of english made shirts to his despoke City clonthing retailer Alexander Boyd.

Energy Price increses in the UK

PRICE INCREASES THIS YEAR
4 Jan - Npower
Gas up 17.2%, electricity up 12.7%
15 Jan - EDF Energy
Gas up 12.9%, electricity up 7.9%
18 Jan - British Gas
Gas and electricity up 15%
1 Feb - Scottish Power
Gas up by 15%, electricity up 14%
7 Feb - E.On
Gas up 15%, electricity up 9.7%
19 March - Scottish & Southern
Gas up 15.8%, electricity up 14.2%
5 July - EDF Energy
Gas up 22%, electricity up 17%
30 July - British Gas
Gas up 35%, electricity up 9%
21 Aug - Eon
Gas up 26%, electricity up 16%
21 Aug - Scottish & Southern
Gas up 29.2%, electricity up 19.2%
29 Aug - Scottish Power
Gas up 34%, electricity up 9%
29 Aug - Npower
Gas up 26%, electricity up 14%

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