‘Topics’ – Media Round Up – week ending 9th February 2014
Welcome!
Welcome to our “Weekly Round Up” – our complimentary summary of this week’s financial news. This publication includes my own commentary and index of links to articles, allowing you to scan over and tune into what’s important to you.
We welcome feedback, and you can do this using the article comment feature on the website.
Also, check out latest (free) Monthly Topics newsletter on our new website.
Keep in touch.
Dermot.
Commentary
The news is dominated this week with banking issues. AIB Bank announced that they are to write off selected spilt mortgages while 22 of their customers have had part of their mortgage written off. Good news also with the announcement that the European Central Bank (ECB) are to leave their main lending rate unchanged at 0.25% which is good news for mortgage holders particularly those with tracker mortgages.
Irish Economy
- Manufacturing sector sees 8th month of growth in a row. Read more
- New car sales speed up by almost 50% in January. Read more
- Consumer sentiment back at 2007 levels. Read more
- Live Register figures fall by 2,300 last month. Read more
- Strong exports boost services sector in January. Read more
- Industrial production down by 7.5% on an annual basis. Read more
Taxation
Banking / Credit
- 22 AIB customers have part of mortgage debt written off. Read more
- Euro falls against dollar on speculation ECB may take radical measures to combat deflation. Read more
- ECB warns bank stress tests will be more ‘demanding’ than previous tests. Read more
- AIB to write off debt for selected split mortgages. Read more
- ECB keeps euro zone rates at record lows of 0.25%. Read more
- No rate changes from Bank of England today. Read more
- Confusion over Danske Bank account closure plans. Read more
Global Economy
- Euro zone factories enjoy solid start to 2014. Read more
- Greek manufacturing activity grows for first time in over four years. Read more
- US manufacturing growth slows in January as new orders plunge. Read more
- US manufacturing orders fall 1.5% in December. Read more
- Energy costs push euro zone factory prices up in December. Read more
- UK construction at six and a half year high in January. Read more
- UK’s official trade deficit falls in December. Read more
- Euro zone businesses log strongest month in over two years in January. Read more
- US trade gap widens by 12% in December. Read more
- US job growth below expectations in January. Read more
Stock Markets
- Iseq outperforms European markets. Read more
- World stock markets gain on hopes for US jobs growth. Read more