Law and business: commercial news round-up 07.01.16
updated on 07 January 2016
With the excesses of Christmas and New Year behind you, and vacation scheme deadlines looming, now’s the time to get your head back in the game. You may find yourself being quizzed on your knowledge of economic affairs in vac scheme interviews, so it pays to be prepared. Here’s a selection from the past week to get you started:
- Next has reported disappointing Christmas sales figures. The main reason, according to Next? It was the warmest December since records began.
- In contrast, the construction sector was enjoying a happier Christmas, with news of a recovery in housebuilding in December and a £12 billion government injection promised by George Osborne.
- More gloom though, as the World Bank issued warnings of a “perfect storm”, with the possibility that the BRICS countries might all face economic trouble at the same time.
- In a shock announcement, M&S chief executive Marc Bolland is to step down in April 2016, as the company deals with disappointing third-quarter results. While food sales were up, enjoying record highs, general merchandise was down by 5.8%.
- And follow live updates as the global markets are in turmoil - £40 billion wiped off the FTSE 100, the pound is at its lowest level against the US dollar since 2010, and the Chinese stock market closes after dramatic plunge. Happy new year!
Be sure to check the News section every Thursday for this weekly commercial news round-up. Follow @LawCareersNetUK and @CityLawLIVE on Twitter for instant business news updates.
