April, 2016

• 24 April

  Family Bank plans share sale to fund East African expansion

  

    Bloomberg Family Bank Ltd., a closely-held Kenyan lender, plans to raise 4 billion shillings ($40 million) in a share sale to existing investors by June that will be used to fund an East African expansion. The company wants to make a “cautious entry” into markets in the region over the next year, outgoing Managing Director Peter Munyiri told reporters ...

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• 24 April

  USA homebuilder sentiment shows steadiness in April

  

    WASHINGTON / AP U.S. homebuilders’ confidence held steady in April, reflecting an overall optimistic outlook in the market for new homes even as a gauge of current sales fell slightly. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released was unchanged at 58. It hasn’t budged in three months. Readings above 50 indicate more builders view sales ...

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• 24 April

  More Americans are expected to remodel their homes this year

  

    WASHINGTON / AP A rising number of Americans are preparing to renovate their homes this year, a potential boost for the economy, according to projections released by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. The report estimates that spending on remodeling and repairs will climb 8.6 percent this year to $310 billion. The gains would bring renovations close to ...

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• 24 April

  Freeway views are hot: Homeowners cozy up to urban eyesores

    LOS ANGELES / AP Robert Leviton’s loudest neighbour is a 12-lane freeway. The busy stretch of highway that runs alongside his townhouse complex is visible from his north-facing windows. The drone of passing motorists is audible throughout. He can even hear a muffled version of it when his windows are shut. “I was a little bit worried about how ...

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• 24 April

  Southwest tops on higher traffic, lower fuel costs

  

    Dallas / Bloomberg Southwest Airlines Co. reported first-quarter profit that beat analysts’ estimates and said it would speed retirement of its oldest Boeing 737s to better manage pilot training for a new model of the plane. Earnings excluding some items climbed 88 cents a share, beating the 84-cent average of analyst estimates that were recently compiled. Sales rose 9.3 ...

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• 24 April

  AutoNation jumps to record high

  

    Bloomberg AutoNation Inc., the largest auto retailer in the US, reversed early-morning losses to reach a five-week high after convincing investors it can weather a plateau in new-vehicle sales and rebound from a quarter that missed analyst expectations. Shares in the dealership group rose 3 percent to $49.49 after touching $50.24, the highest intraday price since March 14. The ...

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• 24 April

  Retail gain in decade aids Canada oil-shock rebound

    Bloomberg Canada’s consumer is showing no signs of letting up. Retailers are off to the best start of the year since 2005, and consumer price pressures are stronger than anticipated, data show. That adds to evidence that households are leading a rebound in growth that’s on track to be among the fastest in the Group of Seven this year. ...

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• 24 April

  Lebara targets niche mkt with cash services

  

    LONDON / Reuters Lebara, the mobile phone group often seen selling SIM cards to new arrivals at major railway stations in Europe, says its knowledge of a group largely ignored by major brands will help it also sell digital services like online TV to them. The privately owned group targets the thousands of people who arrive in London, Amsterdam ...

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• 24 April

  Zodiac Aerospace tackles seat output delays, sees shares going up

  

    PARIS / Reuters Zodiac Aerospace has announced shortening of average delays in aircraft seat production to days rather than months, sending its shares higher in a respite from factory congestion which disrupted airplane deliveries. The French aircraft interiors and systems manufacturer said it was on track to get its seats business back to normal within 18 months and also ...

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• 24 April

  Robots to ensure food security

  

    Tokyo / Bloomberg As the average age of farmers globally creeps higher and retirement looms, Japan has a solution: Robots and driver-less tractors. The Group-of-Seven agriculture ministers met in Japan’s northern prefecture of Niigata for the first time in seven years to discuss how to meet increasing food demand as aging farmers retire without successors. With the average age ...

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