January, 2018

• 15 January

  Airbus stakes future of A380 jumbo on new order from Emirates

  

  Bloomberg Airbus SE publicly questioned the future of the A380 for the first time, saying its flagship aircraft risks being shut down if the manufacturer fails to win a crucial order from the planemaker’s main backer, Emirates of Dubai. Emirates is the only airline with enough capacity to take enough planes to keep the programme alive, Airbus sales chief John …

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• 15 January

  Montblanc sports watches now in Rolex price range

  

  Bloomberg Montblanc, the penmaker that began making Swiss watches two decades ago, is shoring up its credentials as it expands with sports models near the price range where Rolex Group and Breitling AG timepieces start. The brand, owned by Geneva-based luxury-goods maker Richemont, is introducing a line of Timewalker sports watches with a mountain-climbing theme this year after entering the …

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• 15 January

  ‘Consumer boom’ proves real as holiday retail tops estimates

  

  Bloomberg The final numbers are in, and the past holiday season was indeed one of the best since the last recession—even if everyone didn’t partake in the good fortune. Sales rose 5.5 percent to $691.9 billion during November and December, the National Retail Federation said. The results exclude spending on cars, gas and restaurants. E-commerce and other sales that occur …

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• 14 January

  Stock momentum gets historic on eve of big earnings season

  

  Bloomberg The New Year’s rally has pushed the S&P 500 Index to its best start since the administration of George W. Bush. Now it’s bumping against speed barriers that marked the upper limits of bull markets for decades. Up eight times in the first nine days of 2018, the S&P 500 has broken away from a trend line, its 200-day …

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• 14 January

  Pound’s post-EU vote high vulnerable to fragile Brexit sentiment

  

  Bloomberg The pound’s rally, spurred by hopes of a soft Brexit, may be vulnerable this week to heightened sensitivity to comments from European Union leaders on the prospects of such a deal. Sterling rose to its highest level since just after Britain’s EU referendum after signs emerged that some countries want a Brexit deal that keeps the UK as close …

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• 14 January

  Rig-count chaos: US shale oil drillers are confusing analysts

  

  Bloomberg For US shale drillers who have seen prices climb almost 50 percent in six months, it’s been largely a rig-less recovery, a conundrum for traders seeking to forecast the future. Normally, you’d expect the rigs to return to the field in significant numbers as producers flush with added cash looked to boost output. But the weekly Baker Hughes tally …

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• 14 January

  BP to pay $102mn to settle California suit

  

  Bloomberg A BP Plc unit will pay $102 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of overcharging California for natural gas, the state’s attorney general said. The accord spared BP from facing a jury trial that was scheduled to start this week in San Francisco. A lawyer for the ex-employee who initially filed the complaint as a whistle blower …

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• 14 January

  South Africa’s Eskom reviews ‘major impact’ of curbs on higher power prices

  

  Bloomberg Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., the South African power utility battling to maintain liquidity, said there will be a “major impact” from the regulator’s decision last month to grant only a quarter of its requested tariff increase. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa gave the cash-strapped utility permission to raise prices by 5.2 percent from April 1, far short …

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• 14 January

  Japan’s renewable energy goals lag world: Minister

  Bloomberg Japan’s plans to develop its renewable energy industry are lagging much of the world, as the nation has “prioritised keeping the status quo for fear of change,” Foreign Minister Taro Kono said. Japan wants renewable energy to account for 22 percent to 24 percent of its overall energy mix by 2030, while the global average today is already 24 …

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• 14 January

  Singapore marine fuel sales reach all-time high

  

  SINGAPORE / Reuters Singapore posted record sales volumes of marine fuels for the third straight year in 2017, even as the city state reva-mped the market last year leading to stiff competition and margin erosion. Singapore last year sold an all-time high 50.6 million tonnes of marine fuels, a 4.2 percent increase over the 48.6 million tonnes sold in 2016, …

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