British Gas sees profits rise 31%

Profits at British Gas have risen by 31% to £574m for the 12 months to 31 December as gas consumption increased.

The rise in operating profits compared with £439m for the previous year. 

British Gas said gas usage rose by 5% despite the warmest December on record, as 2015 had more normal temperatures compared with a very mild 2014.

 

However, profits at its parent company, Centrica, fell by 12% to £1.46bn as wholesale gas prices fell sharply.

Last week British Gas - the UK's largest energy supplier - said it was cutting gas prices by 5.1%, the last of the big six energy suppliers to do so.

E.On, EDF, SSE, Scottish Power and Npower have all cut gas prices by similar amounts.

'Resilient' performance

House Price Rises Slowed to 6.7% in 2015, says ONS

House prices in the UK rose by 6.7% in 2015, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) - a considerable slowdown on the previous year.

 

Where prices rose fastest in 2015

ECONOMIC WEEK AHEAD: South Africa Braces for CPI Increase as Rand Flounders

CONSUMER inflation and retail sales data due out this week will provide important clues on the likely pace of economic growth this year.

South Africans are braced for a further rise in the consumer price index (CPI) on Wednesday after the Reserve Bank’s recent inflation forecast had a poor outlook.
The Bank’s concerns about the growing risks to inflation from the weak rand and higher food prices have begun to materialise.

Gold rose as markets recover from Paris attacks

Gold briefly rose on Monday to its highest in a week at $1,097.90 an ounce after the attacks prompted a flight to safety among investors, but it failed to maintain those gains.

 

The metal is now coming under pressure from expectations that the US Federal Reserve is set to raise US interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade, lifting the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding gold while boosting the dollar.

JSE opens firmer as Gold and Platinum Stocks recover Prices.

THE Johannesburg Stock Exchange opened firmer in early morning trade on Monday as gold and platinum shares recovered on higher commodity prices.

The gold price gained 0.31% to $1,092.76/oz and platinum was up 0.45% at $939.30 after the opening.
The all share was sold off by more than 2% on Friday on the expectation of a US rate hike in December.
Asian markets were mixed on Monday, with the Shanghai Composite index up 1.59%, while the Hang Seng lost 0.24%. The Nikkei 225 climbed 1.96%.
US markets were generally stronger on Friday on the upbeat US data. The Dow closed 0.26% higher.
At 9.29am the all share was up 0.60% at 53,280.30 points and the blue-chip top 40 had added 0.63%. The gold index was up 3.83% and platinums gained 1.09%. Industrials added 0.68% and financials were up 0.49%.

Governments: Raid to Help Ease Price of Pulses in retail marker

NEW DELHI: Aided by improved availability of pulses, prices of tur and urad dal witnessed a marginal correction in the retail market on Tuesday.
As per the data maintained by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, tur dal price slipped below Rs 210 per kg and was quoted about Rs 190 on Tuesday, while wholesale price of the commodity declined to Rs 181 per kg.

 
Similarly, urad dal prices dropped by up to Rs 8 per kg in both retail and wholesale markets across the country. Retail price of urad dal was Rs 190, while it was Rs 180 in the wholesale market.