Tuesday newspaper round-up: Easyjet, UK house prices, retailers
easyJet
535.20p
16:40 19/04/24
Ryanair is to appeal against a ruling in the Dublin high court over its attempts to delay the defection of its former chief operating officer to Easyjet. Mr Justice Senan Allen ruled that Ryanair’s attempt to enforce a “covenant” to prevent Peter Bellew from joining a rival within a year amounted to restraint of employment. - The Times
ALPHABET-A
$154.09
13:09 19/04/24
Nasdaq 100
17,037.65
12:15 19/04/24
Ryanair Holdings
€15.20
18:30 22/01/21
Travel & Leisure
7,521.61
17:10 19/04/24
Ultra-low borrowing costs have fuelled a huge property boom that pushed house prices beyond the reach of young buyers, the Bank of England has warned. A five-fold surge in house prices over the past 50 years can be “more than accounted for by the substantial decline” in the cost of borrowing, according to research by the Bank. Its economists warned that even a housebuilding spree would not have stopped a huge rise in prices caused by the long-term plunge in rates - undermining claims that Britain's property bubble has been caused by a lack of new homes. - The Daily Telegraph
Saturday was not so super for retailers last weekend, as numbers visiting high streets and shopping centres fell by nearly 8% compared with the previous year. With some retailers accepting online orders as late as Christmas Eve, shoppers now have many more choices about the way they shop and often hang on for last-minute bargains. More than a third (36%) of Brits have left gift-buying until the last few days before Christmas, according to Argos. - The Guardian
Tens of thousands of people are fleeing Idlib province in Syria after President Assad’s forces renewed their assault on the last rebel bastion. Over the past week 80,000 people have moved north towards the Turkish border under bombardment; 25,000 have done so in the past two days alone. They have described scenes “like doomsday” as Syrian and Russian jets carpet bombed areas close to the frontline between regime and rebel forces. - The Times
The incoming Governor of the Bank of England has heaped pressure on Google to crack down on investment scams which are marketed online. Andrew Bailey, who leads the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), is pressing the company to take concrete steps to shield savers from bogus adverts, after Google recently imposed restrictions on firms that consolidate high-interest loans posing as debt charities. - The Daily Mail
Lloyd's of London has been forced to submit to extra checks by the Bank of England after admitting its whistleblowing helpline was not available to staff for almost a year and a half. The insurance market, which is embroiled in allegations of sexual harassment and bullying, will have to provide an annual update for the next three years about its procedures. - The Daily Mail