Irish Examiner

An independent review is to look at whether accountants in Britain should check for fraud when auditing company finances so they could potentially spot problems that cause corporate crashes, the UK business ministry has said.

The trade deficit in goods between the Republic and Britain widened last year, reflecting the competitive fall in the value of sterling against the euro, new figures suggest.

The pound edged higher yesterday as strong British retail sales lifted sentiment, though investors were considering the consequences of a Brexit vote defeat in parliament for Prime Minister Theresa May.

Shares in PepsiCo rose to the highest in two months as investors brushed off a lower profit forecast, instead focusing on sales growth in snacks and North American beverages and the company’s plans to return about $8bn (€7bn) to shareholders this year.

Ulster Bank plans to reduce by a significant amount its elevated level of non-performing mortgages through another loans sale this year.

A major shortage of construction workers is being made worse by a “myriad of problems” in the apprenticeship system, the president of Cork Institute of Technology has said.

The High Court has referred to Europe a number of questions relating to a five-year extension of planning permission for a liquid gas terminal on the Shannon Estuary.

US-Chinese talks on a war of wills over Beijing's technology ambitions have "made headway" on important issues, the chief American envoy said, but he gave no indication whether Washington would postpone a looming tariff hike.

A dispute in which the HSE claimed a leading pharmacy group owed it more than €5m over alleged non-compliance with phased dispensing rules has settled at the Commercial Court.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has warned of the consequences for workers of a no-deal Brexit.

A survey has found that 89% of construction companies in Ireland say they are experiencing severe difficulties in hiring workers.

Yew Grove REIT has bought a two-storey office block in Cork Airport Business Park for €7.5m.

Businesses should be examining gender balance in their workplace now in advance of the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill eventually comes into force, advises Patrick Robertson, managing director of Performance Reward Consulting.

Bottom line profits more than doubled from £752 million last year to £1.62 billion.

The tech giant’s new campus will eventually house around 25,000 staff.

Coca-Cola shares plunged the most in more than 10 years after the company forecast slowing sales in 2019, hit by a stronger dollar in the face of rising global economic uncertainty and lower demand for its fizzy drinks in some markets.

Europe’s Airbus is scrapping production of the A380 superjumbo, with lacklustre sales forcing it to abandon a dream of dominating the skies with a 21st century cruiseliner.

British companies with over £102bn (€116bn) of debt to refinance this year are facing rising funding costs as a no-deal Brexit looms, with yields on some bonds now akin to those in emerging markets.

Hikes in rents by private landlords and food outlets increasing prices stood out in the January consumer price figures.

KBC Bank Ireland got a huge financial boost from rapidly increasing house prices in 2018 but the outlook suggests Irish lenders will have fewer opportunities to tap this year.