A well organized Business Reporter experienced in writing financial articles, e-books, essays, editorial pieces, press releases.
15+ years of experience in writing and editing financial news Excellent knowledge of the stock market functions and financial world. Skilled in researching and collecting information on business world important happenings and events.
The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Victoria Smith
The FTSE 100 closed up 66.30 points at 8347.35. The UK economy expanded by 0.6 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, fresh data from the Office for National Statistics shows.
Growth was in-line with forecasts in the three months to the end of June and followed an expansion of 0.7 per cent in the first quarter.
Among the companies with reports and trading updates today are Evoke Group and AstraZeneca. Read the Thursday 15 August Business Live blog below.
FTSE 100 closes up 66.30 points at 8347.35
The Footsie closes soon
Just before close, the FTSE 100 was 0.8% up at 8,347.41.
Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 was 0.64% higher at 21,086.42.
Walmart’s US comparable sales rose 4.2% in second quarter
Mark Crouch, market analyst at investment platform eToro, comments on Walmart’s results:
American discount retailer Walmart reported healthy sales growth for its fiscal second quarter, beating expectations with both its top and bottom line.
Although earnings dropped substantially from the same quarter a year ago, the decrease was smaller than analysts had expected, and came alongside a robust increase in revenue, seen across both physical stores and eCommerce channels.
The latter was a particular bright spot, with global eCommerce sales growing 21%, while newer parts of the business, such as Walmart Marketplace, are beginning to contribute meaningfully to performance.
Walmart is the biggest retailer in the States and is consequently considered a bellwether for the US consumer. The sales strength shown in these numbers should help to allay concerns about the health of consumer demand, which plays a major part in the US economy.
A well organized Business Reporter experienced in writing financial articles, e-books, essays, editorial pieces, press releases.
15+ years of experience in writing and editing financial news Excellent knowledge of the stock market functions and financial world. Skilled in researching and collecting information on business world important happenings and events.
A well organized Business Reporter experienced in writing financial articles, e-books, essays, editorial pieces, press releases.
15+ years of experience in writing and editing financial news Excellent knowledge of the stock market functions and financial world. Skilled in researching and collecting information on business world important happenings and events.
