January 20, 2014
Irish debt upgraded from junk status by Moody’s
The credit rating agency Moody's has upgraded Ireland's debt from junk status to investment grade, saying its economy has growth potential. The news is the latest in a run of positive reports for Ireland and comes as investors start to welcome the…
January 20, 2014
Royal Dutch Shell issues profit warning
Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has issued a profit warning after it made less money than expected in the final quarter of 2013. "Fourth-quarter 2013 figures... are expected to be significantly lower than recent levels of profitability," the company…
January 13, 2014
2013 ends with weakest job growth in years
The job market suddenly looks a lot weaker than economists' had thought. Hiring slumped sharply in December, as the economy added only 74,000 jobs, according to the government. This was the weakest month for job growth since January 2011 and came as…
January 13, 2014
EU leaders hail Latvia’s euro membership
European Union leaders say Latvia’s inclusion in the euro bloc has shown that countries can emerge from economic crises stronger and that fears of the common currency’s decline were exaggerated. During his first visit to the country since its…
January 13, 2014
T&T must diversify to be relevant
The recent oil spill in parts of south Trinidad shows the weak infrastructure of T&T’s oil industry, said Gregory Hill, president of the Securities Dealers’ Association of T&T (SDATT). “They (the Government) need to diversify if we are to be…
January 13, 2014
Volkswagen plans $7bn North America investment
German carmaker Volkswagen has said it will invest $7bn (£4bn) in North America over the next five years as it looks to boost its sales in the region. The firm will also launch a new sports utility vehicle (SUV) in the US - one of its biggest…
January 13, 2014
BP loses bid over Gulf oil payouts
BP has lost an appeal to cancel the terms of its multi-billion-dollar settlement with businesses over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster. A US federal appeals court on Saturday upheld the terms of the original 2012 settlement. The UK oil…
January 8, 2014
IMF to raise its global growth forecast
The International Monetary Fund will raise its forecast for global growth according to its managing director, Christine Lagarde. She said the revision would come in the next three weeks but did not elaborate, saying that it would be premature to…
January 3, 2014
Spain in talks to resolve row in Panama Canal dispute
The Spanish government is in talks with Panama to try and resolve a row over the expansion of the Panama Canal. Spain's public works minister Ana Pastor will fly to Panama this weekend, following a meeting between diplomats on Friday. Work began on…
January 3, 2014
Latin & Caribbean Economy to grow by 3% in 2014 according to IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is forecasting that economic growth in the Latin America and Caribbean region, which includes Belize, will amount to 3% during 2014, according to a report released earlier this week. It said that during…