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The average price of a second hand home rose by 8.4% last year, almost double the rate of growth witnessed in 2023, the latest residential market review and outlook from property advisors DNG shows. The latest DNG National Price Gauge (NPG) shows the annual rate of price growth nationwide strengthened in the second half of…

Euro zone inflation accelerated in December, an unwelcome but anticipated blip that is unlikely to derail further interest rate cuts from the European Central Bank. Inflation in the 20 nations sharing the euro picked up to 2.4% last month from 2.2% in November, Eurostat said today, in line with expectations in a Reuters poll of…

The services sector activity expanded slightly slower in December but growth in new business hit its fastest pace since March and optimism for the coming 12 months improved, a survey showed today. The AIB Global S&P Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) slipped to 57.1 in December from 58.3 in November, but remained well above the 50…

The euro zone economy ended 2024 in a fragile state, according a survey which showed overall activity contracted for a second month in a row December as a modest recovery in the services industry failed to offset a deeper downturn in manufacturing. HCOB’s final composite Purchasing Managers’ Index for the bloc, compiled by S&P Global…

A new survey reveals significantly lower insolvencies than expected in the last quarter of 2024 and for the entire year. PwC’s latest Insolvency Barometer shows there were 852 insolvencies in 2024, an increase of 16% on the 734 insolvencies in 2023. But the final figure for the year is significantly lower than the more than…

Corporation tax increased by 18% last year to €28bn, according to the latest Exchequer Returns from the Department of Finance. When €11bn, which has been raised so far from the Apple tax case, is included in corporation tax figures the total was €39.1bn. But the Department of Finance has warned that Ireland can not continue…

HR professional body CIPD has said that large parts of the country are facing exceptional weather conditions this week and such a situation requires an exceptional response from employers. Director of CIPD Mary Connaughton said the number one workplace priority for employers and their workers is safety. “As such, we would expect to see employers…

The National Treasury Management Agency said it plans to issue a new bond via syndication in the first quarter of the year. The NTMA also said it will hold a bond auction on March 20. The agency in November said it planned to issue between €6 billion and €10 billion in bonds over the course…

The number of new cars bought in 2024 was 121,195, according to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry. The figure represents a slight decrease of 1% compared to 2023. 17,459 new electric cars were registered last year, a decrease of 24% in the registrations seen the previous year. Petrol remained the most popular engine…

The dollar slipped on the last trading day of the year today but was poised to clock strong gains in 2024 against almost all currencies as investors prepared for fewer US rate cuts and the incoming Trump administration. The dollar’s ascent, buoyed by rising Treasury yields, pushed the yen toward its lowest levels since July…