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The final AIB PMI survey of Irish manufacturers for 2019 revealed a further deterioration in business conditions in December.  The extent of the downturn remained mild, with new orders and employment only fractionally lower than in November. Exports remained the main drag on total new orders, linked to a weak UK market. Output was cut…

The euro, the pound and some trade-sensitive currencies rallied as the dollar slid to a six-month low today. Investors are confident that global growth prospects are improving and that US-China trade relations are getting significantly better.  After staying strong for much of 2019 thanks to the relative outperformance of the US economy and investors’ preference…

Gold rose to its highest level in more than three months today, capping its best year in nearly a decade, on a weakening dollar and year-end buying in thin-volume trading.  Spot gold hit its highest since September 25 at $1,524.20 and was last up 0.5% to $1,522.89 per ounce. US gold futures rose 0.4% to $1,524.70. …

Oil fell on the last trading day of 2019 but was still on track for monthly and annual gains, supported by a thaw in the prolonged US-China trade row and Middle East unrest.  Brent crude was up 11 cents at $66.78 a barrel this afternoon, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose six cents…

The euro hit a four and a half month high today as optimism over US-China trade relations and the global growth outlook knocked demand for dollars.  Thin end-of-year volumes exacerbated the broad weakness in the greenback, which has seen it dip for three sessions in a row and on Friday suffer its biggest one-day fall…

Housing prices saw their first annual fall since 2012 this year, the latest Daft.ie Sales Report shows today. Housing prices fell by 1.2% during 2019, with the average price nationwide in the final quarter of the year standing at €250,766. This was 2.4% lower than in the third quarter and 1.2% lower than a year…

Business sentiment rose for the third consecutive month in December, while consumer sentiment remained steady, the latest Bank of Ireland Economic Pulse shows.  The Bank of Ireland Economic Pulse, which combines the results of the Consumer and Business Pulses, showed a reading of 83 in December.  This was up 2.3 on November’s reading but 5.4…

The National Minimum wage will increase to €10.10 in February, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection has announced. That represents an increase of 30 cent on the current rate of €9.80 per hour. It is estimated that over 127,000 workers would benefit from the increase. Minister Regina Doherty said the Government had decided…

Average monthly rents across the country rose by 8.2% during the third quarter of this year. According to the latest quarterly rent index by the Residential Tenancies Board and the ESRI, the average monthly cost of rent nationally is now over €1,200. The report shows that although the average rent for Dublin is up more than 6.5%…

More chefs from outside the country will be eligible for employment permits allowing them to work in Ireland, as a result of changes announced by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys today. The move, which follows a review of labour market requirements, is aimed at addressing staff shortages in the hospitality sector. Other…