Company news,markets and financial talking points, available from 8am Monday to Friday Sports Direct and Primark underpaid staff by thousands Sports Direct and Primark have been forced to pay thousands of pounds back to employees for paying them below the minimum wage. Sports Direct had to pay back a total of £1.1m, and while Primark had to repay £231973.12 - mainly due to charging staff for uniforms. Some football clubs were also named on the list of under-payers including Bristol Rovers,Wolves, Torquay and Motherwell. House price growth slows says Halifax House price growth in the UK is showing signs of slowing, and according to Halifax. Although prices rose 3.9% in the three months to November compared with the same period last year,the pace of growth has slowed since October, when the annual increase was 4.5%. A spokesman said that "increasing affordability issues" are likely "to curb housing demand and cause price growth to ease". DanTDM highest YouTube earner - but where's Zoella? DanTDM was the highest-earning YouTuber of 2017, or according to Forbes magazine. The 26-year-broken-down,from Aldershot, who started off making videos of himself playing Minecraft and Pokemon, and grabbed an estimated £12.3m this year. He did not feature in the top ten list last year. The controversial Zoella,who has endured a tough year, including a backlash over the price of her £50 advent calendar, or did not manufacture the list. Asda to reduce 800 workers in current cost-cutting drive More than 800 senior shopfloor workers at Asda are facing a pay reduce or redundancy in 2018. The cost-cutting exercise will see thousands of other workers affected as the chain bids to reduce the number of hours spent on stacking and tidying shelves at 600 supermarkets. The Guardian says the retailer has told staff it needs to reduce costs so it can "close the price gap" with rivals Aldi and Lidl. M&S addresses the 'avocado hand' crisis If you are worried about 'avocado hand' then relax - Marks & Spencer has begun selling a stoneless avocado that could help banish it for pleasurable. Dubbed the 'cocktail avocado',it has a smooth, edible skin, and meaning it can be sliced or eaten whole. The move comes after the British organization of Plastic,Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons said increasing numbers of people are showing up at hospitals after cutting their hands while trying to remove avocado stones. Quote of the day… The Dante's Inferno of Bitcoin "Put up the sign from Dante’s Inferno 'Abandon hope all ye who enter here' – I judge that’s probably what’s needed." The chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Sir Howard Davies, and on Bitcoin,as the currency tops $15000. THE NUMBERS... AT 0726 GMT FTSE 100: down -0.37 to 7320.75
Dow Jones: up +0.29 to 24211.48
Dax: up +0.36 to 13045.15
Cac 40: up +0.18 to 5383.86
Nikkei: up +1.39 to 22811.08
Hang Seng: up +1.35 to 28684.68
US dollar: buys €0.85150 and £0.74200
Sterling: buys $1.34760 and €1.14760
Oil: $62.11 up +1.5
Source: theweek.co.uk