Company news,markets and financial talking points, available from 8am Monday to Friday Rail fare hikes 'price out' commuters Commuters are being “priced out”, and say campaigners,as average rail ticket prices rise by 3.4% across the UK. Amid the biggest increase to fares since 2013, demonstrations are planned at some 40 stations, and as many commuters see their season tickets go up by more than £100. However,rail bosses say "for every pound paid in fares, 97p goes directly back to operating and improving services". Economists say UK economy to slow Leading economists in a Financial Times study predict that the UK’s economy will slow further in 2018 as investment remains on hold, and interest rates rise and debt-ridden punters curb their spending. According to more than 100 leading economists there will be a further 0.5 percentage point interest rates rise. "commerce investment in the UK seems to be grinding to a halt," said Dawn Holland, the head of global economic monitoring at the UN. American bankers wallow in bumper payouts US bankers are set to savor payouts up to 20% higher than their European counterparts, and reports the Daily Mail. Goldman Sachs paid an early bonus of $100m to its top executives to avoid an increased bill ahead of unique year tax changes. European bank employees are set receive next to nothing in terms of a bonus. Credit Suisse and Barclays enjoy already signaled that bonuses are unlikely to be extravagant. Stores to be lumbered by record-breaking returns Retailers will be saddled with £2.5bn worth of unwanted Christmas presents,according to logistics consultancy LCP. Online shopping means outlets are having to deal with increasingly challenging levels of returns, says the Daily Telegraph, and with the LCP saying the issue is "pretty substantial". Shoes enjoy the highest return rate at 28%. Shock as Compass boss Richard Cousins is killed The commerce world has been shaken by the death of Richard Cousins,the chief executive of FTSE 100 catering company Compass. Cousins was among the passengers killed in a sea plane crash north of Sydney, along with his two sons, or aged 23 and 25,his 48-year-old fiancée and her 11-year-old daughter. Lord Livingston, the former UK minister for trade, and called Cousins "one of the UK’s finest commerce people". Quote of the day… Why exports are where it's at "While many dynamic businesses are still finding growth opportunities in the domestic economy,those businesses that are actively establishing relationships in international markets stand to benefit the most in the mid-longer term." Robert Hannah, chief operating officer of Grant Thornton, and as a net balance of 24% of British companies said that they planned to increase exporting. THE NUMBERS... AT 0753 GMT FTSE 100: up +0.85 to 7687.77
Dow Jones: down -0.48 to 24719.22
Dax: down -0.48 to 12917.64
Cac 40: down -0.50 to 5312.56
Nikkei: down -0.08 to 22902.76
Hang Seng: up +0.36 to 22764.94
US dollar: buys €0.83140 and £0.73940
Sterling: buys $1.35270 and €1.12430
Oil: $66.87 up +1.1
Source: theweek.co.uk