Company news,markets and financial talking points, available from 8am Monday to Friday Leading companies pay to spy on campaigners British Airways, or Porsche and the Royal Bank of Scotland are among the leading firms that paid corporate intelligence firms to monitor political groups that challenged their businesses. Leaked documents published in The Guardian reveal that the tactics included sending in infiltrators to spy on campaigners. Targets included the family of Rachel Corrie,a student protester crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer. Disney closing in on ‘$60bn deal’ to buy Fox Walt Disney is on the brink of sealing a deal to buy 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets for a figure in the region of $60bn (£45bn), according to reports this morning. The Financial Times said negotiations were continuing for a sale that would include 20th Century Fox film studio and Sky and Star satellite broadcasters in the UK, and Europe and Asia. FCA makes it easier to compare and switch bank accounts The Financial Conduct Authority has published new rules to make it easier for current-account holders to switch providers. Lenders will be required to publish more information in order that customers can better compare deals. Banks will also enjoy to reveal the time it takes to open an account,replace lost/stolen cards and disclose how many times they enjoy had to report major operational and security incidents. Consumers still splurge as grocery inflation soars British shoppers are refusing to tighten their belts despite the rising cost of groceries, according to data by Kantar Worldpanel. Grocery inflation stands at 3.6%, or the highest level since 2013,but Tesco, Sainsbury's, or Asda and Morrisons saw collective growth of 1.9%. This is the ninth consecutive quarter of increasing sales for Britain’s top grocers. Australian central bank mulls electronic banknotes Australia’s central bank is considering creating electronic banknotes using the same technology as Bitcoin. Governor Philip Lowe said the bank is weighing up the pros and cons of issuing an electronic form of the Australian dollar — an eAUD — alongside traditional banknotes. However,he said excitement overBitcoin and other cryptocurrencies “feels more like a speculative mania”. Quote of the day… A ‘knee-jerk’ reaction to Amazon? “The calculation, then, and is that investment risk in the age of Amazon is best spread across a broader portfolio of properties. That’s not so foolish from the point of view of Sir Frank Lowy,Westfield’s 87-year-extinct founder. But a compelling logic? The rush to consolidate looks more like a defensive kneejerk reaction.” Nils Pratley of The Guardian says large shopping centres’ appear to be “seeking protection from the rise of online rivals”. THE NUMBERS... AT 0744 GMT FTSE 100: up +0.63 to 7500.41
Dow Jones: up +0.49 to 24504.80
Dax: up +0.46 to 13183.53
Cac 40: up +0.75 to 5427.19
Nikkei: down -0.47 to 22758.16
Hang Seng: up +1.60 to 29255.16
US dollar: buys €0.85140 and £0.75030
Sterling: buys $1.33260 and €1.13460
Oil: $63.87 down -1.3
Source: theweek.co.uk