In brief: Eurozone’s growth is picking up pace, Toyota sells a record 2.58m vehicles, Aviva sees leap in fraud crash claims and Hammerson’s 80 new leases
The eurozone’s recovery looked on a firmer footing today as activity among manufacturing and services firms grew at the fastest pace for almost three years in April, according to financial data firm Markit’s latest snapshot.
Germany led the upturn while France posted its second month in a row of growth. Markit said the single currency bloc was on course for 0.5% growth in the second quarter.
Toyota sells a record 2.58m vehicles
Toyota kept its position as top global vehicle seller in the first quarter of this year. Toyota sold a record 2.58 million vehicles, putting the Japanese car-maker ahead of Detroit-based General Motors at 2.42 million and Volkswagen of Germany at 2.4 million. Toyota’s first quarter sales rose by more than 6% over the same period in the previous year.
Aviva sees leap in fraud crash claims
Aviva detected over £110 million worth of fraudulent claims last year because of a rise in gang-related crime, it emerged today.
The FTSE 100 company said the figure, which was 19% higher than in 2012, had been driven by motor insurance fraud, which accounted for more than half of the claims detected. Most of these are so-called “cash for crash” claims, usually by gangs of criminals.
Hammerson’s 80 new leases
Looser consumer wallets are prompting retailers to snap up space in shopping centres, Brent Cross complex owner Hammerson said today.
The company, with a host of centres in the UK and Europe, has signed 80 new leases since January, generating more than £5 million a year in income. UK leases were struck 8% above estimated rental values and even in France — where the economy is weaker — deals were 1% above. Overall occupancy was unchanged at 96.6%.
“Economic recovery, particularly in the UK, is generating confidence”, chief executive David Atkins said.
