The 10 biggest business stories on Thursday October 22

Bank customers 'could save £70 a year' by switching current accounts, CMA says; EU membership 'has boosted Britain's economy,' says Mark Carney; US technology giant Apple will keep investing in China

(PA)

1. The European Central Bank latest decision on interest rates rolls out at 12.45pm UK time.

2. Figures for British retail sales in September are coming at 9.30am UK time — analysts expect a 4.8 per cent rise year-on-year, up from the 3.7 per cent jump recorded in August.

3.  Honda is reportedly delaying a massive investment in China. Honda will delay the construction of a planned $822 million (£532.92 million) plant in Wuhan, China, as demand slows in the world's largest auto market, Bloomberg reported.

4.  China and the UK signed a historic deal to build an £18 billion nuclear plant in power plant at Hinkley Point, Somerset, which is slated to be operational in 2025.

5.  Bank of England’s chief Mark Carney backs EU membership saying the UK is a ‘leading beneficiary’ according to the Financial Times.

6.  Debenhams' chief executive Michael Sharp is to step down in 2016 after five years in the role, the company has said.

7.  Bank customers could save an average of £70 a year by switching their current accounts to another provider according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In addition it said that customers faced "complex overdraft charges and limited information.”

8.  American Express, the world's largest credit card issuer, reported a 15.8 per cent fall in quarterly profit due to higher expenses and a strong dollar.

9. E-commerce site eBay predicted a better holiday season as the company’s profit fell less than expected in the first quarter. The results and raised outlook sent eBay shares up more than 9 per cent in after-hours trading. Before the news, eBay’s shares had fallen 14 per cent since spinning off payments unit PayPal.

10. US technology giant Apple will keep investing in China despite slowing growth in the world's second-largest economy, chief executive Tim Cook said, as the company prepares to open its newest store on the mainland.