Quids in: Inside Poundland founder Steve Smith’s £5.7m mansion March 6, 2015 The house comes complete with water feature, although there's no word on whether the Roller is included in the price… (Source: Estates Direct) They say a pound doesn't stretch as far as it once did, but that doesn't seem to be the case for Poundland founder Steve Smith, who has put his Shropshire mansion up [...]
Rangers FC shareholders vote on club’s future at EGM called by Dave King March 6, 2015 Rangers’ shareholders have voted on a resolution to oust the football club's board at a highly anticipated extraordinary general meeting (EGM) today. Dave King, the South African businessman who holds a 14.5 per cent stake in the club, called the EGM to gain control of the board and unseat its four members allied with Sports [...]
So meta: Amazon just opened an online store on Alibaba March 6, 2015 Amazon and Alibaba may be a hair away to declaring themselves official arch-nemeses, but that hasn't prevented the US online retail giant from making the most of the opportunities presented by its rival. Amazon has opened a shop on Alibaba's Tmall, the Chinese tech giant's equivalent of, er, Amazon. What does it all mean? Amazon's [...]
Inflation expectations slide to 13-year low March 6, 2015 Britain's expectations for inflation over the next 12 months have fallen to a level not seen in 13 years. The Bank of England's survey showed people's inflation expectations for the year ahead slumped to 1.9 per cent, down from 2.5 per cent in November, or the lowest since 2002. "While inflation expectations have softened appreciably [...]
50 is the most expensive age as expenses stack up from mortgages, children, saving for retirement… and holidays March 6, 2015 People expecting to sit back and relax thanks to getting themselves into a comfortable financial position by the time they hit 50 years old, may not be quite as carefree as first thought. By 50, Britons have picked up a large bill, racking up more expenses than at any other time in life. The cost [...]
DFS IPO: Shares priced towards bottom of range March 6, 2015 There are plenty of gags about the DFS sale (Q: what are the three things that would survive a nuclear war? A: Cockroaches, termites, the DFS sale), but it looks like that's extending into its IPO. The furniture retailer priced its shares at a bargain 255p today ahead of its IPO. That's towards the bottom [...]
Thomas Cook share price soars after Chinese Conglomerate Fosun International takes five per cent stake March 6, 2015 Thomas Cook's share price soared today after Chinese billionaire Guo Guangchang took a five per cent stake. The tour operator, which staged a marked turnaround after nearly collapsing in 2011, surged 16.2 per cent to 140p per share in early morning trade. The company's shares have risen 9.5 per cent so far this year. Guangchang's conglomerate Fosun [...]
Vodafone just promised minimum 16-week maternity leave to all its female staff globally March 6, 2015 Vodafone has promised female staff across 30 countries a minimum amount of time off when they have a child, making it one of the few companies in the world to introduce a mandatory minimum maternity policy globally. From the end of the year, the telecoms giant will offer women at least 16 weeks of maternity [...]
Chinese Conglomerate Fosun International takes five per cent stake in Thomas Cook March 6, 2015 Chinese billionaire Guo Guangchang has taken a five per cent stake in UK-based tour operator Thomas Cook. Guangchang's conglomerate Fosun International paid £91.8m for 73,135,777 of the company's ordinary shares. Thomas Cook said Fosun intends to double its stake to 10 per cent by purchasing more shares on the open market.
Eurozone: We are on the road to recovery March 5, 2015 The European Central Bank’s (ECB) landmark €1.1 trillion (£800bn) debt-buying programme will kick off on Sunday and boost Eurozone growth throughout 2015 and 2016, a confident Mario Draghi announced yesterday. ECB president Draghi and the bank’s forecasters are confident the programme – also known as quantitative easing (QE) – will be effective at rescuing the Eurozone [...]