Founder Favourites: Richard Farleigh on what playing chess, investing and starting a business have in common
Reform UK supporters to gather in Kemi Badenoch’s constituency as ‘gloves off’ January 4, 2025 Reform supporters will gather in Kemi Badenoch’s constituency on Saturday, after their leader promised “the gloves are off” in the next election bout against her. Nigel Farage will host a Reform UK rally at Chelmsford City Racecourse, his second this year after a similar event in Leicester. The MPs – who both represent areas of [...]
UK braced for heavy snow and freezing rain amid amber weather warnings January 4, 2025 Large parts of the UK will be hit by heavy snow and freezing rain which could lead to disruption this weekend amid two amber weather warnings. Stranded vehicles on the roads, delayed or cancelled rail and air travel and power cuts are likely as the country grapples with a week-long spell of wintry conditions, the [...]
Why we don’t know how much a ‘National Care Service’ could cost UK January 3, 2025 Health secretary Wes Streeting has unveiled the government’s latest move towards reform of the UK’s social care system. Taking the form of an independent commission into the issue, led by Baroness Louise Casey, the review – reporting in 2026 and 2028 – will aim to build “cross-party consensus” for the creation of a new National [...]
What went wrong for Fundsmith Equity in 2024? January 3, 2025 Fundsmith Equity, the largest investment fund in the UK, registered its fourth consecutive year of underperformance in 2024. Terry Smith’s £22.6bn fund returned just 8.9 per cent last year, compared to 20.8 per cent for its benchmark, the MSCI World Index. This drastic underperformance followed a similar trend from previous years. The fund underperformed its [...]
Top Hollywood Bowl bosses lined up for massive pay day January 3, 2025 The top bosses at Hollywood Bowl have been lined up to receive a bonus worth 150 per cent of their base salary if the FTSE 250 group continues to hit its financial targets. Chief executive Stephen Burns and chief financial officer Laurence Keen are eligible for a bonus up to the new total for the [...]
Monzo, Open AI, Revolut and Klarna: The IPOs to watch out for in 2025 January 3, 2025 While economic uncertainty prompted a cautious approach to IPOs in 2025, several high-profile companies are preparing to float in 2025. From leading fintechs such as Monzo, Revolut, and Klarna to global giants such as OpenAI and SpaceX, some of the most exciting growth companies in recent years could IPO this year. Here is a look [...]
Avoid Tesla, Intel, oil and German equities in 2025 say analysts January 3, 2025 Wall Street analysts have pencilled in strong gains for equity markets in 2025, following a robust performance in 2024. However, while analysts are optimistic about the outlook for the market as a whole, there are some assets Wall Street believes will underperform in the year ahead. Here are the four assets analysts are advising investors [...]
Why Dry January is just another month for this alcohol-free beer brand January 3, 2025 Highlighting a year of growth, we take a look at some of the biggest and most recent achievements of the rapidly-growing alcohol-free beer brand, Days Brewing. Two friends, one pandemic and a few cold (alcohol-free) beers later – a long-lasting business was created. In 2020, former AB InBev man Mike Gammell and ex-Propercorn marketing chief [...]
FTSE 100 to outperform S&P 500 in 2025 says Wall Street January 3, 2025 Equity analysts have predicted that the FTSE 100 will have a record year in 2025, helped by lower interest rates and higher oil prices. According to data compiled by Bloomberg, Wall Street analysts believe the UK’s flagship blue-chip index will jump 15 per cent in 2025, its best year since 2009. In 2024, the index [...]
Record profit for Doctor Who maker Bad Wolf January 3, 2025 Profit at Bad Wolf, the production company behind the likes of Doctor Who, has surged to a new record, it has been revealed. The Wales-based business has reported a pre-tax profit of £10.5m for the year to 31 March, 2024, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The new total is up from the £7m [...]