Here are 29 reasons to be cheerful on Blue Monday January 16, 2017 It's Blue Monday, the day officially designated as the most miserable day of the year. Yes, it's raining and yes, you may well be off to see the divorce lawyers today – but that's no reason to be sad, daddy-o. Here are 50 reasons to turn that frown upside-down… 1. The FTSE 100 is on [...]
The FTSE 100 has reached another record high January 3, 2017 The FTSE 100 smashed a new record as investors returned to their desks after the New Year break. London’s blue chip index briefly broke through the 7,200 points mark before paring to just below 7,180 points at the close – yet another record-breaking measure. It recorded a rise of over 60 points on Tuesday to peak at [...]
The City of London’s newest skyscraper has another new tenant and it isn’t even built yet December 14, 2016 One of the City’s newest skyscrapers on the block has secured another commercial tenant. Bermuda-based insurance provider Axis Capital have confirmed that they will move into 52 Lime Street, otherwise known as The Scalpel, by 2018. Insurance broker BPL Global has already bagged the 12th floor in the 35-storey structure, while Axis will take up residence on [...]
Now banks have pulled their Google ad spend as Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and Lloyds pile on pressure March 20, 2017 Google is facing growing pressure over claims it's profiting from hate speech as some of Britain's biggest banks are the latest to pull their ads from YouTube. Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and Lloyds have suspended their advertising with the tech giant following an investigation which revealed household brand names were appearing next to offensive and extremist [...]
Tata leadership race must show open mind December 16, 2016 Trump, May, Modi: protectionism takes many forms, and has many masters (and mistresses). In India, a curious case of economic nationalism is quietly unfolding at the country’s most significant conglomerate. In one sense, that’s unsurprising – India’s track record of foreign ownership restrictions in industries like insurance, banking and technology, is a lengthy one. But at [...]
Is it still worth investing in bank shares? May 31, 2017 Bank shares rose sharply toward the end of 2016 leaving many investors questioning whether the rally would continue. The global banking sector returned 13.7% in 2016 with dividends included, according to MSCI data. In comparison, the MSCI World index returned a more modest 8.2%. Among banks, the biggest gains were made by the US and [...]
Number of million-pound house sales on the rise November 5, 2016 The number of homes sold for £1m or more has jumped by 12 per cent this year – and nearly two thirds of them are bough in London. According to a report from Lloyds Bank, the sales of homes above £1m increased from 5,946 in the first half of 2015 to 6,684 during the first [...]
Financial sector’s tax contribution hits a record £71.4bn December 6, 2016 The tax take from Britain's financial sector has hit record levels, underscoring its economic importance as talks between the government and the City enter a new phase in the run up to Brexit. Fifty financial services firms, largely UK-listed and including the Square Mile's banking titans, paid £71.4bn into HM Treasury's coffers for the year [...]
Consumer goods group Ultimate Products heads for a £100m-plus IPO in the next few days March 1, 2017 Ultimate Products, the innovative consumer goods group, is set for a £100m-plus IPO in London within days. It will list on the main market under the name of UP Global Sourcing Holdings. The IPO’s pricing could take place as early as today. The placing is understood to be substantially oversubscribed with investors taking part believed [...]
Sadiq Khan unveils Brexit panel featuring Lord Mandelson and Santander chair to advise on getting “best deal” for London December 19, 2016 Sadiq Khan has recruited an assortment of business leaders, investors and academics in an effort to boost London's Brexit credentials. The mayor announced a new Brexit Expert Advisory panel to advise him on the risks, challenges and opportunities for the capital in the wake of June's vote to leave the European Union. Members include Sir George Iacobescu, [...]