What we all need for Christmas is a little perspective December 20, 2018 Perspective can be hard to find and even harder to appreciate. Having moulded my life into the rhythm of a daily print operation, looking further ahead than tomorrow has become a challenge. Life, as they say, comes at you fast. And if it's your job to catch as much of it as possible, filter it, prioritise [...]
Darktrace lands $50m in series E funding, boosting its valuation to $1.65bn September 27, 2018 Homegrown cyber security success story Darktrace will today announce the close of its series E funding round to the tune of $50m (£38m), raising its valuation to $1.65bn. The round was led by Vitruvian Partners, with participation from existing investors KKR and 1011 Ventures. The funding will be used to fuel international expansion and [...]
The relief of revenue reserves May 10, 2019 There is no question that we find ourselves in uncertain times. It is during periods of uncertainty that the investment trust structure has distinct merits. That’s because investment trusts, which are listed companies in their own right, can store future income away for a rainy day – a unique function of investment trusts called revenue [...]
PPI claims surge against CYBG to push bank to a £145m loss November 20, 2018 Clydesdale Bank owner CYBG's share price fell more than 13 per cent today as a fresh raft of PPI claims pushed it to a £145m loss in its full-year results. The figures CYBG fell to the £145m loss after taking a £352m hit for PPI costs and £44m for other legacy conduct issues. A Financial Conduct [...]
Parents and students set for court battle over A-level results August 16, 2020 Angry parents and students are preparing to take legal action to appeal A-level results awarded under the emergency coronavirus marking system. Many students saw their expected results downgraded by the government’s system last week, particularly in lower socio-economic areas. For example, there have been many examples of students from poorer backgrounds having expected A* or [...]
The fault in default funds: Why you might not be getting the most out of your workplace pension scheme April 17, 2019 There is no denying that auto-enrolment is paving the way for the British population to have a half-decent savings pot in retirement. According to recent figures from the Office for National Statistics, 76 per cent of UK employees were members of a workplace pension scheme in 2018, up slightly from the 73 per cent enrolled [...]
Porsche 911 GT2 RS review: Ahead of the new model’s arrival, we bid auf wiedersehen to the fastest road-legal Porsche ever January 7, 2019 As you read this, the first examples of the new Porsche 911 are en route to the UK. The eighth-generation 911 (codenamed 992) is the most hotly anticipated sports car of 2019 and, rest assured, you’ll read about it here soon. However, before the ship docks at Dover, disgorging 992s onto every side street in [...]
Grotta Giusti review: Spa harder by spelunking deep underground into a network of hot, rejuvenating caves September 25, 2018 As if hearty Italian cuisine, elegant rooms and innovative cocktails were not enough, this historic villa in overlooked Lucca, Tuscany, has a spa that’s so out of this world it’ll take you to Heaven and back. Set in a series of underground caves, it will add a whole new dimension to your downward dog. With [...]
BP more than doubles profits on stronger oil prices as it aims to close $10.5bn BHP deal October 30, 2018 BP has more than doubled its profits for its latest quarter, telling investors it could complete its $10.5bn (£8.2bn) purchase of BHP assets in cash as early as tomorrow. The oil and gas giant said its underlying profit for the quarter was $3.8bn, more than double its profit for the same period in 2017 – [...]
UK startups hold onto Europe’s venture crown with £1.4bn in funding October 11, 2018 UK startups continued to draw in attention from venture capital (VC) firms in the third quarter as Europe’s premier investment hotspot, posting a £1.4bn total draw in the three months to September compared to £1.31bn in the same quarter last year. Data compiled by KPMG Enterprise revealed the UK remained at the top of the [...]