General Election jitters for finance chiefs as sterling weakens against the dollar April 13, 2015 The extent of business nervousness surrounding the General Election was laid bare today by a survey of finance chiefs of some of the UK’s largest companies after sterling yesterday stooped to a five-year low against the dollar. Chief financial officers are much less inclined to take risks – 51 per cent said now was a [...]
Xherdan Shaqiri: Stoke transfer is just latest in European exodus to Premier League’s middle class August 12, 2015 Leading players are increasingly quitting top continental clubs to play for some of the Premier League’s least glamorous outfits as England’s top-flight middle-class flexes its new-found financial muscle. Graphic by Chris Parmenter Stoke’s £12m capture of Switzerland star Xherdan Shaqiri from 18-time Italian champions Inter yesterday is just the latest example of the trend, which [...]
London property prices: Business bears the cost of the government’s housing failures October 20, 2015 London's housing crisis is a human tragedy. The London Poverty Profile, released today, shows that housing costs are the major driver of a big increase in the number of Londoners who are in work but still living in poverty. But the housing crisis is also an economic tragedy. It is damaging the competitiveness of businesses, [...]
The self-made mastermind: Malwarebytes founder Marcin Kleczynski on giving away software and what it’s like making half a million bucks at 18 November 29, 2015 After I’d met Marcin Kleczynski, I came across someone who has known and worked with him for several years. A few seconds in and he said to me: “when you meet Marcin, the first thing you think is ‘I might be talking to the next Mark Zuckerberg… but this one’s a lot nicer’”. It’s hard [...]
Why it’s public sector productivity George Osborne should worry about June 30, 2015 Improving the UK’s lagging productivity record is a hot topic among economists and politicians at the moment. Next week, the chancellor is likely to produce a productivity plan alongside his Summer Budget, which is set to find additional savings and enshrine budget surpluses into law, all without raising the rates of income tax, national insurance [...]
Aviva to cut hundreds of jobs in Manchester area as part of cost-cutting plan June 15, 2015 Aviva will cut hundreds of jobs in the Manchester area over the next 18 months as it closes offices in Stretford and Salford. Following the £5.6bn takeover of rival Friends Life, the insurer has embarked on a cost-cutting plan to deliver £225m in savings to its business by the end of 2017. On top of [...]
London space race takes off: City firms scramble for offices as demand hits highest level since 2000 June 18, 2015 Demand for office space in the capital has boomed to levels not seen in 15 years, new figures show, as companies, spurred on by the improving economic environment and stability following the General Election, pick up their search for space. The amount of space under offer in central London leapt by 25 per cent [...]
Why the government should take outsourcing a radical step further August 17, 2015 Government raids on the methodology of business are commonplace. Some are more successful than others. But as the challenge of George Osborne’s edict to contemplate departmental cuts of as much as 40 per cent sinks in, the search will intensify. As I sat recently in the splendidly refurbished BT Tower – a guest of [...]
From Aldermore to Autotrader, flotation fever’s back as IPO returns jump to 8.1 per cent April 1, 2015 The 10 UK stock market floats conducted this year have generated an average return of 8.1 per cent, according to figures released yesterday by financial services firm Deloitte. As of 31 March, these 10 initial public offerings (IPOs) – which include challenger bank Aldermore and Autotrader – had outperformed the FTSE 100. Their 8.1 per cent [...]
City Moves for 8 July 2015 | Who’s switching jobs July 7, 2015 Investec The bank has appointed Chris Hare to its economics team, focusing on both UK and global economic issues. He joins from the Bank of England, where he was responsible for monitoring issues such as the impact of economic uncertainty on activity. Santander Asset Management Ileana Salas has been appointed global head of institutional [...]