Retailers’ share prices stung by the rise in the national living wage in the Autumn Statement November 23, 2016 Retailer's share prices are suffering this afternoon after chancellor Philip Hammond said the national living wage would rise in April next year. The national living wage hourly rate will increase from £7.20 an hour £7.50 an hour in 2017, Hammond said. Read more: The National Living Wage is going up again next April The change [...]
A new female-led private equity firm focusing on beauty, health and lifestyle has launched a £65m fund September 19, 2017 Private equity may be one of the worst financial services sectors for promoting gender diversity, but today has seen the launch of the first female-founded specialist firm. Vaultier7, led by dealmakers Montse Suarez and Anna Sweeting, will focus on the beauty and personal care, health and wellness and lifestyle sectors. They have already launched a [...]
Carwow backer Episode 1 revs up with new £60m venture capital fund as SyndicateRoom launches new EIS | City A.M. December 1, 2017 Episode 1, the software-focused venture capital firm, has launched a new £60m fund to seed UK entrepreneur-led companies. The Enterprise Capital Fund is 60 per cent larger that Episode 1’s first, and received investment from the likes of the British Business Bank and later-stage venture capital firm Draper Esprit. Simon Murdoch, former Amazon UK chief [...]
Carwow backer Episode 1 revs up with new £60m venture capital fund as SyndicateRoom launches new EIS | City A.M. December 1, 2017 Episode 1, the software-focused venture capital firm, has launched a new £60m fund to seed UK entrepreneur-led companies. The Enterprise Capital Fund is 60 per cent larger that Episode 1’s first, and received investment from the likes of the British Business Bank and later-stage venture capital firm Draper Esprit. Simon Murdoch, former Amazon UK chief [...]
Retailers’ share prices dragged down as Next sinks January 4, 2017 The retail sector is getting a hammering today after Next posted a sales slide for the Christmas season. Next's share price has tumbled 11 per cent in morning trading, and following it downwards are Marks and Spencer, which has fallen five per cent, and Primark-owner Associated British Foods, which is down 3.84 per cent. Read more: Retailers [...]
These are the key trends in retail in 2017 – and who will benefit from them January 16, 2017 The Christmas reporting season isn't over yet – the market is awaiting updates from Dixons Carphone and WH Smith – but the figures that have been reported so far have indicated some of the key retail trends investors should watch out for this year. Read more: Brexit vote boosts Hugo Boss The outlook for the UK consumer [...]
As the cryptocurrency booms, fear of a bitcoin bubble is not the only trouble December 7, 2017 Two baffling B-words dominate both boardroom and dining table conversations these days – Brexit and bitcoin. While the former is marred by talk of lack of progress, the latter is seemingly unstoppable. Bitcoin prices hit nearly $13,000 (£9,700) yesterday in a fresh record. The price surge is thanks to a flurry of investors jumping on [...]
Last week in the City March 23, 2018 This week, China warned the US that it is not afraid of engaging in a trade war, the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates again, and Facebook shares plummeted after allegations that millions of users' profile data had been harvested. The FTSE 100 was down 3.5% over the course of the week by mid-session on Friday. [...]
Testing Tesla: The EV company is as famous for the behaviour of its boss as it is for its silent motors; but what are they like to drive? July 5, 2018 If the scent of lavender and the feel of Lycra on clammy flesh are your kind of thing, you won’t find anywhere better than cycling mecca La Coquillade. Set in the hills of the Petit Luberon, a rosé-growing idyll between Avignon and Aix-en-Provence, this hotel has been created by a Tour de France team owner [...]
Where’s the beef? Meat substitutes are suddenly big business: we try the UK’s first plant-based ‘bleeding burger’ and ask if meat will one day be a thing of the past March 8, 2018 In the mockumentary Carnage, Simon Amstel imagines a future in which eating meat is as socially unacceptable as cannibalism. Groups of elderly people sit in therapy sessions trying to come to terms with the atrocities they committed against the animal kingdom, with the narrator quipping “‘Meat-free Monday’ now sounds about as appealing as ‘ethnic cleansing-free [...]