The “homebody economy” – investing in your digital back yard September 23, 2020 It is clear that UK shares are unloved. No likes, no shares, no new friend requests. The level of gloom surrounding this market is remarkable even amongst UK based investors, who, you might think, should feel more comfortable investing here. This is not just pandemic queasiness. Although the UK economy is service-led to some extent, [...]
Disney rents Pinewood studios as original content war cranks up September 8, 2019 Disney is said to have agreed to rent most of production hub Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, in a move which intensifies the battle for Britain’s production talent. The film and TV giant has reportedly signed a decade-long lease for the entire space, except for a handful of TV studios. Pinewood has spawned generations of film [...]
Supersizing DAZN: Why a UK launch is just the start of the sport streaming service’s global ambitions December 11, 2020 “Supersizing” is the buzzword of the moment at DAZN, the sport streaming service that finally launched in the UK this month. It’s an appropriate one, in that it reflects DAZN’s expansion to more than 200 countries, making it the first global platform of its kind. It is also suitably bullish for a company that is [...]
Digital battlegrounds: The war between big tech and regulators September 17, 2019 We now live in the age of the internet of things, where voice-sniffing devices abound, and consumers have the convenience of tailored search suggestions. Perhaps it is Amazon’s Alexa – revealed earlier this year to be forever listening to its users’ conversations – that provides the emblem of the age. However, while such devices can [...]
132 UK companies issue coronavirus warnings as FTSE 100 spirals February 28, 2020 More than 100 UK-listed companies have now warned the stock market of the effects of the coronavirus on their businesses, according to figures released today. British giants like Guinness brewer Diageo and British Airways owner International Airlines Group are just two of 132 companies to issue warnings to investors. In the last week alone, 62 [...]
BBC commercial arm ‘has more to do’ as streaming competition heats up January 9, 2020 The BBC’s commercial division must up its game if it is to fend off fierce competition from deep-pocketed streaming rivals, according to the public spending watchdog. In 2018 the broadcaster created BBC Studios by bringing together its commercial production and distribution arms into one distinct body. Read more: BBC ‘may not be sustainable’ in current [...]
Which VCTS and EIS I would buy today February 26, 2020 Tax pressure in Britain is at a 50-year high. Higher earners are feeling the squeeze as many traditional avenues of investing tax-efficiently have been blocked – from pension restrictions to the cuts to buy-to-let tax relief. What tax-efficient options are left? Two increasingly popular options for experienced investors are Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) and the [...]
The government must recognise that the BBC is invaluable to ‘Brand Britain’ February 10, 2020 Perhaps it was always inevitable that an organisation defined by its impartiality would be surrounded by politics. The BBC’s licence fee is in the news once again as the government looks to culture secretary Nicky Morgan to review how the corporation should be funded once the current charter ends in 2027. At the heart of [...]
‘Don’t be evil’: Google abandoned motto and lost its way, says former exec January 6, 2020 Google’s former head of international relations has hit out at the company’s human rights record and corporate culture in a blog post detailing why he left the tech giant. Ross LaJeunesse, who left Google in May last year after 11 years at the firm, claimed that “standing up for for women, for the LGBTQ community, [...]
Trading giant Robinhood makes its UK debut in Revolut challenge November 20, 2019 US fintech Robinhood, a commission-free trading startup valued at $7.6bn (£5.9bn), has today arrived in the UK. The firm’s stock trading service is making its international debut, in a direct challenge to established British rivals Freetrade and Revolut. Robinhood will today roll out the waiting list for its popular app to UK investors, with a [...]