Keeping score: Hans Zimmer on re-inventing film music, playing live and ruining the Oscars December 3, 2014 Film scores are typically there to draw the audience into the world of a movie, to guide their emotional response without acting as too much of a distraction – a delicate piano concerto over a couple’s first kiss or a soaring orchestral movement as soldiers march into battle. Few are memorable enough to hum after [...]
BSkyB invests in virtual reality video startup Jaunt July 28, 2014 BSkyB is investing nearly half a million dollars in Jaunt, an immersive video startup which is developing ways to bring the cinema experience to virtual reality devices. The $400,000 funding is the second round of investment in the California-based company for Sky, previously investing $350,000 in the early stage startup at the end of last [...]
Rise in rich Russians moving to the UK July 31, 2014 There has been a sharp rise in the number of wealthy Russians migrating to the UK, according to Home Office figures. By applying for elite “investor visas”, they have been able to secure settlement in Britain more quickly than they would if applying via the normal route. These specialist visas are for migrants [...]
Pub operators left hungry after World Cup cuts demand for food July 24, 2014 The World Cup put the boot into pub food sales over May and June as consumers, rather than eating out at their local Mitchells & Butler’s or Marston’s pubs, stayed at home to watch the action in Brazil. Harvester and All Bar One owner M&B posted disappointing third quarter results yesterday due to the World [...]
B&Q owner Kingfisher’s shares are tumbling. Here’s why May 29, 2014 Kingfisher shares have shed 6.1 per cent, despite the home improvements retailer announcing a £100m special dividend this morning. Like-for-like sales at B&Q jumped 9.7 per cent to £1bn in the first quarter, with Screwfix seeing a 12 per cent increase, to £192m. But investors may not have been so filled with confidence over the [...]
City AM awards: Business of the Year nominees announced September 7, 2014 I have great pleasure in introducing the first of our shortlists for the annual City A.M. awards. As ever, the awards have attracted nominations from all sorts of diverse businesses and people who have done great things during the course of the past year, a year of recovery in the UK. We have taken on [...]
Philip Clarke, Euan Sutherland and Dov Charney – the bosses who left us in 2014 December 19, 2014 This year has had its fair share of disasters – from the Co-op’s continued struggles to Tesco’s melting share price. But what of the people behind the stories? We’ve got the best, worst and most surprising people moves of the year. 1. Philip Clarke makes an unceremonious departure from Tesco Clarke stepped down at [...]
Kingfisher share price falls as World Cup distracts DIY shoppers July 24, 2014 Shares in B&Q owner Kingfisher have fallen by more than 7.3 per cent in early trading, after the company reported falling like-for-like sales and the acquisition of French DIY brand Mr Bricolage. Chief executive Sir Ian Cheshire said that second quarter trading "was always expected to be more difficult", and that markets "have been slower [...]
British satellite firm Global Invacom Group to list on Aim in addition to Singapore June 16, 2014 A Singapore-listed British satellite company has announced a secondary listing on Aim, with shares expected to start trading two weeks from today. Global Invacom Group, a long-term supplier to BSkyB, is hoping to raise between $10m and $15m (£5.9m to £8.8m) with the listing, to fund further growth. The company has nominated FinnCap as its [...]
Britain’s biggest companies call on Westminster for fundamental business rates reform September 16, 2014 Some of Britain's biggest businesses including Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, Tesco, General Motors and Tata Steel have called on the government to rip up the current business rate regime claiming the current system is “a critical problem for all of British business”. The controversial tax delivers around £25bn to the Treasury every year, but [...]