The missing link: Four ways blockchain will change the face of retail banking March 22, 2018 It's no secret that the retail banking system is in dire need of an upgrade. There is a strong case to be made for a decentralised banking system based on blockchain. With high barriers to entry (particularly in the financially vulnerable and unbanked section of the market), and the security concerns around centralised stores of [...]
UK investors are bullish on emerging markets as only gold ranks higher, says Franklin Templeton research January 23, 2018 Emerging markets have seen a surge in popularity with UK investors, according to investment firm Franklin Templeton. More than half of independent investors surveyed, at 55 per cent, said that now was a good time to invest in less developed markets. Meanwhile a quarter said they were more positive about the asset class than a [...]
February’s top and bottom performing funds March 2, 2018 Concerns about rising interest rates in the US resulted in a nerve-jangling start of February for share investors. Data released showed that US wages are rising while unemployment is at a 17-year low. Higher wages imply higher inflation, which makes a steeper path of interest-rate rises more likely, and this impacts the cost of borrowing [...]
FTSE reshuffle day: Capita and Dixons Carphone replaced by Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Rentokil Initial March 1, 2017 Capita and Dixons Carphone have dropped out of the FTSE 100 after its quarterly review of constituents. They will be replaced by Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Rentokil Initial, FTSE Russell announced this evening. However, Easyjet and Intu Properties escaped the chop, which will take effect after the close of business on Friday 17 March. Read [...]
Ministers must show they are pro-business by tackling costs in the Budget February 27, 2017 Momentum behind the post-Brexit consumer-spending boom appears to be slowing. As City A.M. reports today, a GfK poll found that UK consumers’ confidence took a turn for the worse this month, with the index slipping a point to a score of minus six. It would be easy to dismiss the dip as mere jitters but [...]
UK high street records worst January sales performance for four years February 10, 2017 The embattled UK high street has had its worst January of trading for the last four years, according to new figures, with fashion retailers taking the biggest hit. Like-for-like sales on the high street fell by 0.1 per cent in January, as compared to the same month last year, according to figures from accountancy firm [...]
Forget the fearmongering and embrace the internet of things January 19, 2018 Has your smart refrigerator been infected by a strain of zombie malware? Or maybe spies have been listening to you via your networked alarm? For some reason, the idea of connected devices – a vital part of the internet of things (IoT) – has sent the imaginations of some organisations into overdrive. Last February, Germany’s [...]
Last Week in the City: England has an 8.5% chance of winning the World Cup May 18, 2018 Garry White, chief investment commentator, looks at the market-moving events that have shaped the UK equity markets this week (14 to 18 May 2018). UBS has used its City analysts’ predictive firepower to try and work out the winner of the upcoming World Cup in Russia – and England came surprisingly high in its league [...]
Fever-Tree’s audacious success has taken the drinks industry by storm, but where do they go from here? September 20, 2018 A few weeks ago, Jake Meyer became only the 10th Briton in history to reach the summit of Pakistan’s K2 mountain. How did he celebrate this towering achievement? He cracked open a tiny bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin then poured it into a Fever-Tree branded glass, topped up with its signature Indian tonic water. Apparently, [...]
Fever-Tree’s audacious success has taken the drinks industry by storm, but where do they go from here? September 20, 2018 A few weeks ago, Jake Meyer became only the 10th Briton in history to reach the summit of Pakistan’s K2 mountain. How did he celebrate this towering achievement? He cracked open a tiny bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin then poured it into a Fever-Tree branded glass, topped up with its signature Indian tonic water. Apparently, [...]