Big Tech’s market might in five charts September 21, 2020 The largest US technology stocks – Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and Google (Alphabet) – known as the “FAMAGs”, tumbled sharply at the beginning of this month, after supercharging the US stock market from the depths of the Covid-pandemic in March. These “superstar” firms have largely benefitted from the economic fallout of the crisis, as more people [...]
First-time buyers swoop in during summer lull August 30, 2018 First-time buyers jumping onto the property ladder rose to an eight-month high in July, as hopeful homeowners took advantage of the housing market’s traditional summer slump. Roughly 30 per cent of all house sales were made to first-time buyers in July, rising from 23 per cent in the same month last year, according to new [...]
WPP shares crash as fourth quarter revenue stalls February 27, 2020 Shares in WPP crashed 15 per cent in early trading after the advertising giant failed to deliver growth in the fourth quarter. The figures Like-for-like revenue less pass through costs fell 1.6 per cent to £10.8bn for the full year. Profit before tax dropped 21.9 per cent to £982m. Net debt was slimmed down from [...]
‘High-tech’ homes in NW1 listed July 26, 2019 Do you love them or hate them? Whatever your opinion, the row of homes at Grand Union Walk in Camden Town is now officially architecturally significant, having been awarded grade II listed status by Historic England last week. The ten three-bedroom houses and two flats in NW1 were designed by Sir Nicholas Grimshaw in the [...]
FTSE 100 softech Micro Focus’ share price is rising, after annoucing the sale of Suse to private equity house EQT July 2, 2018 Software provider and IT management consultancy Micro Focus has announced the sale of its Suse open source subsidiary for $2.535bn (£1.93bn) to Swedish private equity house EQT, giving its share price a boost as markets opened. Suse is worth almost one-third of Micro Focus’s business, acquired by the company as part of an all-share purchase [...]
Housing crisis is harming productivity, nearly half of UK businesses warn July 28, 2019 Britain’s housing shortage is having a harmful impact on the country’s productivity, nearly one in two businesses have warned. Some 43 per cent of UK companies with over 1,000 employees said that housing issues are having a negative effect on their business’ productivity, according to new findings released by the Centre for Social Justice. Read [...]
DEBATE: Are calculations like ‘High Pay Day’ useful to the conversation around executive salaries? January 7, 2020 Are calculations like ‘High Pay Day’ useful to the conversation around executive salaries? Charles Cotton, senior pay and reward adviser for the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, says YES. Most people expect Britain’s top executives to be on higher salaries than the rest of society. However, “High Pay Day” shines a [...]
Focus on Victoria: Once just a train station, this central postcode now has an identity all its own October 25, 2019 There was a time not so long ago when Victoria was a train station, not an area. You could be ‘near Victoria station,’ but not ‘in Victoria’. Happily, it’s now made the transition thanks to an explosion of new bars, shops, offices and restaurants which have put the district firmly on the map. “For many [...]
UK house prices: Growth rate halves as south east faces ‘reality check’ September 18, 2019 The annual rate of growth of UK house prices has slowed to its worst rate since September 2012, according to public data released today, as prices in the south east plummeted. Average UK house prices grew just 0.7 per cent in the year to July, amounting to just half of June’s 1.4 per cent rise, [...]
LVMH close to buying Tiffany & Co for $16bn November 24, 2019 Luxury fashion house LVMH, the owner of Louis Vuitton, is close to buying jewellery retailer Tiffany & Co for about $16.3bn. LVMH, which also owns Dior and Moet & Chandon, is nearing an agreement to acquire the US jewellers for $135 per share, in a deal that could be announced this evening or tomorrow. Read [...]