Why I’m backing Maaxi – to launch a new black cab ride-sharing revolution October 1, 2014 GPS-enabled smartphones and apps have transformed urban commutes more than any technological advancement in the last 100 years, as former mayor Ken Livingstone outlines in a remarkable letter (see below), calling for action to ensure the controlled adoption of disruptive technologies in transport. While trains, buses and cars have evolved in speed and comfort, these [...]
Blair is surprise of the night at charity dinner September 17, 2013 TO VILLANDRY on Great Portland Street, to hear about Great Ormond Street Hospital’s £85m appeal for a children’s rare disease research centre, where former PM Tony Blair was the unannounced guest speaker. Over dinner Blair recalled how, even for him, being an unannounced speaker has its pitfalls. The politician recalled an occasion when in office [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 12 September 2013 September 11, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Libor control to remain in London Brussels has ditched its plan to put the scandal-mired Libor lending rate under the direct control of a European supervisor in Paris, in a concession that removes a serious political nuisance for Britain. Early drafts of the European Commission regulation, which is to be unveiled next week, [...]
Best of the Brokers for 16 September 2013 September 15, 2013 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com GALLIFORD TRY Peel Hunt reckons investors should “buy” the housebuilder, and has a target of 1,100p, ahead of final results due tomorrow. The broker predicts record profit of around £74m, up 19 per cent on last year thanks to higher margins, and expects [...]
BSkyB revenues rise ahead of BT battle July 26, 2013 BRITISH Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) today posted a seven per cent increase in full-year revenues to £7.2bn, as it gears up for a battle with an increasingly aggressive BT. The satellite broadcaster’s earnings rose eight per cent to £1.7bn and operating profit rose nine per cent to £1.3bn over the period. With mere weeks to go [...]
New York Times chairman Arthur Sulzberger sells some of his shares August 13, 2013 NEW YORK Times chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr has sold some of his shares in the company. Sulzberger sold 50,000 Class A shares last Thursday for $600,000 (£388,020), or $12 each, according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing. A New York Times spokeswoman said the sale was part of Sulzberger’s normal estate-planning and represented [...]
Osborne’s austerity accused of slashing growth by Fed paper September 10, 2013 CRITICS have railed against an economic paper released by the San Francisco Federal Reserve yesterday, which claims George Osborne’s fiscal plans have made the UK economy three per cent smaller than it would have been otherwise. The authors use an experimental technique to suggest that the adverse effects of trying to reduce the UK’s deficit [...]
Saracens squad envy of Europe, claims Wyles October 17, 2013 SARACENS centre Chris Wyles believes the abundance of riches in the squad makes his team the ones to beat in this year’s Heineken Cup. The Aviva Premiership leaders have six representatives in England coach Stuart Lancaster’s squad for next month’s autumn internationals, including previously uncapped centre Joel Tomkins. Top 14 heavyweights Toulouse are tonight’s visitors [...]
Snow hits Enterprise Inns and M&B January 31, 2013 PUB chains Mitchells & Butlers and Enterprise Inns both blamed the heavy snow during January for poor trading over the past few weeks. The companies, which own around 7,600 establishments between them, said that despite strong Christmas sales, a dismal January meant performances over recent weeks have been down year-on-year.
Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur: Rules of engagement: My mini-masterclass in negotiation November 24, 2013 TWO elderly sisters sat opposite each other at their kitchen table, both eyeing up the single shiny orange between them. A silent solution presented itself, and they smiled and simply divided it in two. While this kind of natural goodwill had allowed them to live in harmony for many years, the reality was that it [...]