Ed Miliband’s conference speech: Here’s what you need to know September 23, 2014 Ed Miliband has delivered his last speech to a Labour conference before the 2015 general election. The Labour leader hopes his six-point plan will be enough to entice voters to give his party the keys to Downing Street and reverse his low personal ratings. The plan is intended to be implemented over 10 years. Here [...]
Reasons to whine: After the Bordeaux wine market collapse, optimism is creeping back February 19, 2015 Imagine a financial market where prices have collapsed by more than 30 per cent in the past three years, where a hatful of investment companies have gone to the wall and investors are reportedly nursing losses of more than £100m. It sounds like a full blown crisis, doesn’t it? But this isn’t Chinese equities or [...]
Sir Philip Green breaks apart his Arcadia empire with the sale of BHS January 25, 2015 Retail tycoon Sir Philip Green has decided to break apart one of Britain's biggest retail empires by selling British Home Stores (BHS). Green purchased the business, which sells mostly clothing and household items, from the Storehouse conglomerate in 2000 for £200m. It now has a significant presence on high streets across the UK, with [...]
Lord Adair Turner finds something useful to do March 9, 2015 The man who described some banking as socially useless gets a new job – with a bank. It is not unfair to say that Lord Adair Turner has not always been a friend to banks. Turner was a non-executive director at Standard Chartered in the boom years before the crash, and an executive at Merrill [...]
Three Lions ready to maul lowly Lithuania at Wembley March 26, 2015 BEN CLEMINSON PREVIEWS ENGLAND V LITHUANIA HARRY KANE will swap the white of Tottenham for that of England tonight after his displays this season prompted a well-earned international call-up. He responded to Roy Hodgson’s decision in emphatic style, scoring a hat-trick against Leicester, as Spurs maintained their push for European football next term. It was [...]
Bank of England mortgage lending cap attempts to stop boom June 26, 2014 The Bank of England announced a new mortgage lending cap yesterday, with the hope that the rule would cool down the housing market if credit became too frenzied. Governor Mark Carney revealed the rule, which will put a ceiling on banks’ riskier mortgage lending. The financial policy committee (FPC) decision means that no more than [...]
Rush to avoid higher stamp duty lifts estate agent Savills’ profits January 15, 2015 ESTATE agent Savills has hiked its profit guidance for 2014 after changes to stamp duty came into effect at the end of last year, sending shares surging 7.3 per cent. Revenue and profit exceeded forecasts in December after a sales boost from the rise in stamp duty for properties priced over £937,000 introduced in chancellor [...]
Apple Watch launch: Four questions Tim Cook will answer about price, battery life, UK release date and apps March 9, 2015 So many questions, so few answers – until now. The rumour mill may have been in overdrive about the Apple Watch since Tim Cook first revealed the smartwatch late last year, but we’re about to get the full lowdown on what’s possibly the most anticipated wearable launch ever. At 5pm GMT, Cook will take to [...]
Savills share price surges on profit outlook upgrade thanks to Stamp Duty changes January 15, 2015 Estate agent Savills has upgraded its profit outlook for 2014 after changes to stamp duty came into effect at the end of last year, sending shares surging almost nine per cent in early trading. Revenue and profit exceeded forecasts in December after a sales boost from the rise in Stamp Duty for properties priced over [...]
Apple sets new record as sales smash forecasts January 27, 2015 APPLE sales smashed even the most optimistic expectations after the tech giant sold a record number of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus smartphones over the Christmas quarter and won thousands of new fans in China. The company sold 74.5m iPhones in the first quarter to 27 December, thanks to more people switching from Android than [...]