Growth creates drought of London job candidates January 8, 2014 A SKILLS squeeze is hitting London while companies across the UK are also finding it increasingly hard to find appropriate staff, a report by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG reveals today. As the economy recovers, employers are reporting a shortage of skilled candidates for vacancies. According to the survey, the drop in availability [...]
CNBC Comment: Watch out for the IPO boom froth November 25, 2013 CHEER has returned to London’s initial public offering (IPO) market. By the end of October, over $24bn (£14.8bn) had been raised in European IPOs in 2013, more than double the corresponding amount at the same point in 2012. And almost half of 2013’s total was raised on the London Stock Exchange. But investors may want [...]
Deal-makers are hoping that UK M&A returns to form January 6, 2014 AS WE head into the New Year the City will be cautiously optimistic about likely activity in the corporate finance markets in 2014. Last year saw a major revival in the new issues or initial public offering (IPO) market, which had been virtually dead in 2012. UK IPO revenue totals were 274 per cent up [...]
FTSE 100 rebounds as oil price rises and Shire jumps on bid report – London Report October 21, 2014 Gains in big oil companies and drugmaker Shire yesterday lifted Britain’s top equity index, which extended a rebound after falling to 15-month lows last week. The FTSE 100 index closed up by 1.7 per cent, or 105.26 points, at 6,372.33 points. Shire rose 2.61 per cent to 3,848p, after Reuters reported that Botox-maker Allergan shareholder [...]
London Report: Mining shares lead FTSE lower in thin trading August 6, 2013 THE UK’S blue-chip share index fell in thin, volatile trade yesterday as a selloff in mining stocks, led by Fresnillo, more than offset gains in financials. Shares in Fresnillo dived 10.9 per cent in volume more than twice their 90-day average after the precious metals miner cut its dividend due to a fall in the [...]
London skyline gets a £1.2bn Chinese fortune January 11, 2014 CHINESE state-owned Greenland Group has made its first foray into the UK market with a £1.2bn swoop on two major London developments – which could see it build the tallest skyscraper in Canary Wharf. The property giant yesterday signed a deal to buy developer Minerva’s Ram Brewery, a historic seven acre site in Wandsworth claimed [...]
Banks to report as BT is likely to reveal growth – London Report October 26, 2014 THIS WEEK sees a number of banks reporting, with four of the UK’s five biggest lenders due to reveal third-quarter results. Lloyds and Standard Chartered report tomorrow. With Lloyds the focus is expected to be on 9,000 job cuts and a string of branch closures. Standard Chartered’s execs have been under pressure this year. After [...]
Aukett snaps up rival architects’ firm for £1.6m December 19, 2013 AIM-LISTED architectural firm Aukett Fitzroy Robinson (AFR) has snapped up the European arm of American rival Swanke Hayden Connell (SHCE) for £1.6m, in a further sign of returning confidence in the market. The new company will be called Aukett Swanke and is expected to generate £16m in annual sales, employing 340 staff across eight countries. [...]
London skyline gets a £1.2bn Chinese fortune January 7, 2014 CHINESE state-owned Greenland Group has made its first foray into the UK market with a £1.2bn swoop on two major London developments – which could see it build the tallest skyscraper in Canary Wharf. The property giant yesterday signed a deal to buy developer Minerva’s Ram Brewery, a historic seven acre site in Wandsworth claimed [...]
UK Mail soars as online shopping boosts volumes November 20, 2013 PARCEL delivery company UK Mail Group yesterday said pre-tax profit rose 63 per cent in the first half as there were three extra working days in the period and higher deliveries of online purchases continued to drive growth. The company, which provides parcels, mail and logistics services, said pre-tax profit rose to £11.9m pounds in [...]