Zoopla share price rises as it shrugs off competition from OnTheMarket.com to post ninth month of growth February 25, 2016 It could have been a difficult day for Zoopla, which faced tough competition in the form of estate agent-run rival, OnTheMarket.com, when it launched at the beginning of last year. But this morning the property portal said it had a "solid start" to 2016, with a record 58m visits in January, and an average 47m monthly visits [...]
Ocado share price jumps as it makes its second-ever profit – and says it is “confident” of signing a big deal February 2, 2016 Ocado has reported its second-ever pre-tax profit, which jumped 65 per cent in the year to the end of November. And the company was dropped a couple of hints which could relate to those rumours of a tie-up with a certain giant ecommerce site… The figures In a statement today, Ocado said gross retail sales rose to £1.1bn in 2015, up 14.7 per [...]
Lloyds Banking Group’s private equity arm buy stake in same-day delivery firm CitySprint February 18, 2016 A private equity firm owned by Lloyds Banking Group has bought a stake in same-day delivery firm CitySprint in a deal valuing the business at £175m. LDC said the secondary management buyout will see CitySprint's current private equity owner Dunedin retain a stake in the courier while the management team led by chief executive Patrick Gallagher, retains [...]
Sainsbury’s expected to ask for more time over Home Retail Group bid as Christo Wiese’s Steinhoff International joins the party February 21, 2016 Sainsbury’s is expected to ask for an extension to tomorrow’s deadline for making a firm offer for Home Retail Group after a South African retail conglomerate waded in at the eleventh hour with a higher offer. The supermarket chain revealed earlier this month that it had reached an agreement with Home Retail over a possible cash [...]
The number of people on zero-hours contracts leaped in the final quarter of 2015 – but it’s not why you think March 9, 2016 Oh dear. The government may be doing everything in its power to rid the UK of those pesky zero-hours contracts, but it seems its efforts aren't working: the number of employees on the contracts jumped by 15 per cent in the final quarter of last year, new figures have shown. But before you grab your pitchfork, take [...]
Why investors shouldn’t ignore the hype about fintech April 11, 2016 Many investors (business angels, venture capital and private equity funds as well as family offices) are participating in fintech, and recognise value creation truly reflective of a “fourth industrial revolution”. However, others are somewhat sceptical and concerned about froth and hype. Either way, what’s interesting is that even the most sceptical aren’t willing to bet [...]
Sainsbury’s share price drops, while Home Retail Group’s rises on back of detailed plan for renewed Argos bid January 13, 2016 Sainsbury's trading update may have beaten expectations – but attention has been focused on the supermarket's bid for Argos parent Home Retail Group. Although the original offer was rebuffed, Sainsbury's has until 2 February to decide whether to make a second bid. Renewed speculation has pushed Home's share price up five per cent, although Sainsbury's share [...]
These tech companies offer the best junior salaries: Linkedin, Amazon, Microsoft April 9, 2015 Career starters with a head for stats, a passion for code, and a burning desire to take home a hefty pay cheque should consider roles at companies like LinkedIn and Amazon over their trendier rivals such as Google. Research by salary benchmarking site Emolument.com shows software and internet-focused companies offer young employees higher salaries, with hardware firm [...]
The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund had its worst year since 2011 last year, but managed to avoid negative returns March 9, 2016 The Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund has returned 2.7 per cent on its investments in 2015 thanks to a rally in equities late in the year. The low oil price and slowing emerging markets dragged on returns however, meaning the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund recorded its weakest performance since 2011. The oil fund, managed by [...]
CES 2016: Netflix share price jumps on expansion to 130 new countries, including India, Singapore and Saudi Arabia – but not China January 6, 2016 Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings had a big announcement up his sleeve for his keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES): Netflix is going live in 130 new countries, tripling the streaming giant’s distribution in one fell swoop. The expansion makes Netflix really global, as new countries include India, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Vietnam, Indonesia [...]