Offsetting risk while taking on the big players April 14, 2014 The boss of London’s new derivatives exchange tells Elizabeth Fournier why competition is the key to success THE WORLD of derivatives is riddled with acronyms. From OTC (over-the-counter) trades to the Mifid (markets in financial instruments directive) regulations trickling down from Europe, securities trading is a hotbed of impenetrable codes that can make talking to [...]
How Uber takes over a city in just four days February 19, 2014 Uber’s global expansion has exploded bringing the service to 74 cities since the start of 2011 – the ride-hailing app added 13 new cities in just the first 50 days of 2014 alone – and spearheading this rapid growth are a crack team known as launchers. Described as a blend between US Navy Seals and [...]
How Uber takes over a city in just four days February 19, 2014 Uber’s global expansion has exploded bringing the service to 74 cities since the start of 2011 – the ride-hailing app added 13 new cities in just the first 50 days of 2014 alone – and spearheading this rapid growth are a crack team known as launchers. Described as a blend between US Navy Seals [...]
Russia’s Ukrainian grab requires a firmer response from West March 17, 2014 AT THE start of every year, forecasters try to predict what could go wrong over the next 12 months – and every time, they get it terribly, spectacularly wrong. Just three months ago, the big risks were seen to be China, Iran, tapering or Eurozone deflation – of course, one or all of these could [...]
Retail investors excluded from Polypipe float March 18, 2014 BRITISH plastic piping manufacturer Polypipe is the latest company to announce its plans to float on the London Stock Exchange, as it looks to take advantage of the UK construction market recovery. Around half of the company’s share capital will be up for grabs, but like online food takeaway business Just-Eat, which announced its plans [...]
Cat cure firm Circassia in biggest healthcare float for eight years February 6, 2014 A CURE for cat allergies could soon be hitting the market after its Oxford-based developers yesterday confirmed plans to raise £175m on the London stock market in the biggest healthcare float since 2006. Circassia, which is privately backed by firms like Invesco Perpetual and hedge fund Lansdowne Partners, said it will use the money to [...]
Inside Track: Rothschild shows independent advisers are on a roll February 13, 2014 AT THE top of Rothschild’s impressive and relatively newly-built London headquarters, a modern building set in the 17th century St Swithin’s Lane in the heart of the City, is an auditorium which the firm’s bankers use to host what are known as kick-off meetings for the flotations they’re working on. Over the past few months, [...]
This Pick ‘n’ Mix giant is getting in the big guns February 3, 2014 (Flickr) The pick ‘n’ mix market may seem at the lower end of the corporate finance spectrum but it’s big business for private equity-backed Tangerine Confectionary, the northern-based manufacturer of some of the UK’s favourite sweets. Tangerine produces a host of iconic British sweets. Remember Black Jacks? Well, it makes them. And Fruit Salads? Yep [...]
Is the UK still open for business? Not if politicians keep meddling in markets April 14, 2014 AFTER seven years at the top, last month London lost its place as the number one city in the Global Financial Centres Index. Is this a temporary slippage, or should we be concerned? I have always thought of the City, and the UK, as one of the best places to invest and do business. We [...]
European rivals no match for the City of London says Osborne January 15, 2014 George Osborne has delivered a shot across the bow to Britain's European partners in a speech delivered to the think tank Open Europe and the conservative Fresh Start group. The chancellor said: The City of London is not, as some of our continental friends kid themselves, in competition with Paris and Frankfurt. It is in [...]