We are signing up to decades of over-priced electricity. Why? October 21, 2013 OUR energy policy is going from bad to worse. Not only are our bills already rocketing, largely as a result of a flurry of costly UK and EU green initiatives, but we are about to lock in high prices for decades to come by signing up to a fresh supply of horrendously over-priced nuclear electricity. [...]
Monetary policy debates rage on as UK’s economy heats up September 3, 2013 The UK's economy is heating up – but economists haven't stopped disagreeing with each other. The monetary policy debates are as fierce as ever. Andrew Sentance, senior economic adviser at PwC and ex-Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member has argued for a rate hike in the Telegraph. If the recovery does gather momentum in the UK, [...]
Danske Bank’s boss ousted by board directors September 16, 2013 THE BOARD of Denmark’s biggest bank Danske Bank overthrew its chief executive yesterday in a boardroom coup, swapping him for someone with “stronger qualifications” in banking. Former boss Eivind Kolding, who took the helm of the Danish bank just nineteen months ago, has been replaced by the company’s corporate banking guru Thomas Borgen, a member [...]
Two heads for heights at Smith & Williamson December 8, 2013 The accountant and investment manager duo who are on the hunt for growth tell Marion Dakers about their long-term plans SMITH & Williamson (S&W) is keen to get away from its reputation as investment’s “best kept secret” – even if it’s a name the firm has used to describe its own services. From a quiet [...]
Unilever sales disappoint as emerging markets growth slows July 25, 2013 CONSUMER goods giant Unilever today posted underlying sales growth of five per cent in the second quarter of the year, falling short of forecasts, due to a slowdown in emerging markets. Emerging markets grew at 10.3 per cent, slightly down on 10.4 per cent in the previous quarter, while developed markets fell 1.3 per cent. [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 13 September 2013 September 12, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Cameron crackdown on music piracy David Cameron has appointed a former music industry executive as his adviser on intellectual property, setting the stage for a government crackdown on copyright infringement. Mike Weatherley, MP for Hove and Portslade and former finance director for Pete Waterman’s entertainment businesses, will take on the newly created role [...]
How MBA courses are responding to entrepreneurship’s growing appeal October 16, 2013 Whether business school can teach you the skills for startup success is still up for debate CAN you teach entrepreneurship? With a 2013 survey of applicants by QS TopMBA finding that a third of candidates see themselves running their own business in a decade’s time, that’s the question budding entrepreneurs are hoping business schools [...]
New postcode lending data reveals Britain’s strikingly healthy SME sector July 24, 2013 HOW are businesses in your area doing? Are they building up cash piles, or piling up the debts? Until this week, regional borrowing and saving by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) was a mystery. But thanks to data released from banks for 120 postcode areas, we now know what is happening in each part of [...]
Tough job kicks off for India’s new governor September 4, 2013 INDIA’S new central bank governor Raghuram Rajan arrived at his new post yesterday, beginning the difficult job of organising monetary policy for the country’s struggling economy. The country has suffered from a rapid depreciation of the rupee over recent months, with foreign investment leaving the country as expectations for the tapering of the Federal Reserve’s [...]
Customers have no incentive to punish mis-selling banks January 31, 2013 BANKS are embroiled in another “mis-selling” scandal, but we can be sure that customer behaviour won’t be affected. Few people will switch bank as a result. Regulation means we are indifferent to how our banks behave. Why? Because we know banks will always be fined for their faults, and we know we’ll always be compensated. [...]