The number of smaller businesses in the UK has shot up: Here are the top-growing sectors November 9, 2017 The number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK has grown by almost a quarter over the past five years, new research from Hampshire Trust Bank and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has revealed. The office administration and business sector led the way, as the number of SMEs operating in [...]
Small construction firms warn growth is grinding to a halt due to material price hikes and a skills shortage October 23, 2017 Price hikes and skills shortages are putting the brakes on growth at the UK’s small building firms. The Federation of Master Builders (FMB), Britain’s largest construction trade association, will today warn growth among small construction firms slowed in most parts of the UK in the third quarter of 2017. Despite the slowdown, the third quarter [...]
Here’s why housebuilder shares are down today November 8, 2017 It was a bad morning for housebuilders, with companies listed on both the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 dragging the indices lower. Persimmon, the UK’s largest housebuilder by volume, led the fallers on the FTSE 100, with shares dropping 3.4 per cent to 2,772.5p, while Barratt, Taylor Wimpey and Berkeley Group were all among the [...]
As Thailand and Vietnam lead the Asian century, it’s time for British businesses to look east January 18, 2018 I wrote in these pages last October that this has all the makings of being the Asian century: a century when Asia stands ready to cement its position as a cultural, political, and economic powerhouse. This was evident most recently on my visit to Thailand and Vietnam, where I continued to promote the UK as [...]
‘Natural income’ vs ‘decumulation’: what’s the best way to take income from my investments? July 23, 2018 The goal of many investors is to build a portfolio that can generate sufficient income to replace traditional sources, but this isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. It is essential to understand the different methods of extracting money from your investments. How money is withdrawn can dramatically affect the length of time until that [...]
Hammond shuts down Javid’s plan to borrow billions at record low rates October 24, 2017 Philip Hammond has slapped down communities secretary Sajid Javid’s proposal to borrow billions of pounds at current interest rates to build homes. Speaking at the weekend, Javid made the case to “sensibly borrow more… take advantage of some of the record low interest rates” for housing, as well as other infrastructure needs such as the [...]
The rest of the world must fill the void left by Donald Trump’s protectionism March 8, 2018 It has been a turbulent week for those of us who believe in international collaboration. Populist candidates have mopped up the votes in the Italian elections, and with the proposed introduction of US import tariffs on steel and aluminium and the resignation of Trump’s pro-trade economic adviser Gary Cohn, “America first” has successfully made the [...]
Empower ambitious scaleups to unleash the UK’s hidden potential November 27, 2017 What will it take to unleash Britain’s scaleup opportunity? This is a question that not only plays on the minds of ambitious business leaders across the country, but anyone with an interest in our economic prowess. Because scaleups are more than the sum of their parts – they have the potential to become the engine [...]
UK funerals provider Dignity’s share price falls as competitors cut prices November 13, 2017 Funeral service firm Dignity’s share price fell today after it warned about fierce competition in the industry. At time of writing, Dignity’s share price was down eight per cent to 2,262p. The figures For the 39 weeks ended 29 September, revenue rose from £229.3m to £243.9m, an increase of six per cent. Underlying operating profit [...]
World’s largest interdealer broker TP Icap grabs rival Coex Partners November 30, 2017 Brokerage giant TP Icap, which was formed just last year in a £1.28bn deal, has hoovered up smaller Marylebone-based rival Coex Partners. TP Icap has paid an initial £7.1m for the firm, although this could rise over the next two years if performance conditions are met. In the first set of results since Tullett Prebon [...]