Airbnb, Amazon, peer to peer lending and universities: There’s a simple reason why no sector is immune from radical change April 10, 2017 If you were to ask an economist why financial institutions or food retailers exist, I wonder if the answer would go beyond that which would be offered by a random person travelling on the Tube. Answers might include “to provide bank loans, insurance and savings products” and, in the case of food retailers, “to provide [...]
UK house prices: Residential building growing at its slowest rate for two years as the construction sector loses steam December 2, 2015 UK housebuilding came off the boil in November, according to new figures published this morning, as the construction sector slowed considerably. Markit’s purchasing managers’ index showed house building increased at its slowest rate since June 2013. The overall PMI for the construction sector dropped to a score of 55.3 – its lowest since April, but [...]
Middle Eastern investor buys up Sullivan & Cromwell’s European HQ January 4, 2017 A Middle Eastern investor has snapped up 1 New Fetter Lane, the European headquarters of international law firm Sullivan & Cromwell. UBS Triton Property Fund sold the Grade A property, which is located just south of Holborn Circus, for £69m. Sullivan & Cromwell recently agreed a new lease on the building which will end in 2026. Read [...]
Palamon buys a majority stake in colourful Swedish retailer Happy Socks January 16, 2017 Palamon Capital Partners today announced its acquisition of a majority stake in Happy Socks, a leading whimsical sock designer. The European growth investor's transaction valued the Swedish sock company at SEK 725m (£67.1m), with SEK 40m of growth capital to be injected to support the continued expansion of the business, leading to a SEK 765m enterprise value. [...]
How do you raise funding if your tech startup is not based in London? February 15, 2017 London, fintech and money. They're three amigos aren't they? A winning combo of location, sector and investment, affording the best exposure to startup capital and markets. Right? Not quite. Last year, more was invested in UK tech and fintech outside of London than anywhere else in Europe. And thousands of tech firms are finding competitive funding and startup costs outside the [...]
The City is a national asset with massive potential to address regional inequality December 12, 2016 One of the hardest parts of the lord mayor’s job is getting people to think of the financial City as more than just London. Our capital is certainly a vital part of the UK’s offer, but so are the many smaller towns and cities that lie beyond the M25 that, together, provide two thirds of the UK’s [...]
Why interest rates predictions have suddenly shifted July 11, 2017 Pressure is building for interest rates to be raised in the UK following a surge in inflation to a five-year high. Why are there fresh calls for rate rise? The Bank of England’s monetary policy committee (MPC) is tasked with keeping inflation at around 2% in the years ahead. But the consumer prices index (CPI) [...]
Why are megacities on the rise and why should you care? March 16, 2017 Hear that? That's the sound of mental cogs grinding; business owners poring over Google, deciding where to put a pin in the map to grow their operations. The decision is not always as blind as pinning a tail on the proverbial donkey. If you produce Champagne or coffee, for example, you have the sense and scents to know where to set-up [...]
BT Openreach separation plans to “rebuild trust and credibility” aren’t enough for Ofcom February 1, 2017 BT plans to make Openreach more independent by bolstering its board were today rebuffed by regulators as falling short of their requirements. Openreach held its first board full meeting yesterday and today announced the appointment of Sir Brendan Barber, the former general secretary of the Trade Union Congress, Edward Astle, a former board member of the National Grid, as independent [...]
Sadiq Khan reveals his spending plans for £3bn Treasury housing fund November 29, 2016 A huge injection of Treasury cash will be used to build a combination of homes to rent and buy in the capital following a deal between the government and City Hall. In the Autumn Statement, chancellor Philip Hammond revealed the Treasury has agreed to hand City Hall of control of £3.15bn in funding to develop 90,000 [...]