Business secretary Greg Clark says “no chequebook” was involved in keeping Nissan in the UK October 28, 2016 All that fuzzy goodwill over Nissan announcing it was building not one, but two new models in Sunderland after months of uncertainty has faded pretty fast. Not for everyone, of course, but the comment that Nissan chief executive made saying he had received "support and assurances" from the government gave rise to some scepticism. Ministers [...]
Construction output tumbles at fastest pace since 2009 but sterling gains ground August 2, 2016 Activity in the construction sector is shrinking at its fastest pace in seven years, but has still managed to beat some exceptionally gloomy forecasts, helping the pound climb against the dollar. The Markit/Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) survey came in at 45.9 on an index where scores below 50 signify contraction. This was only slightly down [...]
City Moves for 24 November 2016 | Who’s switching jobs November 24, 2016 AEW AEW has appointed Hans Vrensen as European head of research and strategy. Hans, who will be based in London and oversee teams in London and Paris, will report to Rob Wilkinson, CEO of AEW Europe and will work closely with AEW’s global platform. Hans’ responsibilities at AEW will include advising the investment and asset management [...]
London housing crisis: There’s a practical way to boost home-building – release surplus public sector land in the capital September 16, 2015 I congratulate Sadiq Khan on being selected as the Labour candidate for London mayor. However, Khan seems to be long on analysis of the problems Londoners face but short on practical solutions. London’s housing crisis is clearly the leading issue at the moment, but all he offers are “new teams” at City Hall without [...]
Wage against the machine: The robots are coming October 18, 2016 Depositing money at the bank, booking a doctor’s appointment, or ordering a pint of beer may have little in common today, but it’s highly likely that, in the near future, basic jobs such as these will be carried out by robots. Existing robotic and artificial intelligence technologies are quickly eliminating a vast number of low-level [...]
Kier Group has so far shrugged off the Brexit vote September 22, 2016 Kier Group's shares rose as much as 8.13 per cent to 1,384.00p per share this morning, after the construction and infrastructure firm said it had emerged unscathed from the Brexit vote. The figures Kier Group posted a pre-tax loss of £15m in the year ended 30 June due to one-off costs, such as those relating to its acquisition [...]
Would likely election winner Hillary Clinton be better for the US economy than her predecessor Barack Obama? October 31, 2016 Molly Kiniry, a consultant at the Legatum Institute, says Yes. On their first day in office, US Presidents are handed the nuclear launch codes, but not a magic wand for the economy. Their commercial role is largely about projecting confidence and building trust. The US economy is inextricably linked to global markets, which are unwilling to [...]
City Moves for 5 October 2016 | Who’s switching jobs October 5, 2016 Investec Wealth & Investment Investec Wealth & Investment (“IW&I”) has appointed Louise Hall as head of the firm’s London office. She takes over from David Bulteel, who is becoming head of IW&I’s international division. Louise Hall joined IW&I as a graduate trainee in 1989 and has led the firm’s specialist charities and not-for-profit division since [...]
A senior Labour Brexiteer says universities should be held responsible for numbers of foreign students returning home after graduation September 7, 2016 British universities should held responsible for the return of international students to their countries of origin after graduation, according to the Work and Pensions Committee chair. Foreign graduates should be able to stay for two years after completing their studies, with universities then told to make sure students return if they are unable to find work, Frank Field [...]
Pound endures another rough rollercoaster ride amid mixed signals October 6, 2016 Sterling was sent on another rollercoaster ride yesterday as traders scrambled to digest fresh economic data alongside the latest messages emerging from Theresa May’s ruling Conservative party. The pound plummeted below $1.27 for the first time since 1985 as foreign exchange investors brushed off a relatively positive survey of economic activity in the UK’s dominant services [...]