The government owns far too much land. It must sell a lot off January 7, 2014 SELL, sell, sell – or so we must hope. With a bit of luck, the government is finally about to kick-start a massive and long-overdue sell-off of its vast estate. All of central government’s land and property holdings – worth £330bn – will soon be available for perusal on a Rightmove-style website. Individuals and companies [...]
Why business is key to uniting East and West October 28, 2013 TODAY the ninth World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) meets for the first time outside a Muslim country. And it’s happening here in London, the UK’s cosmopolitan and inclusive capital. There has never been a more important time for Western and Islamic countries to work together. We’ve discovered that, when people get together for business, they [...]
London Report: Draghi decision helps FTSE rise but BP tanks September 4, 2014 BRITAIN’S top shares rose yesterday after the European Central Bank cut interest rates and announced plans to buy assets in a bid to shore up Eurozone inflation. However, steep falls in BP capped gains. BP shares fell 5.9 per cent to 455p, suffering their biggest one-day percentage drop since June 2010, after a judge in [...]
Banking risks too great to relax capital controls in Cyprus October 30, 2013 The Cypriot banking sector is too fragile to fully relax capital controls, according to London-based consultancy Capital Economics. The Cypriot finance ministry has been gradually relaxing capital controls and hopes to remove almost all by 2014. However the restriction on deposits leaving the country remains in place. Cyprus' economy is still mired in recession however [...]
London Report: Rio Tinto holds up FTSE despite housing drop November 28, 2013 HeAVYWEIGHT miner Rio Tinto helped keep the FTSE 100 in positive territory yesterday, offsetting weakness in housebuilders after the Bank of England removed a mortgage support scheme. Rio Tinto enjoyed hefty gains in an otherwise subdued session – adding six points on its own to the FTSE 100 – as investors responded bullishly to the [...]
Networks matter for people and businesses of all shapes and sizes November 3, 2013 NO ENTREPRENEUR is an island – who you know can determine whether or not your business idea is going to be a success. Although networking is often considered to be a soft skill with soft benefits, it is actually vital for turning an idea into reality. When people mix, ideas and money flow more easily. [...]
City Moves for 28 November 2013 | Who’s switching jobs November 27, 2013 Harrington Cooper The fund distribution firm has appointed Henry Foster as sales manager in its discretionary sales team. He joins from Neptune Investment Management. Foster has also held roles at Citigroup Asset Management and Western Asset Management. MassMutual Gary Smith has been appointed head of sovereign wealth funds and official institutions for MassMutual’s asset management [...]
Stock Spirits to raise funds in London listing September 26, 2013 STOCK Spirits Group, the central and eastern European spirits producer, has announced its intention to float on the London Stock Exchange before the end of October, becoming the latest company to choose the UK market to source fresh funds. “We have been able to deliver sustained organic profit growth over the past five years and [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 13 November 2013 November 12, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Forex probe widens to 15 banks The global probe into foreign exchange manipulation has widened to include 15 of the world’s biggest banks and some of the most actively traded currencies, as lenders scramble to help authorities in exchange for leniency. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority – one of seven regulators handling the [...]
Giant panda numbers are up: see them in Chengdu February 23, 2014 They famously eat shoots and leaves. LISA YOUNG gets up-close and personal with the Chinese city’s most famous residents IT’S a warm August morning, the time of year when the sizzling Chengdu summer gives way to cooler climes. Chengdu sits in a fog-filled bowl 500 metres above sea level in the Sichuan Province of south [...]