Rise in floats and LCH.Clearnet boost London Stock Exchange November 13, 2013 THE LONDON Stock Exchange Group is enjoying a market bounce at home and abroad, with revenue boosted by its recent purchase of the LCH.Clearnet clearing house. Chief executive Xavier Rolet said yesterday a spate of companies listing in London will add further fuel to the British economy. “The firms that are listing on our markets [...]
Why raising the minimum wage is not the best way to help Britain’s poorest January 8, 2014 IT IS widely rumoured that the government is moving towards a commitment to increase the national minimum wage (NMW) well above levels suggested by the – usually fairly sensible – Low Pay Commission. This may be good news for some workers, but I’m not convinced that it is sensible policy. Temporarily recognising the constraints on [...]
Bottom Line: Aldi and Lidl are not just for Christmas December 17, 2013 IF, AS the saying goes, the customer is always right, then the future of British grocery shopping could soon start to look very different. In the past three months, one in two of us has been to either Aldi or Lidl – the so-called budget supermarkets that now make up a combined seven per cent of [...]
Monetary Policy: Why 2014 should be a turning point for western economies January 5, 2014 SINCE the 1970s, years ending with a 4 have seen turning points in the global economy and had a particular significance for central bankers. This year is the fortieth anniversary of 1974. This was the most turbulent post-war year for the major western economies before the global financial crisis. The first recession in the global [...]
Equistone fancies French pudding maker October 21, 2013 EQUISTONE, the private equity house founded by ex-Barclays buyout executives, has taken a bite out of a French luxury pudding maker that supplies tasty treats to M&S and McDonalds. The outfit, led by managing partner Guillaume Jacqueau, has bought a majority stake in French dessert conglomerate Europeenne des Desserts (EDD) for an undisclosed sum. The [...]
London Report: House prices set for high point as market surges October 6, 2013 HOUSE prices will be in the spotlight today, as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) house price index is released and the Help To Buy scheme kicks off nationally. Last month saw a seven-year high for the survey, leading RICS to call on the Bank of England to cap house price inflation at five [...]
Don’t blame foreigners for our self-inflicted housing shortage October 28, 2013 LONDON’S housing policy is in a mess: rules, restrictions and levies make it hard and expensive to build homes in the right places, crimping supply. Combined with growing demand, this has pushed prices up. While the coalition’s reforms have helped slightly, making it easier to convert old offices and simplifying some rules, and more public [...]
Council house sells for record £2.96m October 28, 2013 A COUNCIL house near London’s South Bank was sold at auction yesterday for a record £2.96m, making it the most expensive ever sold in the UK. The Grade II-listed property at 21 and 23 Park Street near Borough Market was put up for sale by Southwark Council, to help fund the building of new council [...]
Fall in homes for sale boosts prices further October 28, 2013 LONDON’S house prices jumped again in October, according to data out today from Hometrack, as supply of homes dropped but demand kept on rising. Nationally prices increased by 0.5 per cent in the month, with London leading the way at 0.8 per cent. That means that over the last 12 months London’s prices have risen [...]
How to grow a business from a bean January 26, 2014 Annabel Palmer talks student life and staple diets with James Eder, founder of marketing firm The Beans Group IN THE age-old debate over whether entrepreneurship is innate or can be taught, James Eder – founder of The Beans Group – makes a strong case for the former. At 13, he and his brother Michael created [...]