No more rewards for failure – how to claw back pay May 23, 2012 ONE by one, companies with either sub-par performance or poor compensation plans have been brought to account by shareholders. The most spectacular of these was at Aviva where Andrew Moss, recently stood down, but there have been major revolts at William Hill, Pendragon and Trinity Mirror. All of this has been achieved without one bit [...]
CITY STAR FORCES UP MAGNIER’S NEXT BID October 5, 2011 HE MAY yet succeed in snapping up Mitchells & Butlers on the cheap, but there were no bargains for racing tycoon John Magnier at the Tattersalls bloodstock auction in Newmarket yesterday. Forcing Magnier’s hand on Lot 35 was Lawrie Inman, the 30-year-old superstar futures trader, whose bid of 500,000 guineas pushed the Irish billionaire into [...]
Desert island dream in remotest Philippines February 19, 2012 AS the plane rumbles along from Manila to Busuanga in the Palawan peninsula in the Philippines, the smiling stewardess at the front starts playing a game of “Show and Tell” to an enraptured audience, in the absence of TVs to divert us. First person to hold up a… pen, wins a thermos flask. Next person [...]
Great deals meet a good cause in the Red Cross Christmas Market November 24, 2011 WHAT better way to get your Christmas shopping done than tying it in with a good cause – and a nice dose of history. Next week, the Red Cross Christmas Market at London’s Guildhall provides a fabulous, multi-dimensional chance to get the best out of the season, whether it’s art, craft or other goodies – [...]
Allen is better than ever with this nostalgic romp October 6, 2011 Film MIDNIGHT IN PARIS Cert: 12A Woody Allen has been famously up and down in his noughties film-making career. Everyone loved to hate Match Point and Scoop (I rather liked them – ok, maybe not Scoop); but then, Vicky Cristina Barcelona was a triumph. I also liked Belinda and Belinda, but others loathed it. Midnight [...]
London’s property: As unsafe as houses April 15, 2012 INSANITY, Albert Einstein famously said, is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” The crash might have petrified property investors at the bottom and middle of the market, but in London’s swankier postcodes prices are back on the up. The question is whether these represent sound long-term investments or another [...]
Black tie parties are old school occasions October 20, 2011 If you’re wondering how to look your best for the festive season’s black tie parties, bear this in mind: classic is back. A review of what was being sported at last month’s GQ Magazine Men of the Year awards provides an insight into the shifting tide in tuxedo trends. Gone were the slimline creations so [...]
Diversification can limit rewards March 18, 2012 IT’S A truism of investment advice that an investor should be diversified. And for good reason – only a gambler would put all his money in a single equity in the hope of striking it rich. Yet it shouldn’t be forgotten that diversification comes at a cost – one that should be weighed principally against [...]
Aston Martin mulls HK float July 6, 2011 ASTON Martin, the iconic car maker famous for supplying James Bond with his wheels, is mulling a share issue in Hong Kong, according to chief executive Ulrich Bez. He said there were no immediate plans to float and that advisers have not yet been appointed. He also said the firm is ready to launch a sales [...]
Aston Martin mulls HK float July 6, 2011 ASTON Martin, the iconic car maker famous for supplying James Bond with his wheels, is mulling a share issue in Hong Kong, according to chief executive Ulrich Bez. He said there were no immediate plans to float and that advisers have not yet been appointed. He also said the firm is ready to launch a sales [...]