New York Report: US data clog to clear as report season begins October 20, 2013 A BACKLOG of US data will begin to clear this week with payrolls figures landing just as more than one-quarter of S&P 500 companies report earnings. But equities, at record highs, have already surpassed expectations for the year and could begin to drift sideways. The S&P 500 closed Friday at 1,744.50, an all-time high, making [...]
Two charts that show how artists like Jay Z reacted to Cristal’s hip-hop snub October 24, 2013 There's a great infographic from Vanity Fair floating around – charting the favoured brands of the hip-hop artist Jay Z. Jay Z's Most Name-Dropped Products: An Infographic http://t.co/o17My04ev7 pic.twitter.com/cA2sc9hoXw — VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) October 18, 2013 We've all become used to product placement deals in entertainment more widely, but whether Jay Z mentions these [...]
Government set to bring in cap on pension fees October 29, 2013 THE GOVERNMENT will today announce a public consultation to decide on pension scheme charges, with a likely cap of 0.75 per cent on annual fund management fees. Some 6m-9m people will be forced to make new or increased pension savings because of the auto-enrolment scheme, increasing the focus on value for money in fund management. [...]
Profits rise for Burger King as costs drop 90pc October 28, 2013 BURGER King Worldwide, known for its Whopper hamburgers, yesterday said it plans to introduce fewer seasonal and limited-time menu items in a bid to help restaurant operators improve profits and speed up service. Burger King, which reported a better-than expected third-quarter profit, has recently added a string of attention-getting products ranging from bacon sundaes and [...]
Burger King takes its first bite into India with joint venture November 20, 2013 BURGER King’s Whopper burgers will be available in India for the first time, after it yesterday announced plans to open its fast food chain in the world’s second most populous country. It will partner with private equity firm Everstone, which specialises in India and South East Asia, to set up a supply chain and establish [...]
A classy end to a successful season of Michael Grandage December 12, 2013 THEATRE HENRY V Noël Coward theatre | By Xenobe Purvis Four Stars OVER the course of Michael Grandage’s five-play season at the Noel Coward Theatre, the venue has seen star-studded casts perform parts as diverse as spliff-smoking fairies and cross-dressing soldiers. And now it is home to Henry V, which – although offering us nothing [...]
National Express pens contract to run two German train routes September 25, 2013 NATIONAL Express is exporting the British rail experience to two train routes in North Rhine Westphalia, signing contracts yesterday in what the UK ambassador to Germany described as “a proud day for British business”. The company will run the regional services for 15 years from 2015 under the contract, taking over from incumbent state-owned operator [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 06 November 2013 November 5, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES NHS chief says service bogged in law The NHS is becoming “bogged down in a morass of competition law” which is leading to higher costs and making it harder to reorganise services in the interests of patients, its chief executive said yesterday. Giving evidence to the health select committee, Sir David Nicholson suggested [...]
Watchdog sinks its teeth into pension funds September 19, 2013 THE UK’S trading watchdog yesterday laid the ground for a root and branch overhaul of workplace pensions after a study said that the current system is ripping off some savers. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which aims to protect consumers, said pensions were too complicated for many people to understand and employers running pension [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 31 October 2013 October 30, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES UK star rainmakers team up Three of London’s star dealmakers are joining forces in a City advisory boutique, reflecting the exodus of senior talent from bulge-bracket investment banks amid intense political and regulatory scrutiny. Simon Warshaw, former co-head of investment banking at UBS, will this week team up with Robertson Robey Associates, said [...]