Esure share price soars to record high as it avoids discount rate hit March 10, 2017 Esure zoomed to the top of the FTSE 250 in late-morning trading after the insurer said it was in "full growth mode", and added it had avoided taking a hit from changes to discount rate rules. The figures In results posted this morning, Esure said underlying post-tax profits rose 18 per cent to 80.5m in the year to the end [...]
Big data should be used to discriminate on motor insurance premiums, says FCA chief executive November 22, 2016 Insurers should use big data to identify and reward good drivers, according to the head of the UK's financial watchdog. Speaking today at the Association of British Insurers' (ABI) annual conference, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) boss Andrew Bailey said the "revolution in our ability to capture and use information" should be encouraged by regulators in certain [...]
HSBC chairman search: Former man from the Pru Mark Tucker will replace Douglas Flint March 12, 2017 Mark Tucker, chief executive and president of AIA and former boss of Prudential, has been confirmed as chairman of HSBC, marking the first time the bank has appointed an external chairman. Tucker will receive an annual fee of £1.5m and a one-time relocation benefit of £300,000 for moving from Hong Kong to London. He will take up [...]
Estée Lauder: The woman behind the brand May 2, 2017 Estée Lauder's story could have started on the stage. Before her head was filled with visions of making women beautiful, the woman who would revolutionise the cosmetics industry wanted to be an actress. But, the business of beauty pumped through her veins. Stage Gem Estée toyed with becoming an actress, as she believed that “actresses [...]
Ad giant Publicis Groupe has named top boss Maurice Levy’s sucessor January 26, 2017 The French advertising giant Publicis Groupe has named a successor to long-standing top dog Maurice Levy. Arthur Sadoun, a Publicis insider, will take over as chief executive and chairman at the firm from 1 June. He comes from leading the group's creative agencies under Publicis Communications, which include Saatchi & Saatchi and BBH. The nominating committee said there was no [...]
Insurers including Direct Line, Aviva and Admiral band together to examine future of driverless cars January 18, 2016 Some of Britain's largest motor insurers, including Direct Line, Aviva and Admiral, have banded together to plan for a future when driverless cars are the norm. The Automated Driving Insurance Group, which will be led by trade body the Association of British Insurers (ABI), is assessing the insurance implications of the rise of driverless technology. The group [...]
Nier: Automata review: a thrilling, endearing, unhinged sequel to the cult classic from Yoko Taro March 15, 2017 While big-budget western game franchises often stand accused of design-by-focus-group, their Japanese counterparts are still dominated by mercurial auteurs with singular – and often bizarre – visions. Legendary figures such as Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Dark Souls’ Hidetaka Miyazaki, Metal Gear Solid’s Hideo Kojima and Silent Hill’s Keiichiro Toyama are inextricably linked with the blockbuster [...]
SoftBank invests $1bn in satellite initiative OneWeb December 19, 2016 SoftBank is pumping $1bn into satellite startup OneWeb, a start-up that is building a group of satellites to boost the world's internet access. OneWeb has announced a $1.2bn fundraising round, with $200m coming from its current investors and the bulk from the Japanese communications group. The deal is set to close in the first quarter of 2017. [...]
Political risk is about more than populist election victories, as UK insurers know February 28, 2017 As the anti-globalisation stone gathers moss, political risk has been weighing on the minds of investors. Many worry that the tide of public opinion in the developed world is flowing towards tougher immigration restrictions and higher tariffs on imported goods, scrambling any chances of energising this feeble and joyless economic recovery. In the last week, [...]
Here’s why Facebook shares are down despite an impressive revenue rise November 3, 2016 Facebook’s shares fell as much as six per cent in after-hours trading on Wednesday, despite the social media giant beating expectations with its latest results for the third quarter. Total revenue came in at $7bn (£5.7bn) – up 56 per cent year-on-year and ahead of Wall Street expectations of $6.9bn – with advertising making up [...]