The City View: The Publishers Association CEO on culture wars, discovering talent and industry challenges August 6, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS In this episode Christian is joined by Stephen Lotinga, CEO of the Publishers Association, representing the UK’s fiction, non-fiction and academic publishing sector. After the biggest year ever for the industry in 2019, how has it coped with the lockdown and what are the chances of the great Coronavirus novel [...]
Goldman Sachs sets new diversity goals for employing vice presidents August 5, 2020 Goldman Sachs has set new diversity goals for employing Black, Latino and female vice presidents, reflecting a growing acknowledgment that most top roles are held by white men. The bank said that by 2025 it wants seven per cent of its employees with the title to be Black and nine per cent to be Latino. [...]
UK to send emergency relief to Lebanon following Beirut explosion August 5, 2020 The UK will provide £5m in aid to Beirut, including search and rescue help and expert medical support after the explosion at Beirut Port yesterday. An explosion in the Lebanese capital yesterday left thousands injured with a death toll of more than 100. Following a call with the Prime Minister of Lebanon Hassan Diab, the [...]
Finance must play a bigger role in the UK’s national security, says think tank August 5, 2020 A think tank has called on the government to use the UK’s financial capabilities to further support its national security policy. The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) has recommended the UK capitalise on its financial advantages ahead of an integrated review of the UK’s foreign policy, defence and security. In February, the government announced the [...]
Spitting Image unveils puppets of PM and Cummings ahead of relaunch August 5, 2020 Spitting Image has unveiled its puppets of Boris Johnson and his chief adviser Dominic Cummings ahead of its return in the autumn. The show, which will relaunch after 24 years, was made famous in the 1980s for its mockery of politiians. Read more: Spitting Image to return after 24 years following Britbox commission It will [...]
Gold surges to new record on pandemic fears but ‘can go higher’ August 5, 2020 The gold price reached a record high of $2,030 (£1,550) as investors’ caution pushed it higher, but analysts expect it to rise even higher. A survey of more than 1,300 DIY investors conducted by BullionVault, showed they expect the price of gold to rise by 25 per cent by the end of 2020, taking it [...]
US private equity firms step in where UK houses remain cautious August 5, 2020 US firms are increasing their share of the market as UK private equity houses retreat amid market uncertainty. Exclusive data seen by City A.M. shows the number of private equity investments in the UK fell by 17 per cent in the first half of the year. Investments by UK PE houses plunged 27 per cent [...]
The City View: Tony Matharu on why it’s time to get London moving again August 5, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS In this episode Christian is joined by top hotelier and London businessman Tony Matharu, who believes the capital needs an injection of confidence to get people back on public transport, back in the office and back into the pubs, restaurants, shops and hotels. Also in this episode, Christian looks [...]
Scottish Widows becomes first investor in Blackrock climate fund August 5, 2020 Scottish Widows has become the first investor in Blackrock’s newly launched climate fund, which is designed for the transition to a low carbon economy. The pension provider is initially allocating £2bn of its pension portfolios into Blackrock’s Climate Transition World Equity Fund. It marks a shift in strategy for Blackrock, which is using data to [...]
Disney’s earnings take a hit as pandemic wreaks havoc on theme parks business August 4, 2020 Disney reported a profitable third quarter but missed analysts’ expectations as it battled the effect of coronavirus on its theme parks business. Revenue for the quarter was $11.78bn, substantially less than the $20.35bn in the comparable period, and missing the expected $12.39bn. Net loss from continuing operations was $4.72bn, or $2.61 per share, in the [...]