Europe markets close lower after disappointing earnings July 23, 2015 European markets closed lower this afternoon after disappointing earnings from companies such as Aberdeen Asset Management and energy supplier SSE. The German Dax ended the day down 0.1 per cent to 11,507.37 points, Britain's FTSE 100 down 0.2 per cent to 6667.34 points and the French Cac flat at 5,082.04 points. Fund manager Aberdeeen Asset Management shares closed down 7.6 [...]
FTSE led higher by Hargreaves and Arm results – London Report October 16, 2015 THE FTSE 100 closed higher yesterday after three consecutive sessions of closing down, as investors concentrated on company earnings. The FTSE closed 1.1 per cent up, at 6,338.67 points, led by gains in Arm and Hargreaves Lansdown. Arm, the semiconductor and software design company, ended 4.78 per cent up on the back of strong results [...]
One in three intellectual property experts worry about low-quality US patents September 4, 2015 Are sloppy US patents hurting investments into research and development? One in three intellectual property experts are concerned over the poor quality of US patents, according to a new report from trade publication IAM. This could potentially hurt research investments, as investors struggle to assess the strength of patent portfolios, or send litigation costs soaring. [...]
Unilever spins off Flora and Bertolli spreads into a separate business December 4, 2014 Unilever is spinning off its butter division into a separate standalone business as it dragged on the consumer giant’s growth. Its spread brands, including Flora and Bertolli, will form a new division by the middle of 2015 run by a separate management team following a separate strategy, Unilever’s head of finance Jean-Marc Huet told investors [...]
Frugal innovation: Doing more with less – the six principles to adopt to innovate faster and cheaper November 20, 2015 Stagnant incomes and greater concern for the environment are making western consumers both more value and values conscious. Equally, ordinary people in the West are increasingly empowered to do with limited resources what only large firms could do in the past. Ubiquitous tools, such as smartphones, cloud computing, 3D printers, crowdfunding, and social media, [...]
Creating wealth, giving back: Highlights of my year as the lord mayor of London November 1, 2015 This is my final City A.M. column as lord mayor – in less than a fortnight, I’ll hang up my hat, pass on the chain, and watch the removal van pull up outside Mansion House. But what a fantastic year it’s been! It’s the one job in the world where I have felt that absolutely [...]
One year in, Tesco boss has Dave Lewis no room for excuses – The City View September 29, 2015 A year ago this month, Dave Lewis was anointed Tesco’s chief executive after being parachuted in from Unilever and tasked with turning around Britain’s biggest retailer. The supertanker was sinking fast. Lewis’ predecessor Phil Clarke had overseen a disastrous reign littered with profit warnings, a collapse in the share price and falling market share. Tellingly, [...]
Helical Bar wins tenant for former Shoreditch carpet factory June 15, 2015 Helical Bar has pre-let two thirds of its Shoreditch-based C Space office block to DLKW Lowe. The creative advertising agency, which counts Unilever and Morrisons as clients, will move from its west London offices to the former carpet factory once it is finished in August.
Aberdeen weighs on FTSE after report of £9bn net outflow – London Report July 23, 2015 UK shares yesterday started brightly but fell for a third day in a row, as Aberdeen Asset Management weighed on the FTSE 100. The blue chip index fell 0.2 per cent, 12.33 points, to 6,655.01 at the close, after earlier climbing as much as 0.6 per cent. Aberdeen Asset Management tumbled 7.6 per cent, touching [...]
Don’t write off startups as a threat to your company: Collaboration benefits all June 25, 2015 Digital disruption is snapping at the heels of London’s corporates. Many are only just waking up to the fact that tech startups like Zoopla, Skype and Funding Circle – all less than 10 years old and bred in the capital – have become billion dollar “unicorn” companies, rewriting the rules of whole industries. In [...]