The sitting killer: Is this the year standing desks finally take off? January 12, 2015 The health benefits are clear, but there are simpler ways to stay active Is sitting the new smoking? For the advocates of standing desks, those lofty contraptions that allow people to work without a chair, the answer is most definitely yes. The American Cancer Society tracked 123,000 people between 1993 and 2006, and discovered [...]
Rangers: A Phoenix Suns fan explains why Robert Sarver is “better than most” sports team owners January 8, 2015 Robert Sarver, the American financier and owner of the Phoenix Suns basketball franchise, is firmly set on a takeover of Rangers. The 53-year-old has now made two attempts to buy the Scottish football giant, after upping his original £18m bid by £2m as well as offering £6.5m as a short-term loan for emergency [...]
Here’s what could happen to the 1,400 luxury Jaguars, Minis and JCBs aboard the grounded Höegh Osaka January 6, 2015 As most people tucked into their roasts on Sunday, the Hampshire Constabulary reported a strange phenomenon: car parks around Calshot, a peninsula down the coast from Southampton, were filling up as tourists flocked to the area to take a look at a stricken car carrier, which had been deliberately run aground. The 51,000-tonne Höegh Osaka [...]
Will QE really revive the Eurozone? – CNBC Comment January 5, 2015 A new year is upon us, and that means investors will take a fresh look at European stocks. Unfortunately, Europe’s gloomy picture hasn’t changed: not enough growth, inflation is too low, and unemployment is still too high in parts of the Eurozone. Enter stage right: Mario Draghi. Arguably the most powerful European official, investors are [...]
New Year resolutions for trading success January 5, 2015 The new year has arrived with a bit of a bang for markets: a euro selloff, further slides in the oil price, and the rouble is still getting hammered. And for UK investors, the run-up to the General Election is bound to bring with it several waves of serious uncertainty. Between now and May, says [...]
The 2015 New Year Honours List revealed: From Fiona Woolf and Dickson Poon to Mary Quant and Adrian Cadbury December 30, 2014
Banks need to stop shunning Bitcoin – CNBC Comment December 22, 2014 The UK government, led by chancellor George Osborne, wants London to become the world’s Bitcoin hub. Meanwhile, the Bank of England has released a study detailing the digital currency’s virtues. So why, under the surface, is there a “chilling effect”, threatening to derail a sector that could bring millions of pounds to the UK economy? [...]
General election 2015: The Tories and stock markets December 22, 2014 When market-watchers think ahead to 2015’s political risks, it’s a safe bet that minds will quickly turn to the Middle East, Russia, or certain parts of Latin America and Africa. There are good reasons for this: Vladimir Putin’s revanchism looks unlikely to halt soon, and a tumbling oil price threatens further instability in Nigeria, Iran, [...]
Cocoa price up, coal price down: Why Santa is having his merriest Christmas in years December 22, 2014 The economic downturn was a tough time for most of us – and just because he runs on fairy dust and sparkles, doesn't mean Santa Claus was left out. Elves striking over low pay (probably), the cost of hay going through the roof – you name it, Father Christmas was hit with it. Thankfully, a [...]