City A.M. Unregulated podcast: What James Bond can teach you about business November 14, 2017 Sara Fazlali is the founder of Secret Me, teaching CEOs, celebrities and the super-rich how to be James Bond in an ultra-luxe setting. She says skills like negotiation, poker and even seduction (ooo-err) can make you better at your job. If you like this week’s episode, please subscribe and give us a review on Spotify, [...]
Don’t pack up your portfolios yet, Christmas has come early November 14, 2017 With 41 days to go, it seems Christmas has come early this year for many investors. The returns in 2017, at least for equity investors, are staggering. The DAX, a blue chip index consisting of the 30 major German companies, is higher by some 16 per cent since the start of the year. The S&P [...]
Candy Crushing it: As King’s jewel in the crown turns five City A.M. speaks to game artist Sandra da Cruz Martins November 14, 2017 Look around any public space these days and you’re guaranteed to see a lot of people focused firmly on their smartphones. They might be reading, texting or even Tindering. But chances are, a lot of them will be playing Candy Crush. The addictive game, centred on moving colourful pieces of “candy” into different formations, gained [...]
Insurance megadeals driving surge in M&A deal value November 14, 2017 An increase in the number of insurance megadeals drove a surge in the total value of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity, according to data to be published today. Total deal value rose by 170 per cent between the first half of 2016 and the first half of 2017, a survey by Willis Towers Watson and [...]
The Trump bump: What the US President has meant for markets November 14, 2017 Last week marked one year since Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, and in that time US equities have reached almost unprecedented highs. Much has been made of the so-called Trump bump; however, the key question is how much of this positive sentiment can truly be attributed to the policy plans of [...]
DEBATE: Was the tribunal right to rule that Uber drivers are workers, not self-employed? November 14, 2017 DEBATE: Was the tribunal right to rule that Uber drivers are workers, not self-employed? YES – Frank Field, Labour MP for Birkenhead. The appeal tribunal must have been trying hard not to laugh Uber out of the room last week. The idea that the company engages on level terms with tens of thousands of independent [...]
Time to recognise the value of Venture Capital Trust funds November 14, 2017 Next week, the chancellor will unveil his Budget, with just 18 months to go before the UK leaves the EU. Despite Brexit uncertainty, the UK entrepreneurial scene is thriving, and the investment opportunity ripe for those looking to access the growth potential of early-stage businesses. This is something the government has recognised, and we expect [...]
Independent review calls on government and financial services to increase their commitment to social impact investing November 14, 2017 A new independent review, commissioned by the government and led by senior figures in the financial industry and social sector, has called on the government and financial services industry to increase their commitment to social impact investment. The report, Growing a Culture of Social Impact Investing in the UK, states that the UK is currently [...]
UK Prime Minister Theresa May tells Vladimir Putin: We know what you are doing November 14, 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May last night accused Russia of “threaten[ing] the international order on which we all depend”, in a stinging attack on President Vladimir Putin. Making her annual address at the lord mayor’s banquet in the heart of the City, May warned the Russian government: “We know what you are doing – and you [...]
The founders of new “workplace wellbeing” app Me@mybest believe happiness is the key to bigger profits and faster economic growth November 14, 2017 There was a time when greed was good, lunch was for wimps, and to be successful in the City one was expected to embody an unstoppable juggernaut fuelled by energy drinks or other less-than-legal substances. That, at least, was the Gordon Gekko-inspired stereotype. As with all stereotypes, it was partly absurd, yet also contained traces [...]