Silicon Valley’s next takeover target? It’s a Secret March 24, 2014 Anonymous sharing apps are the hot trend around Silicon Valley right now. These are the three apps drawing the most attention from both users and prospective suitors: SnapchatThe ephemeral photo messaging app that allows users to share photos or video for a maximum of 10 seconds before they are gone forever. Snapchat has already turned [...]
How BHS’ food offerings could unseat Asda and Morrisons March 24, 2014 Sir Philip Green has come knocking at the major supermarkets’ door with plans to launch the first trial food outlet within a BHS department store this week. The retail tycoon, who is eyeing around 150 openings, aims “to be competitive” within the convenience food sector and undercut the big four by around 10 per cent [...]
What you need to know before the US open March 24, 2014 US stock futures have crept higher today, on speculation that the continuing weak Chinese data – this time in the form of manufacturing numbers – will prompt the government to introduce further stimulus to help deal with the slowdown. Friday saw the S&P 500 hit an intraday record, though it closed lower. European markets are [...]
EU adopts landmark directive to crackdown on tax evasion March 24, 2014 The European Union has formally adopted the Savings Tax Directive after six years of negotiations. The directive is intended to bolster the power of the EU to crackdown on tax evasion. The measure was adopted shortly after Luxembourg and Austria abandoned their opposition to the plan. EU tax commissioner Algirdas Semeta, commenting on the directive [...]
Herbalife shares jump on Icahn’s 3 new board seats March 24, 2014 Markets have cheered Herbalife's, the nutrition and weight loss company, decision to allow three more representatives of billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn to join its board. Shares gained as much as nine per cent in premarket trading, after the firm said it would nominate and back the individuals. The decision takes Icahn’s representation on the [...]
Tube closure means you probably shouldn’t plan any trips to Uxbridge this summer March 24, 2014 Good news: Transport for London has found a way to cut down on weekend Tube closures this summer.Bad news: This means parts of the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines are going to be shut down for three and a half weeks. Between 19 July and 10 August, the two lines on the Uxbridge branch will be [...]
If your assets are stuck in frozen exchange Vircurex, then Dogecoin may be the answer March 24, 2014 Vircurex is the latest Bitcoin exchange to struggle with insolvency, freezing Bitcoin and Litecoin accounts. The exchange has lost vast numbers of Bitcoin, and all incoming deposits will not be credited to users accounts "for the time being", according to an official statement. If this sounds familiar, it's because the news from Beijing based Vircurex [...]
Horizon beats target with £69m biotech IPO March 24, 2014 UK medical technology company Horizon Discovery Group has announced a "significant oversubscription" during the company's flotation raising £68m, well-above the original target of £25m. Darrin Disley, Horizon chief executive, said: The Company builds upon a strong commercial performance since inception and the listing of our shares is expected to unlock and deliver significant value to [...]
Why this pawnbroker’s shares are now worth nothing March 24, 2014 Troubled pawnbroker Albemarle & Bond requested its shares be suspended from trading on London's Alternative Investment Market (AIM). The company made the announcement after its lenders said they would not be able to support the management turnaround plan for the business. However, Albemarle & Bond insisted that the company's options remained open, including the sale [...]
529 Morsi supporters sentenced to death by Egyptian court March 24, 2014 A court in Egypt has sentenced 529 members of the Muslim Brotherhood to death, on charges including the murder of the deputy commander of the Matay district police station in Minya. The individuals are part of a larger trial which involved more than 1,200 Mohamed Morsi supporters. The ruling's the largest mass death sentence handed [...]