Endless buys struggling iconic luggage brand Antler from private equity firm LDC July 26, 2017 Private equity house Endless, which specialises in moving businesses on after a challenging period, has bought struggling luggage retailer Antler from fellow firm LDC. Since LDC invested in the business in 2010, Antler has been through some tricky periods. In its last filed accounts, for the year ending December 2014, the company made an operating [...]
‘Toxic’ assets are making a turnaround July 25, 2017 They were branded “toxic sludge” for their role in bringing about the financial crisis, but asset-backed securities are no longer considered as dangerous as they once were. Asset-backed securities (ABS) are essentially loans which are bundled up together. The underlying assets are usually illiquid, but by packaging them up and creating a security, they [...]
Ranked: These are the UK’s best and worst train firms rated on passenger satisfaction July 25, 2017 It's the moment you've been waiting for, beleaguered commuters. Independent rail watchdog Transport Focus spoke to 27,000 passengers to find out which services are on track, and has today released its bumper survey assessing passenger satisfaction with train operators. Read more: Crossrail 2 boost: Mayor and DfT agree next steps for £31bn rail route Here [...]
The number of people moving out of London has risen 80 per cent in five years July 24, 2017 The number of people leaving London has jumped more than 80 per cent in the past five years, with more than 93,000 people departing the capital last year, figures have suggested. Research by Savills shows the exodus is being led by those in their 30s, with the number of those between the ages of 30 [...]
UK business software group Civica has just been sold by Canadian pension fund Omers for more than £1bn July 24, 2017 Business software group Civica has just been sold to Partners Group, a global investment manager with more than $66bn (£50.76bn) in assets under management, for £1.06bn. Omers Private Equity, the private equity branch of the Ontario municipal workers' pension fund Omers which also owns Vue cinemas, made a 2.6-times return on its original investment through [...]
BBC gender pay gap row: The 45 top women demanding equality in open letter to boss Tony Hall July 23, 2017 Some of the most famous faces and voices at the BBC have called on the broadcaster's top boss to address the gender pay gap revealed after salaries of the highest earnings were published last week. In an open letter signed by the likes of presenters Clare Balding and Alex Jones and Newsnight hosts Emily Maitlis [...]
Don’t be a Maybot – answer the question July 21, 2017 Does it drive you mad when people don’t answer your questions directly? The Prime Minister is the indisputable master of the genre. A few months ago, she told the BBC that the UK needed “strong and stable leadership” when asked about Harry Potter’s mugwumps. More recently, when asked by Channel 4 if the critics who [...]
How can you manage the effects of geopolitical uncertainty when investing? July 21, 2017 | City Talk Politics and geopolitics are polarising and confusing. Yet it is critical that investors integrate such criteria into their analysis. “[Investors] absolutely should be paying attention to geopolitics,” said Willis Sparks, the director of global macro at Eurasia Group, in an interview with Jason Voss, CFA, content director at CFA Institute. “It’s a complicated issue and [...]
Edinburgh and South East Scotland secures £1.1bn City Deal July 20, 2017 | City Talk The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region has secured a £1.1bn deal from the UK and Scottish Governments. The ambitious city region deal, which will drive investment and address inclusion across the area, is being signed today by First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office, Damian Green; Cabinet Secretary for Economy, [...]
Edinburgh Festivals’ legacy reaching every corner of the globe July 19, 2017 | City Talk Edinburgh conjures up many images and emotions – from its landmarks and geography, architecture, history and role as muse, to countless original thinkers over the centuries. A UNESCO World Heritage site; the original UNESCO City of Literature; one of Europe’s most influential financial service centres; a thriving, cosmopolitan student city … but one reputation outshines [...]