Private equity companies expected to line up for GHD as Lion Capital plans auction June 6, 2016 Leeds-based hair care company GHD could be sold by current private equity owner Lion Capital for more than £400m. GHD, which supplies hair care products to all manner of celebrities, from Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow to Katy Perry and Jennifer Aniston, made £33.7m in pre-tax profit in its 2015-16 financial year, making a £400m price tag around 13 times earnings. Sales jumped 9.5 per [...]
Labour has been “almost invisible” in the EU referendum campaign according to research from Loughborough academics June 6, 2016 The Labour Party is “almost invisible” in TV and print coverage of the EU referendum campaign, according to academics, with Jeremy Corbyn's refusal to appear alongside the Prime Minister one of the reasons to blame. A study from Loughborough University found that Labour representatives appear in less than four per cent of TV coverage, and eight per [...]
Former Deutsche Bank trader Christian Bittar given green light to pursue civil case against FCA June 6, 2016 A former Deutsche Bank trader has been given the go ahead to continue with a civil case against the City watchdog. Christian Bittar is suing over the manner he was depicted in a penalty notice issued by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which levied a fine on his former employers for its role in the rate rigging [...]
US tops chart of most expensive countries for cancer drugs June 6, 2016 The US forks out the most in the world for cancer drugs, new research has revealed. The highest retail prices for a median of 23 cancer drugs were found to be in the US, with the lowest prices in India and South Africa. The UK ranked third, behind China. Despite poorer countries having access to cheaper drugs, the treatments [...]
Boris Johnson, Nicola Sturgeon and Angela Eagle: The big hitters lined up for Thursday’s EU debate June 6, 2016 ITV has confirmed the line-up for its debate on the EU referendum this week, with spots for former London mayor Boris Johnson, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon two Conservative ministers. Johnson will line up alongside energy minister Andrea Leadsom and Labour's Gisela Stuart. The trio will face Sturgeon, energy secretary – and Leadsom's boss – Amber Rudd, [...]
Deutsche Bank is ditching its plans for a digital bank June 6, 2016 Digital challenger banks can breath a sigh of relief – competition just got a little less crowded. Deutsche Bank was moving with the times with its plans for a new digital bank, revealed late last year in a board reshuffle. Now, it's had a change of heart and has ditched plans for the new venture, a [...]
Shell mulls offshoring its legal eagles to cut costs June 6, 2016 Shell is considering offshoring its legal centre in a bid to cut costs and improve efficiencies, it was revealed today. "We are operating in the reality of a 'lower for longer' oil price environment and to remain competitive, Shell is taking essential steps towards building a more sustainable and resilient company," said Donny Ching, Shell's legal director. "Shell's [...]
Are Sadiq Khan’s planning reforms viable? June 6, 2016 After just two weeks in office as the new mayor of London, Sadiq Khan revealed his plans to deal with the capital’s housing crisis and said the previous mayor had “left the cupboard bare” when it comes to delivering affordable housing. Khan says he will be working with the government to actively identify surplus public [...]
Bond yields in the developed world hit a record low – even the EU referendum won’t stop them falling June 6, 2016 Bond yields across the advanced world have touched a record low. The fall comes as the US looks set to delay its next interest rate hike, the effects of quantitative easing and negative interest rates continue to take hold and political uncertainty mounts. The yield on Bloomberg's global developed sovereign bond index dropped to 0.62 per cent – [...]
Steve Hilton interview: Cameron’s former advisor on supporting Brexit, decentralising government and why Boris shouldn’t take over as PM June 6, 2016 Steve Hilton was so unconventional during his time as Tory party spin doctor that when they came to parody him in The Thick of It, they had to tone him down. “He wears something I would never wear,” complained actor Vincent Franklin, “these ridiculous half-shorts, half-trousers.” Amid the charcoal suits of the Tory cabinet, Hilton [...]