Melrose has upped its bid for GKN – here’s how City analysts reacted March 12, 2018 Melrose Industries today confirmed a plan to boost its hostile bid for engineering giant GKN to £8.1bn from £7.4bn. GKN’s shares have edged down 0.23 per cent since the announcement this morning to 434.1p, while Melrose’s stock has sank 3.65 per cent to 216.5p. Here’s what three City analysts had to say about the latest [...]
Farfetch signs partnership with Harvey Nichols as £4bn IPO plans move forward March 12, 2018 Luxury ecommerce company Farfetch has signed up for yet another partnership as it charges towards an IPO. Harvey Nichols will become the first department store to be represented on the platform, after the two companies teamed in a move hailed as a “strategic milestone”. It is the latest in a string of partnerships which Farfetch [...]
Brexit latest: More Cabinet infighting between Leavers and Remainers over Amber Rudd’s delayed Immigration Bill March 12, 2018 The delay of the government’s Immigration Bill until as late as early next year is prompting further Cabinet infighting between Remainers and Leavers. Home secretary Amber Rudd is under growing pressure from Brexiters to bring the bill forward, in order to ensure the government is prepared for a no deal Brexit scenario, Politico reports. The [...]
Southern Rail strike latest: Clapham, Guildford, Watford, Brighton and Hove all hit by Britain’s longest-running industrial dispute March 12, 2018 Southern Rail commuters have been hit with yet another strike this morning, as transport union RMT marks Britain’s longest-running industrial dispute. Londoners travelling between Clapham Junction and Watford Junction will be affected by a reduced service running at peak times only today, while those commuting between Guildford and central London will face “a very limited [...]
Short-term interest rates set to remain at “very low levels” says ECB board member March 12, 2018 The European Central Bank will keep short-term interest rates at “very low levels” for the immediate future, according to board member Benoit Coeure. Speaking to French radio station BFM Business this morning, the central banker said the ECB was still missing its inflation target – which is to be below, but close to, two per [...]
A record 5.4 million passengers passed through Heathrow in February March 12, 2018 Nearly five and a half million passengers passed through Heathrow in February, as the airport repeated the need for it to expand quickly. Emerging markets in South Asia and Latin America increased by 12.7 per cent and 6.5 per cent respectively, while strong markets in North America and East Asia meant trade was up 5 [...]
A virtual reality education company, VR Education, is listing on Aim today for £19.3m March 12, 2018 Virtual reality may soon hit the classroom, as a company called VR Education (VRE) listed on London’s junior market today for a market value of £19.3m. VRE, which has raised £6m through the initial public offering (IPO), focuses on using virtual reality to improve digital learning and corporate training. The money raised in the float [...]
Cryptocurrency investors unfazed by recent volatility as they plan to buy more digital currencies March 12, 2018 More than half of investors with exposure to cryptocurrencies are planning to snap up more digital assets over the next 12 months despite recent volatility in the market, a new report suggests. Over the next year, 56 per cent of crypto investors plan to buy more, compared with 31 per cent who plan to retain [...]
London property professionals report salaries growing to highest level since financial crash March 12, 2018 The pay packets of London’s property professionals have hit their highest level since the financial crash. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Macdonald & Company found that base salaries were up 13 per cent to an average of £68,918. Pay of this level has not been seen by the annual survey since the [...]
Lego beats British Airways, Gillette and Apple to top of UK consumer brand rankings March 12, 2018 Danish toymaker Lego has been voted the UK’s number one consumer brand in a survey of British shoppers. The toymaker, which is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Lego brick this year, overhauled airline British Airways to top the so-called superbrand rankings for the first time. Shaving company Gillette took second spot on the list, [...]