ECB official: Bitcoin amd cryptocurrencies are like a gold rush with no gold February 8, 2018 A top official at the European Central Bank has warned that the rise of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is like a gold rush – “but there is no gold”. Yves Mersch, a member of the ECB executve board said the group’s views were “fully in line” with the views of the Bank of International Settlements, [...]
Nicky Morgan slams City minister for refusing to commit to set out financial services Brexit plan February 8, 2018 Former Cabinet minister Nicky Morgan has accused the government of undermining its own Brexit negotiations after the City minister refused to commit to publishing a position paper on financial services after the UK leaves the EU. John Glen, the economic secretary to the Treasury, who holds the City brief, wrote in a letter to Morgan [...]
Digital Innovators: Q&A with Chris Sheldrick, co-founder and CEO of what3words February 8, 2018 what3words has divided the world into 3m x 3m squares, each with a unique address made from three dictionary words, thus offering the simplest way to communicate location. Last year what3words was identified as one of 50 of the freshest and most inspiring digital companies using technology and innovation to shake up their sectors in [...]
Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics: What to watch and storylines to follow February 8, 2018 Six Winter Olympics storylines to follow The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang officially gets underway ton Friday. If you’re interested but don’t know whether to start with slaloms or skeletons, these are the storylines you’ll want to be following. The Korean detente North and South Korea will march under a unified Korean flag [pictured] (Source: [...]
Is Lloyds’ decision to ban credit card holders from purchasing cryptocurrency an overreaction? February 8, 2018 Is Lloyds’ decision to ban credit card holders from purchasing cryptocurrency an overreaction? James Collier, a tech entrepreneur, says YES. It is quite clear from Lloyds’ reaction to the blockchain market that the bank fundamentally lacks an understanding of the technology. Out of the 700 or so cryptocurrencies in existence, there are many that, while [...]
Woodford suffers a £1bn blow as flagship fund hit by 10-figure drop in first few weeks of 2018 February 8, 2018 Neil Woodford’s crown as Britain’s best-loved money manager is under scrutiny after his flagship fund shrivelled by over £1bn in the first five weeks of this year. Assets held by Woodford’s Equity Income fund, one of Britain’s biggest retail offerings, fell from £8.2bn at the start of the year to under £7.2bn on Tuesday. A [...]
UK immigration: Retailers call for simplification of the points-based immigration system after Brexit February 8, 2018 The retail industry has called for a simplification of the UK’s points-based immigration system after Brexit. In a submission to the government’s review of immigration, which is being conducted by the Migration Advisory Committee, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said the new system should be “quicker, simpler and less expensive” than the current points-based system [...]
Tottenham Hotspur 2, Newport County 0: Mauricio Pochettino backs Erik Lamela to have cleared vital hurdle in bid to rediscover top form February 7, 2018 Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino believes Erik Lamela has cleared a major hurdle in his recovery from a long-standing hip injury by scoring during his side’s victory in Wednesday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay against Newport. Lamela, who was making only his fourth start of the season, netted his first goal for Spurs since September 2016, adding [...]
As passive funds gain in popularity, we need active and opinionated investors more than ever February 7, 2018 Among the most famous bets made by stock-pickers in recent times was Warren Buffett’s million-dollar wager, settled last year, that hedge funds would underperform the wider stock market over a 10-year period. In the end, the outcome of the bet was not even close. And even though hedgies were able to point to an exceptional [...]
Prime Minister Theresa May pledges to “act in the UK national interest” on Melrose’s bid for GKN February 7, 2018 The Prime Minister has promised to “act in the UK national interest” regarding the hostile bid made by industrial turnaround specialist Melrose for centuries-old engineering firm GKN. Theresa May today confirmed the business department would be looking closely at the £7.4bn offer, which GKN has rejected. “Of course, the business department will be looking closely [...]