London is Europe’s best-performing city, according to US think tank The Milken Institute December 4, 2017 London – or, more specifically, Inner London-East – has topped a list of Europe’s best performing cities and regions, according to US think tank The Milken Institute. The ranking, based on metrics such as job creation, wage gains, manufacturing and skilled service industry concentration, places three of London’s component regions among the top 279 evaluated. [...]
Data is the fuel for AI, so let’s ensure we get the ethics right December 4, 2017 Data is the propulsive energy behind the fourth industrial revolution – playing the same role as coal, oil and electricity did in the previous revolutions. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the new engine, just as the railways connected north and south, roads and cars connected our cities, and electrification lit up our homes and allowed domestic [...]
The time has come for western firms to take Ukraine seriously December 4, 2017 Four years ago, Ukraine hit the headlines when millions of its citizens took to the streets. They were protesting against their government’s decision to withdraw from signing a major agreement with the EU. The powerful protest resulted in a new government, with a pro-EU agenda. Russia retaliated by annexing Crimea and steering a subsequent militant [...]
Can Open Banking fulfil expectations? December 4, 2017 There’s a storm brewing in the banking world as companies brace for a huge shake-up in the financial services industry. Open Banking, which forms part of the revised Payments Services Directive (PSD2), is a new digital standard that aims to make it easier for people to switch current accounts, among other things. But there are [...]
Jupiter Asset Management has condemned the £2.7bn Cineworld-Regal deal December 4, 2017 One of the UK’s best known asset managers, which is also a shareholder in Cineworld, has condemned a proposed £2.7bn deal for the cinema chain to acquire US rival Regal. Jupiter Asset Management, which owns 0.3 per cent of London-listed Cineworld, believes the business has gone beyond its remit with the proposed purchase of Regal [...]
JP Morgan Cazenove widens its lead as top FTSE 100 stockbroker, but Numis retains overall crown December 4, 2017 The brokers at JP Morgan Cazenove will be entering the festive season safe in the knowledge that their firm is still the FTSE 100 favourite, according to data out this morning from Adviser Rankings. JP Morgan widened the lead ahead of its main competitor, Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BoAML), which saw its FTSE 100 [...]
British Business Bank steps up funding to small businesses with £30m committed to asset-backed lending December 4, 2017 British Business Investments (BBI), the commercial arm of the state-owned British Business Bank (BBB), has committed £30m to asset-backed lending in an effort to shore up small business funding as Brexit approaches. The new funding will be provided through Independent Growth Finance (IGF), a firm which makes loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) secured [...]
Carillion share price hits fresh lows: Banks were left on the sidelines while shares plummeted December 4, 2017 Carillion’s stock market valuation hit fresh lows last week, with the stricken contractor now worth little more than £70m. The firm’s travails have been well documented; massive contract write-downs and mind-boggling losses have been pounced upon by short sellers convinced the worst is yet to come. With Carillion’s shares starting the year at 236p each, [...]
Tiger Woods confident of bright future after impressive return at Hero World Challenge December 3, 2017 Former world No1 Tiger Woods believes a bright future lies in wait after finishing in a tie for ninth place at the Hero World Challenge – his first tournament in 10 months. The 41-year-old, who last played at the Dubai Desert Classic in February, carded a four-under final round of 68 but was powerless to [...]
Aetna agrees $69bn takeover by US pharmacy giant CVS Health December 3, 2017 US pharmacy giant CVS Health has agreed to pay $69bn (£51bn) for health insurer Aetna in the year’s biggest corporate transaction, it was confirmed late tonight. Aetna shareholders will receive $207 per share through a combination of cash and CVS Health shares after the company’s board gave the deal the thumbs up on Sunday. Aetna [...]