Markets roundup: Speculation lifts Paddy Power, while Carillion continues to struggle November 24, 2017 Black Friday is drawing to an end. The day has seen record spending on Barclaycard and all-time-high numbers on Argos’s website, though KPMG today warned of the impact discounting could have on retailers. Read more: Black Friday 2017: Purchases hit a record high this lunchtime, according to Barclaycard Although they may have been in the [...]
Police are reopening stations with “no evidence” of shots fired on London’s Oxford Street, after armed police attended an incident November 24, 2017 The Met police have confirmed they received reports of shots fired on Oxford Street this afternoon, as they were called to an incident at 16:38. However they have since tweeted that there is “no evidence” of shots being fired, after armed officers attended the scene. Stations in the area, including Oxford Circus and Bond Street, [...]
Holiday Homes: A historic, resort in Switzerland has got some of its mojo back after finding a Qatari buyer November 24, 2017 If anywhere epitomised the glamour of Hollywood in its halcyon days, it was Switzerland’s Bürgenstock Resort, nestling 500 metres above Lake Lucerne. Opening the first hotel in 1873, its reputation peaked in the 1950s and 1960s, when luminaries from across the globe were drawn to this secluded mountain retreat. Back then it wouldn’t elicit so [...]
Opinion: The stamp duty cut for first time buyers will make a difference to individuals, but not to the housing market at large November 24, 2017 The chancellor made a bold move to remove Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) for most first-time buyers in the Budget on Wednesday. Raising the threshold to £300,000, immediately and indefinitely, will lift 80 per cent of them out of the tax. To account for higher prices in some parts of the country, all first-time buyers [...]
Black Friday 2017: Purchases hit a record high this lunchtime, according to Barclaycard November 24, 2017 Black Friday spending hit a record high this lunchtime, according to figures from Barclaycard. The credit card provider said by 1pm, it had recorded a 26 per cent increase in the volume of payment transactions compared to the same period on Black Friday last year, along with a four per cent increase in the amount [...]
Coincidence? Retailers’ profit margins have been squeezed since Black Friday hit UK shores, KPMG reveals November 24, 2017 The Black Friday phenomenon seems to be sticking around in the UK, as more and more retailers have extended offers on both sides of the big day. But there could be a darker side to the shopaholic frenzy, according to KPMG. Data compiled by the accountancy firm has found that profit margins of the UK’s [...]
Southern owner Govia Thameslink Railway unveils next phase of its mass timetable restructure – and wants passengers’ opinions November 24, 2017 Southern rail owner Govia Thameslink Railway has announced proposals for a massive timetable restructure, and wants passengers’ opinions on the latest stage of it. It has already carried out two phases of consultation, but this latest is concentrating on weekend and late night services. Proposed changes include: • Doubling Saturday services for Hertford North, Welwyn [...]
Lessons from Ukraine: What London can learn from Kiev’s burgeoning tech sector November 24, 2017 When I tell my British business partners that London can learn from Kiev about how to grow as a tech hub after Brexit, I’m met with incredulity. Maybe London could learn from Silicon Valley, but Kiev? What about the war? Yet, as I have learnt from my time there, Kiev is a hotbed of technological [...]
William Hill confirms Down Under tie-up talks over digital bookmaker CrownBet November 24, 2017 William Hill has confirmed it is in talks over a prospective merger with CrownBet after media speculation over a potential tie-up. But don’t bet on a deal being announced anytime soon, as the bookmaker said it was in “very preliminary discussions” with the online wagering business over a possible tie-up with its Australian subsidiary. “There [...]
The Financial Conduct Authority says banks will back Libor until 2021 November 24, 2017 Libor will continue with investment banks’ backing until it is phased out in 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority announced today. Today, the FCA said it had been working with banks to finalise an agreement for them to remain on the panels they currently submit to until 2021 in order to ensure a more orderly transition. [...]