London business is certain: We should stay in the Single Market July 26, 2017 On 8 June, the electorate sent a clear and simple message: a rejection of the government’s misguided plans for an extreme hard Brexit. Before the election, the government was driving at breakneck speed towards a cliff edge – an exit from the European Union that would mean crashing out of the Single Market without either [...]
Elliott Advisors ramps up its row with BHP Billiton with a billboard campaign in Australia that pokes fun at the company’s slogan July 25, 2017 Elliott Advisors, the activist investor stirring up shareholders at companies around the world, has stepped up a campaign against BHP Billiton. The US-based hedge fund launched a billboard campaign in Australia today which plays on BHP’s slogan – “Think Big”. It argues BHP shareholders haven’t benefited from thinking big, and instead the board should “Think [...]
Not spreading themselves too thin: Private equity heavyweights Bain Capital and CD&R team up for Unilever’s spreads division, home to Flora July 25, 2017 Unilever’s spreads division looks set to be snapped up, as heavyweight buyout houses begin to solidify their interest in the divested group of brands. Read more: Unilever shake-up unveiled: Spreads brands including Flora to be ditched, €5bn share buyback starts and dividend hiked City A.M. understands that Bain Capital has been sniffing around the £6bn [...]
HS2 station bids: Architects Norman Foster and Richard Rogers see firms shortlisted for London Euston revamp and new Old Oak Common station July 25, 2017 The architects behind bids for HS2 stations including Euston and Old Oak Common have been named, and include Gherkin architect Norman Foster’s firm. Foster + Partners and Richard Rogers’ Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners have been named on the bidding teams facing off for HS2 station packages. Read more: HS2 says it made a serious [...]
It’s confirmed: BMW’s all-electric Mini is being built at the Cowley plant in the UK July 25, 2017 A fully-electric version of the Mini is to be built at BMW’s plant at Cowley, near Oxford, the car firm has announced. The decision marks a boost for the future of the Cowley plant, after question marks arose over where BMW would choose to make the new model, with ongoing Brexit uncertainty. Mini makes around [...]
A third of London house prices have been reduced: We’ve ranked every borough July 25, 2017 More than a third of homes for sale in the capital have been reduced in price since they were first put on the market, according to new research. Analysis of homes listed on Zoopla has found 35.3 per cent of all homes listed for sale in the capital have had their prices cut since they [...]
Qatar crisis puts Gulf trading on red alert July 25, 2017 Heading into 2017, expectations over heightened geopolitical risks may have been overdone. But as the year has progressed, the recent onset of a crisis in Qatar – which perhaps has broader regional implications – might just be a first warning that geopolitical risks are still ever-present and could easily resurface with a vengeance. On 5 [...]
Employees are your biggest risk: Data hygiene needs to start at the top July 25, 2017 It’s beginning to feel like we’re hearing about big cyber security incidents every day. From the recent WannaCry malware attack, which affected organisations across the globe, to the ongoing allegations of nation state cyber espionage, cyber security is never out of the news. To help tackle this ever-evolving threat landscape, there’s a whole host of [...]
Future-proofing automation: Making the new economy work for people, not robots July 25, 2017 Across developed countries, the number of people reaching retirement age is increasing. By 2047, the number of elderly people will exceed the number of children for the first time. In Japan, we already have the highest percentage of people aged over 60 and one of the highest life expectancies. The UK – like other successful [...]
Stop denigrating work – it’s the best route out of poverty July 25, 2017 Most people in poverty in the UK are white. According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) report on UK poverty published in March, a whopping 81 per cent of those individuals in households with income of less than 60 per cent of the national median are white. Individuals of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin, [...]