More companies to be allowed to frack for shale gas across UK May 12, 2014 MORE companies are set to receive permits to frack for shale gas in the UK, with the government due to announce a decision on its latest environmental assessment for further licensing imminently. A spokesperson from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) told City A.M. that subject to that decision, which will be announced [...]
The man behind BT’s recovery in global business | City A.M. May 12, 2014 WITH all the attention surrounding BT’s push into sport you’d be forgiven for thinking that all the telecoms giant does is home broadband and football matches. But as the telecoms giant’s Global Services boss Luis Alvarez explains, BT’s operations extend to over 170 countries, where it is a market leader in connecting businesses. “We connect [...]
The Asian powderkeg could blow the world back into a 1914-style disaster May 12, 2014 IT IS well that we contemplate the abyss, if only to avoid it. This year we particularly remember the ghastly disaster of 100 years ago, when an almost unfathomable complacency shared by the European elite threw a generation into the fire of the First World War, almost as an afterthought. A century on from the [...]
City Matters: The EU financial transaction tax will hurt the prudent – not the reckless May 12, 2014 THE IMPORTANT debate between the City and 11 EU governments on whether or not to introduce a tax on derivatives and shares continued last week. Both sides have scored victories, but now a more conciliatory tone is emerging, and this should be welcomed. With the European Court of Justice rejecting a pre-emptive challenge to this [...]
Four routes to better time management May 11, 2014 Much of the waste isn’t your fault, but there are ways to make the most of the hours you have left THE WRITER Tom Hodgkinson has made a career out of doing rather little. Author of How to Be Idle, his philosophy follows that satisfying maxim of eighteenth-century essayist Samuel Johnson that “the happiest part [...]
Tullett Prebon snaps up PVM Oil | City A.M. May 9, 2014 City brokerage Tullett Prebon has reached an agreement to acquire independent broker of oil instruments PVM Oil Associates. PVM’s customers include oil companies, independent refiners and producers, banks and investment funds. PVM reported revenue of $107.5m (£63.4m) and profit before tax of $18.2m for the year ended 31 July 2013, with consolidated gross assets of [...]
Furnished with royal secrets May 8, 2014 Two-bedroom flat worth £4.65m reveals hidden tragedy of Earl THE GRAND Georgian terraces of Belgravia are among the most exclusive addresses in London. Its statesmanlike squares and white stucco-fronted mansions have been home to an impressive roll call of the great and the good. From Mozart to Ian Fleming, from Lady Thatcher to Cara Delevigne, [...]
Tech to simplify moving home May 8, 2014 Melissa York meets the Tech City whizzes behind Plentific.com FINDING somewhere to live can seem like a never-ending headache, especially if you’re doing it for the first time. But Plentific, the latest in a series of tech start-ups looking to grab a slice of the property market, wants to use technology to take the stress [...]
Gimme 5 … Wonders of property tech May 8, 2014 Barclays Pingit App A partnership between Barclays and estate agent Savills led to the first house being bought by app at auction in February. The buyer transferred a £23,000 deposit in seconds by scanning a Savills QR code into the app. Available for free on Android and iTunes, Savills now uses it at every national [...]
Bermondsey has City professionals lined up for homes May 8, 2014 “Spa” development hopes to revive former industrial heartland LONDON Bridge and Borough have secured their place in the capital as desirable residential locations. But the fate of its neighbour, Bermondsey, is yet to be secured. As a former industrial heartland in London, a sizeable portion of its housing stock is made up of warehouse conversions [...]