How worried should we be about the slowdown in German manufacturing? November 19, 2018 | City Talk German industrial production contracted by 1.2% in Q3 and is behind the general slowdown being seen in eurozone manufacturing. What is causing the decline and how concerned should investors be? Kaputte Autos Taking a closer look at the breakdown of Germany’s production data reveals that most of the economy’s manufacturing sub-sectors are performing well. The [...]
HSBC and China Investment Corporation in talks over £1bn fund to invest in UK November 15, 2018 Global bank HSBC and the China Investment Corporation are in talks to create a £1bn fund which will be used to invest in British companies that have links with China. Private equity firm Charterhouse Capital Partners is in talks with both parties to manage the fund. HSBC said in a statement: “China Investment Corporation, HSBC and [...]
Asset managers back Big Four audit firms in competition watchdog consultation November 15, 2018 Investment management firms have called on the competition watchdog to ensure the quality of audit is not affected as it probes the dominance of the so-called Big Four firms. In a response to the Competition and Markets Authority Standard Life said the division of the dominant audit firms – PwC, Deloitte, KPMG and EY – [...]
US midterm elections: Is gridlock good? November 14, 2018 | City Talk Further tax cuts unlikely but will Trump strike a deal on trade? Keith Wade, Chief Economist, says: “The midterm elections restored some faith in opinion polls with the Democrats taking the House of Representatives and the Republicans holding the Senate. Conventional wisdom has it that a gridlocked Congress is good for markets as it prevents [...]
Aberdeen Standard overhauls Asia small companies fund November 12, 2018 Aberdeen Standard has overhauled the structure and branding of its £486m Asian Smaller Companies Trust. Hugh Young has been appointed as the fund manager of the renamed Aberdeen Standard Asia Focus and Charlotte Black and Deborah Guthrie will join the board. The dividend policy will remain the same, the firm said, and the number of holdings in [...]
Venture capital investor Beringea leads $10.5m funding round for online platform Festicket November 12, 2018 Online booking platform Festicket has raised $10.5m (£8m) from a series d funding round led by transatlantic venture capital firm Beringea. Other partners in the round include mobility and travel specialist InMotion Ventures, Channel 4’s commercial growth fund, Lepe Partners, U-Start and former Spinnin’ Records chief executive Eelko Van Kooten. Beringea's investment director Eyal Malinger will join the [...]
3i Infrastructure ‘delighted’ as investment portfolio delivers £157m return November 8, 2018 British infrastructure investment fund 3i today hailed a rise in net asset value per share today as its portfolio delivered a return of £157m. The figures The fund's total return rose to £157m for the six months to September, up from £121m for the same period last year. This represents a 9.3 per cent return on its opening [...]
Game Digital narrows losses as it chases high margins with e-sports venture November 8, 2018 Game Digital narrowed its losses but still saw sales fall in its full year results published today. The figures Revenue came in flat ar £782.3m in the year to the end of July, while the video game retailer made a loss before tax of £7.4m, 26 per cent better than 2017's £10m, as the retailer bumped up cash [...]
How emerging markets have changed over the past 20 years November 8, 2018 | City Talk The transformation of emerging markets has been remarkable. The countries and companies that dominated 20 years ago have changed dramatically, influenced by the major geopolitical, economic and demographic changes that have taken place over this time. Navigating these changes can be complex, but these developments underline the importance of taking a flexible, active approach and [...]
Asset managers call for greater transparency in the bond market November 6, 2018 Asset management firms have called for increased clarity in the bond market, saying that the poor availability of data is undermining transparency in the sector, according to the industry body. Investment Association members have called for the industry to improve the availability of data by developing an electronic system which would provide real time data [...]