Sainsbury’s bid for Argos parent company Home Retail Group is baffling investors: Mike Coupe must explain the maths behind the deal February 4, 2016 "When my information changes, I change my mind. What do you do?” This old quotation (which may or may not have been uttered by economist John Maynard Keynes) came to mind yesterday when investment giant Old Mutual said it would accept Sainsbury’s 161.3p per share offer for Home Retail Group, despite previously arguing that any [...]
EU neverendum: Why a Remain vote could intensify forces pushing the UK out the European Union February 4, 2016 After months of posturing from the capitals of Europe, David Cameron and European Council president Donald Tusk have finally put a draft deal for proposed European Union reforms on the table. Now the campaign, over an issue that has dominated UK politics for decades, will begin in earnest. As attention turns to Brussels for the [...]
The end of growth? Why the techno-optimists could be wrong about a coming golden age of innovation February 4, 2016 A new book by the economist Robert J Gordon – The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The US Standard of Living since the Civil War – is causing quite a stir. His essential message is that future growth will be much slower than in the past, due to two broad arguments. First, the Third [...]
Sports technology: How open data can help Britain end the scourge of physical inactivity February 4, 2016 Physical inactivity is the fourth largest cause of disease and disability and is responsible for one in six deaths in the UK – it has as great an impact on our mortality as smoking, according to Public Health England. It affects individuals and their families, businesses who are dependent on a healthy workforce, and our [...]
As Yahoo slashes its workforce, is it time for chief executive Marissa Mayer to step down? February 4, 2016 George Spencer, chief executive of Rentify, says Yes. Marissa Mayer was brought in to Yahoo for her product expertise, having worked in early engineering and VP roles on the majority of Google’s most successful products. Her vision was to reinvigorate the company’s culture and build out a suite of world class applications and products harking [...]
EU referendum: Cameron’s EU deal just doesn’t go far enough – and Donald Tusk’s letter is little more than a press release February 3, 2016 Yesterday, we warned that David Cameron’s EU renegotiation was at risk of ignoring vital questions about the future of the UK’s financial services. A focus on immigration and benefits has overshadowed the hugely vital issue of how the rest of Europe views financial regulation and what implications this has for dominance of the City. It [...]
Cameron’s EU deal is the biggest political fudge in history February 3, 2016 Such has been the disbelief and disappointment surrounding the Prime Minister’s EU negotiation strategy that, prior to the publication of his draft EU deal yesterday, many kept saying to me: “he must be going to pull a rabbit out of the hat!” Well, we’ve had European Council president Donald Tusk’s draft agreement and there’s no [...]
Why don’t more people switch banks? Because it costs nothing to do so February 3, 2016 Most of us don’t love our banks. We have all experienced the unanswered letter, the seemingly interminable waits on hold before being put through to someone who gives the impression of auditioning for the infamous “computer says no” television sketch. Yet we are surprisingly loyal to our current accounts. Figures from Bacs suggest that around [...]
After Ted Cruz won Iowa, is this the beginning of the end for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign? February 3, 2016 Ellen Carmichael, president of The Lafayette Company, says Yes. Because Donald Trump’s campaign is self-financed, he has the potential to continue much further in the primary calendar. But I have long said I do not believe he’ll end up as the Republican nominee, as second and third tier candidates drop out and consolidate behind senator Marco [...]
EU referendum: David Cameron still faces a tough task in Europe February 2, 2016 Emergency brakes. Red cards. It isn’t difficult to see why David Cameron is picking the most dramatic policy names when boasting of his government’s alleged progress in changing the terms of Britain’s relationship with the EU. Number 10’s clear preference is for a referendum this June, and all efforts are now focused on presenting a bold [...]