Meet Par Hedberg – the godfather of Sweden’s tech startups August 27, 2019 If you were asked where the most tech innovation comes from, you’d probably answer Silicon Valley – the home of Google, Amazon and Facebook. And you’d be right. But what you might not know is that Stockholm is a close second. The Swedish capital produces more billion-dollar companies per capita than any other region in [...]
DEBATE: Should we learn from the ‘Scandinavia summer’ model and take the month of August off? August 27, 2019 Should we learn from the ‘Scandinavia summer’ model and take the month of August off? Mathias Mikkelsen, chief executive of productivity startup Memory, says YES. For anyone visiting Oslo at this time of year, they might find it strangely quiet. Despite the sunshine bringing our maritime city to life, the streets are empty. The reason? [...]
Management lessons in kindness from TV icon Mister Rogers August 27, 2019 Say the name Mister Rogers to a certain generation of Americans, and they will likely go misty-eyed and start humming the same tune. Fred Rogers hosted a US children’s television programme called Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that ran from 1968 all the way to 2001. The show was revered for its host’s gentle nature and the [...]
Fresh blow for Woodford as suspended fund’s holdings take hit August 23, 2019 Neil Woodford has suffered his third setback of the day after it was announced that his suspended Equity Income Fund (EIF) significantly underperformed its industry benchmark. Link Fund Solutions, which is managing EIF’s suspension, said the fund had declined 11.15 per cent between 3 June and 21 August. By contrast, the fund’s industry benchmark – [...]
Woodford share price tumbles as it devalues holding in cold fusion company August 23, 2019 Shares in Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT), the listed fund of beleaguered stockpicker Neil Woodford, dropped over six per cent this morning after the company was forced to cut the value of one of its largest holdings, a controversial energy company backed by celebrities including Brad Pitt. WPCT said this morning that Link Fund Solutions [...]
Behavioural finance: what the polka dot maxi dress sensation has to do with investing August 23, 2019 | City Talk THE polka dot Zara dress sensation comes to mind when considering recent examples of “herd bias”. The hugely popular dress, which has its own Instagram page dedicated to sightings of it, was initially a sell-out, and it seems herd mentality has been at play. However, this bandwagon effect, where people gravitate towards something because “everybody [...]
RBS and Santander rapped over PPI reminders August 23, 2019 Santander and the Ryal Bank of Scotland apologised to customers today as the UK’s competition watchdog scolded them for not properly reminding PPI customers they were able to cancel their plan. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it will force the two banks to appoint independent auditors to scour through their payment protection insurance [...]
Preparing for ambush: Why media training is critical August 23, 2019 Chief executives are in the spotlight like never before, with all the press attention of a Kardashian but none of the media savviness. What many don’t realise is that we’ve entered a new age of media, particularly when it comes to on-screen exposure. Where a chief executive would once have had hours if not days [...]
Probate delays are leaving vulnerable people at risk August 22, 2019 The delays at the probate registries are causing problems for families across the country. It is particularly the elderly and vulnerable who are experiencing undue distress as a result of these delays, which have been going on since the beginning of the year. The issues are related to the introduction of a new computer system, [...]
Dutch fintech Adyen sees core profit jump 79 per cent August 22, 2019 Adyen, the Dutch fintech company that processes payments for companies including Facebook and Netflix, has reported a jump in first-half core profit, helped by an increased volume of transactions. The figures Adyen said its core earnings (EBITDA) for the first half of the year were up 79 per cent to €125.8m (£115m), up from €70.3m [...]
