Is Uber the new Amazon? April 2, 2019 | City Talk By Edmond Jackson from interactive investor. In a test of narrative power versus whopping financial losses, so-called “ride-hailing” or “ridesharing” giants Uber and Lyft have rivalled each other to list on the New York Stock Exchange – Lyft got there first. Both capture the spirit of the times, connecting taxi drivers to passengers via their [...]
City watchdog issues warning on investing in peer-to-peer loans April 2, 2019 The UK financial watchdog has warned customers about investing in peer-to-peer lending through innovative finance ISAs (IFISAS). The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it had seen “high-risk” IFISAS, which invest money into products such as mini-bonds or peer-to-peer investments, being advertised alongside cash ISAs. Read more: Invest like it's 1999 However, these types of investments [...]
Aviva and Sesame Bankhall invest £5m in new blockchain mortgage platform April 2, 2019 A new fintech mortgage platform has secured £5m seed funding from Aviva and Sesame Bankhall in a bid to transform the market. Acre – a next-generation mortgage and insurance platform – has announced £5m seed funding from insurance giant Aviva and financial advisor Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG). Read more: Monzo backer Accel stumps up $30m for Chainalysis' [...]
How did Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes build her house of cards? April 1, 2019 Elizabeth Holmes is quite possibly one of the most successful salespeople in history. If you’re unfamiliar with this mind-blowing tale, she was the founder of US medical tech company Theranos, which aimed to revolutionise healthcare by replacing traditional blood tests with miraculous machines that could detect all sorts of diseases from just a finger prick’s [...]
Babcock could appoint Rolls-Royce director Cairnie as first woman chair within weeks March 31, 2019 Defence giant Babcock is planning to appoint a female director at Rolls-Royce as its next chair, according to reports. Ruth Cairnie, a non-executive director on the engine maker’s board and former executive at oil giant Shell, could be named the contractor’s chair within weeks. Read more: Defence giant Babcock's chairman to step down after decade [...]
Kingfisher makeover fails to impress March 29, 2019 | City Talk The Kingfisher makeover has yet to win over investors, with results from the B&Q owner showing why. There are signs of progress within the Kingfisher (LSE:KGF) transformation plan, but the retail environment remains fiercely competitive and will continue to move on as the company tries to put its own house in order. Unfortunately, any benefits [...]
14 years of returns: history’s lesson for investors March 29, 2019 | City Talk The temptation among investors is to stick to what you know. That is no bad thing. It is a strategy championed by successful investment pioneers such as Warren Buffett, a famous devotee of stocks. It can work, when the market is rising and you have picked the right asset. However, it’s also important for investors [...]
Numis sees revenues plunge amid Brexit uncertainty and lower share prices March 29, 2019 London-based stockbroker Numis has warned shareholders today that it expects to deliver revenue approximately 26 per cent lower in the first half of 2019 than it did in the same period a year before. Read more: Numis warns of Brexit hit to trading performance In a trading statement released this morning the company, which is [...]
Green shoots for apprenticeships but levels remain well below pre-2017 levy figures March 28, 2019 Apprenticeship starts have started to grow for the first time since the introduction of a controversial levy on employers, but are still below equivalent figures reported in 2016-17 and 2015-16. Between August and January, 225,800 people embarked on apprenticeships, 10 per cent up on the same period the year before. Read more: Government 'very unlikely' [...]
Best 5 US stocks for an ISA March 28, 2019 | City Talk By Rodney Hobson from interactive investor. Brexit makes investing overseas especially attractive now, argues our commentator, author and columnist. Rodney Hobson is an experienced financial writer and commentator who has held senior editorial positions on publications and websites in the UK and Asia, including Business News Editor on The Times and Editor of Shares magazine. [...]
