Week ahead: Volatile markets are forecast ahead of the referendum June 20, 2016 Recent wild swings in the FTSE 100 are expected to continue until the European Union referendum on Thursday as polls show the electorate evenly split on the decision. At last week’s close, the FTSE rose from a four-month low, up 1.2 per cent, to 6,021.09 points. It was, however, down 1.5 per cent for the week, [...]
Mercia looks for growth potential at universities June 20, 2016 Investment firm Mercia Technologies has partnered with four universities in the North of England and Scotland to source new opportunities. The universities – Heriot-Watt, Edinburgh Napier, St Andrews, and Sheffield Hallam – were chosen due Mercia’s regional expansion targets. The Aim-traded firm, which says it focuses on the creation, funding and scaling of businesses with high [...]
Ingenious Media joins Hejing Capital in historic $200 million film-making deal June 19, 2016 A London-based investment company has made history by becoming the first to take advantage of the UK-China film co-production treaty. Ingenious Media has partnered with Beijing’s Hejing Culture to co-finance and co-produce a series of independent films, in a deal worth $200m (£138m). Neil Forster, chief executive of Ingenious, told City A.M. that the first joint [...]
With employee satisfaction at a two-year low, it will take more than money to retain your staff June 17, 2016 Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed unprecedented shifts in the business landscape. Flatter organisational structures and new ways of working mean that the traditional career path is fast becoming an outdated concept. While many view this as positive change, it has also left employees with no clear idea of how they can develop or reach the [...]
With the Bank of England warning of a sharp fall in sterling, would leaving the EU be a buying opportunity? June 17, 2016 Jason Hollands, managing director of Tilney Bestinvest, says Yes. A Leave vote will likely lead to a knee-jerk reaction in the markets, led by a sharp slide in sterling. However, far from hitting the panic button, I would see an indiscriminate slide in UK equities on the back of a Leave vote as a potential buying [...]
One fifth of pension professionals aren’t confident about scheme valuations June 16, 2016 One in 20 pension professionals said their confidence levels in the asset and liability valuations of the schemes they work is less than 50 per cent, according to a global survey by investment manager State Street. And 77 per cent of survey respondents said the challenge of navigating the adoption of new investment strategies was "high" or [...]
Power 100 Women: KPMG macroeconomist Yael Selfin on career planning, her grandmother, and how to negotiate a payrise June 16, 2016 As part of City A.M.'s ongoing Power 100 series, KPMG's head of macroeconomics talks about what drives her in business. Are you doing what you always imagined you'd be doing? I always wanted to be in the centre of what was happening and thought macroeconomics was that. I always wanted to do something I enjoyed. Is [...]
City A.M. Unregulated: What made Metro Bank’s Craig Donaldson the UK’s best chief executive? June 16, 2016 What makes employees respect their bosses? Metro Bank's Craig Donaldson was voted the UK's best chief executive by workers, according to figures published by Glassdoor. Here, he explains to presenters Emma Haslett and Zak Mir what he's learned about leadership, discusses the rise of challenger banks, and heralds the end of banker-bashing. And as England enter their crucial [...]
Fintech and blockchain top Mark Carney’s Mansion House agenda June 16, 2016 London's status as the world leading centre for fintech is set to be cemented on Thursday when it tops the agenda of the governor of the Bank of England at a prestigious City event. Mark Carney will centre a major speech on the subject of fintech and blockchain technology at the annual Mansion House dinner, his first to address the disruptive sector in [...]
Hire a hacker: Cyber security needs some fresh ideas June 16, 2016 Today, cyber security is one of the major issues keeping chief executives awake at night. Cyber crime is on the rise. According to Juniper Research, data breaches are projected to cost companies $2.1 trillion by 2019. High profile hacks have highlighted the significant risks in the digital world. But while news outlets focus on the [...]
