Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open May 24, 2016 China is trying to smooth US trade ties after threats of a tax hike on imports from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and the European Commission could decide today whether to allow ABInBev to buy SABMiller. Here's what you need to know before the open at 2:30pm London time. In the pre-market futures are pointing up. The [...]
Despite paltry interest rates, annuities are making a comeback May 24, 2016 When pension freedoms were introduced last year, the over 55s were widely expected to shun annuities for more flexible forms of investment for their retirement. Long criticised for their poor value and rigidity, these financial products – which provide a guaranteed income for life – have looked even less attractive in recent years, as rates [...]
Matthew Syed: What doctors, pilots and F1 drivers can teach us about failure May 24, 2016 When it comes to analysing the reasons why a particular business or entrepreneur has succeeded or failed, hindsight is a wonderful thing. It leads us to ignore the role of luck, put talent on a pedestal, and treat every event in the story as one in a causal chain which led inevitably to a particular conclusion. [...]
Performance vehicle: Five tips to get the most mileage from your Sipp May 24, 2016 Whether you’re a young saver prepared to take on more risk, or a retiree who doesn’t want to trade their nest egg for an annuity, self-invested personal pensions (Sipps) are tax-efficient vehicles which put you at the controls. Also known as DIY pension schemes, Sipps can be used to invest in any number of assets [...]
Cut capital gains tax with EIS investment May 24, 2016 Investors facing a capital gains tax bill have an opportunity to cut it down by investing in the UK’s early stage businesses. Chancellor George Osborne recently cut the rate of capital gains tax to 20 per cent, down from 28 per cent. It’s applicable in the current tax year, but anyone who made a capital gain [...]
Bosses feel the strain on their entrepreneurial motivation and drive as work woes increase May 24, 2016 London's top executives are being beaten down by regulatory issues and the daily grind of corporate life research out today has revealed. This is having a knock on effect on entrepreneurial motivation and drive, according the survey, commissioned by London-based private bank Kleinwort Benson. The YouGov poll shows that 39 per cent of senior executives [...]
We’re fintech investors, but here’s why we’ll never be based in Silicon Valley May 23, 2016 In 1934, Willie Sutton was asked by FBI agents “why do you rob banks, Willie?”. Sutton replied dryly, “because that's where the money is”. We create rather than rob banks, so why did we set up outside of Silicon Valley, where the tech money is? Because that’s where the banks are. Anthemis is in London, New York and Geneva, [...]
At the close: FTSE falls after oil price drop erases earlier gains May 23, 2016 A meandering start to the week saw the FTSE 100 climb strongly shortly after the open only to fall back before lunch time. The blue-chip index ended the day at 6,136.43, down 0.32 per cent from yesterday's close price. The falling oil price, down over one per cent and moving away from the psychologically important $50 per [...]
Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open May 23, 2016 The latest round of consolidation in the drugs and chemicals industry is on after Germany Bayer made a $62bn bid for US seeds company Monsanto while European PMIs this morning have added to European economist concerns. Here's what you need to know before the open. US pre-market futures are mixed today. The S&P is down by 0.06 per [...]
Investors unimpressed by Obama and back Brexit despite stock market fears May 23, 2016 UK personal investors have been unimpressed by politicians in the run-up to the EU referendum and a majority say they will vote for a Brexit, new research has found. The 56 per cent backing for Leave – compared with a 39 per cent vote for Remain – comes despite a majority feeling that a Brexit would [...]
