China repeats call for Canada to release Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou January 20, 2020 China called again on Canada today to release detained Huawei finance chief Meng Wanzhou as soon as possible ahead of an extradition hearing. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Canada should correct its “mistake” in arresting the executive, who is the daughter of Huawei chief executive Ren Zhengfei. “The resolve of the Chinese government to [...]
Fevertree shares sink 20 per cent as it warns on profit January 20, 2020 Fevertree’s shares plunged today as it warned that “subdued” Christmas trading in the UK would knock 2019 profit lower than last year’s total. The tonic maker now expects revenue growth of 9.7 per cent to £260.5m, compared to 2018’s 40 per cent growth rate. That will see sales miss expectations for 2019, leading Fevertree to [...]
Intu shares fall as it enters talks to raise more money January 20, 2020 Intu today confirmed it will seek to raise equity as it works to patch up its shaky balance sheet after a dreadful 2019 for retailers. The commercial real estate giant today insisted it was making “good progress” on improving its balance sheet, hailing a “busy” Christmas and saying footfall was 0.3 per cent up last [...]
The cost of an international office January 20, 2020 | City Talk From expanding sales to mitigating Brexit risk, many companies are securing presence overseas. Some companies have already set up an office in the EU to avoid trade barriers in the future, others are considering a move or a satellite office in the EU or further afield to take advantage of new opportunities in emerging geographic [...]
What happened to the pound, euro and US dollar in 2019? January 20, 2020 | City Talk It has been a year of ups and downs for sterling, largely dominated by political and geopolitical factors. Investors’ concern over the outcome of Brexit largely overshadowed other factors. Despite celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2019, it wasn’t a banner year for the euro. Over the last 20 years, the euro has strengthened by 27 [...]
Our fusty education system must embrace entrepreneurialism January 20, 2020 As we embark upon a decade of major change, with a new government racing towards Brexit, we must take a moment to consider how we are helping our next generation triumph in spite of all this upheaval. Our education sector has been stagnant for some time now and has failed to catch up with the [...]
DEBATE: Is there any point to the World Economic Forum in Davos? January 20, 2020 Is there any point to the World Economic Forum in Davos? Ella Robertson, managing director of One Young World, says YES. Now in its fiftieth year, it might look like business as usual at the World Economic Forum. But with public scrutiny mounting every year, the pressure to keep the mountain air-induced rhetoric real is [...]
I can see clearly how to help London’s blind community January 20, 2020 London is a wonderful place to live and work. I meant to stay for just two years when I first came here in 1972 from my Yorkshire home. Today, 47 years later, I’m a true Londoner — though still a Yorkshireman at heart. I was partially sighted when I arrived in London. My sight continued [...]
In the rush to get an EU trade deal, the needs of the City must not be forgotten January 20, 2020 With 31 January less than two weeks away, after various twists and turns, the first chapter of Brexit is finally coming to a close. Although it has performed with resilience and strength in the face of a challenging economic climate, the City has been crying out for certainty and clarity for too long. And even [...]
UK food and drink sector shrugs off Brexit worries January 20, 2020 The UK’s food and drink production industry has continued to shrug off the Brexit woes afflicting other manufacturing sectors, with employment at its highest in fifteen years, according to new analysis of the latest data. However, the analysis also showed that the European Union continued to be the industry’s biggest export market, leaving it vulnerable [...]