Feeling the heat: Walmart sues Tesla after solar panel blazes August 21, 2019 In a clash of two of America’s best-known companies, Walmart has sued Tesla for alleged “widespread negligence” that led to solar panels made by the electric car giant catching fire. The supermarket behemoth has asked a court to force Tesla to remove the panels from more than 240 of its US stores after they were [...]
Trump scraps Denmark trip over Greenland grudge August 21, 2019 Donald Trump has cancelled his trip to Denmark after the Danish Prime Minister told him Greenland was not for sale. Over the weekend Mette Frederiksen shrugged off the US President’s suggestion that he buy the island – which is a semi-autonomous Danish territory – as a joke and dubbing it “an absurd discussion”. But Trump [...]
Business groups hail ‘long overdue’ move on customs system August 21, 2019 Businesses are to be automatically enrolled in a new customs system, as part of government efforts to keep British firms trading after Brexit. HMRC will allocate more than 88,000 firms with an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number in the next fortnight – double the existing number. Letters informing companies of their EORI number [...]
Going to party like it’s 1919: Time to celebrate the centenary of some of the UK’s most important companies August 21, 2019 This coming Sunday marks the centenary of an important anniversary. On 25 August 1919, the world’s first daily international scheduled flight took place. There was only one passenger on board the flight between London and Paris, along with cargo which included newspapers, Devonshire cream, jam, and grouse. The carrier was Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited, [...]
How to spot a superstar founder: Self-awareness trumps bravado August 21, 2019 We all know the scene. The sneaker-wearing tech founder stands there, in front of positive looking charts and graphs. Before them: five suited, scowling investors with money to spend and razor-sharp questions up their sleeves. The investment pitch has iconic status, popularised by TV shows like Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank. The reality, however, is [...]
The Brexit hysteria is misplaced – humans have always adapted and moved forwards August 21, 2019 There is a profound oddity about the whole of the Brexit process which rears its ugly head on a continual basis – namely the desire of certain commentators and politicians to talk down every development in this long-running national saga as being inevitably likely to lead to national ruin. And not just any common or [...]
DEBATE: The average CEO-worker pay ratio is down – so are shareholders winning the debate against excessive pay? August 21, 2019 The average CEO-worker pay ratio is down – so are shareholders winning the debate against excessive pay? Andrew Ninian, director of stewardship and corporate governance at The Investment Association, says YES. When you negotiate, whether buying a house or closing a business deal, you don’t wait until the final offer to start discussing price. It [...]
Stamp duty contortions and eco-warriors with private jets? Welcome to silly season August 21, 2019 August is traditionally the silly season. Brexit makes this year slightly different, of course, but it is good to see a fine British tradition still being preserved. Silly stories abound. Sajid Javid was linked (erroneously, he now claims) with the idea of fixing the housing market by making sellers pay the stamp duty rather than the [...]
Pay cut for FTSE 100 bosses after investors ramp up pressure August 21, 2019 FTSE 100 chief executives’ pay packets have dropped sharply according to new figures published this morning, with investors claiming victory in their efforts to impose discipline on remuneration committees. Blue-chip CEO median pay fell 13 per cent from £3.97m in 2017 to £3.46m in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available. In [...]
City Moves for 21 August – Who’s switching jobs at 4C, Notonthehighstreet and Trustpilot? August 21, 2019 Today’s City Moves includes 4C, Notonthehighstreet and Trustpilot. 4C Global data science and marketing technology company 4C has announced that Lisa Mogensen has been appointed as the company’s chief financial officer (CFO). Lisa is overseeing the company’s financial planning and reporting, legal, accounting, tax and treasury functions. Brent Dobsch, who had been handling those duties [...]