HSBC share price rises as AIA head Mark Tucker confirmed as new chairman March 13, 2017 Hong Kong-listed shares in HSBC have risen as markets greet the announcement of Mark Tucker as its new chairman. Shares on the Hang Seng index rose by 2.06 per cent at the time of publication, ahead of markets opening in London, where HSBC is also listed. The stock subesquently rose 1.2 per cent at the open [...]
UK oil services companies John Wood Group and Amec Foster Wheeler in £5bn merger deal March 13, 2017 Two UK oil services firms have agreed to a £5bn merger. John Wood Group announced this morning it had agreed a takeover deal for FTSE 250-listed Amec Foster Wheeler. Amec’s share price jumped 18 per cent to £5.76 at the time of writing, while John Wood’s was up eight per cent to £8.10. [stockChart code="AMFW" date="2017-03-13 [...]
Monday strike chaos is here as the RMT union begins walkouts across Southern rail, Northern and Merseyrail March 13, 2017 It's not just Southern passengers who are being hit with strikes by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union next week. The union's dispute over the changes to the role of the guard is spreading, with a 24-hour walkout today on the Merseyrail and Northern lines, as well as Southern. An injunction effort from Merseyrail failed last [...]
Meet Aaron Simpson, the man building the world’s biggest superyacht for billionaires – and take a peek inside it March 13, 2017 A billionaire recently wanted to watch a romantic movie with his girlfriend on the beach, but did not want to get sand on his feet. What did he do? He covered the entire beach with carpets. The man who made this bizarre fantasy possible is Aaron Simpson of Quintessentially, a concierge service for billionaires. Founded [...]
Bovis share price surges as Redrow holds out hope for deal despite official takeover talks with Galliford Try March 13, 2017 Bovis Homes remains in talks with Galliford Try on a possible takeover after the FTSE 250 firm rejected a bid from rival housebuilder Redrow. The confirmed all-share merger with Galliford Try, also listed on the FTSE 250, would create a £2.5bn company. However, Redrow is clearly still holding out hope for a deal. In a [...]
Hailo merges with Daimler-owned MyTaxi to take on Uber in London March 13, 2017 There's no shortage of taxis and minicabs in the capital, with an array of companies competing for passengers, from Uber to Gett to Addison Lee, and of course London’s stalwarts: the black cabs. So, it may seem rather late in the game for a cab company to try and make inroads in the market, but Mytaxi [...]
How Camden Town Brewery is keeping its craft ale credentials after its £85m takeover by AB Inbev March 13, 2017 Brits are drinking craft beer as if it were going out of fashion. The number of new brewery openings in the UK surged 55 per cent to a record 520 last year, and between eight and nine per cent of the total beer sold in licensed premises in the UK is craft. That’s still significantly [...]
Generator Hostels has been snapped up by Queensgate Investments for €450m March 13, 2017 Private equity real estate fund manager Queensgate Investments has agreed to buy chic hostel owner and operator Generator Hostels for €450m (£395m). The design-led hostel owner, which operates a total of 8,639 beds in London, Paris, Copenhagen and elsewhere, was owned by Patron Capital and co-investment partner Invesco Real Estate. Generator Hostels currently earns revenues of over €70m with 14 predominantly freehold assets, two [...]
PwC’s partnering with tech startup incubator Codebase March 13, 2017 PwC is putting its weight behind technology startups, partnering with the UK's biggest incubator. The professional services giant will support Scotland's Codebase, which is home to more than 80 startups in Edinburgh and will soon launch a second location in Stirling. Read more: Google parent Alphabet is backing London fintech startup Currencycloud It will offer [...]
Private sector business confidence has rebounded to its strongest level since 2015 as Brexit fear fades March 13, 2017 Business confidence among the UK's private sector firms recovered to the strongest level since mid-2015, according to new figures. The EU referendum sent the net balance of optimism to a four-year low of 39 per cent, but now the index has rebounded to 52 per cent, comparing favourably with other developed markets, data released today [...]