Generali shares slip with Intesa Sanpaolo shareholders voicing concern January 30, 2017 Shares in Generali, the world's third largest insurance firm, fell over three per cent today with the firm's takeover by lender Intesa Sanpaolo understood to be further away than previously anticipated. Intesa Sanpaolo surprised some shareholders earlier this month by privately revealing it was teeing up a deal to buy Generali, according to local sources. Read more: Intesa Sanpaolo examining [...]
Unicredit gets green light from European authorities paving the way for €13bn fundraise January 30, 2017 European authorities have not raised any issues with Unicredit breaching capital ratios after the bank convinced them it is merely a temporary problem and will be solved by its mammoth €13bn (£11bn) rights issue. Plans for Italy's largest lender to right-size its balance sheet appeared to have been dealt a blow after it revealed this morning it will [...]
Can Brexit’s success or failure be objectively measured? This think tank hopes so. January 30, 2017 A think tank is trying to draw the sting out of Brexit debates by laying out a framework to judge the success of the UK's departure from the EU. A new report, published today by UK in a Changing Europe, proposes four economic tests for an assessment of Brexit, just days before MPs will first vote [...]
George Osborne has another new job, and he’s teaming up with John McCain January 30, 2017 Former chancellor George Osborne has picked up his fourth role since being dumped as chancellor by Theresa May. Osborne has been making some hefty change on the speakers' circuit, and now he is to join up with a "do-tank" led by Republican senator John McCain. The Tory MP will serve as the McCain Insitute's first [...]
It looks like Snapchat will IPO on the NYSE January 30, 2017 Snapchat parent company Snap has chosen the New York Stock Exchange for its hotly-anticipated IPO, CNBC is reporting. The NYSE triumphed in the battle with Nasdaq for the hottest tech float in quite some time. Snap is expected to file publicly for the IPO as soon as this week, Recode has reported, going public as early as March. [...]
Shoppers flocked to St Pancras for luxury goods from John Lewis and Fortnum & Mason over Christmas January 30, 2017 St Pancras International scored an uplift in sales over the festive season, as shoppers flocked to the train station to stock up on Christmas gifts. Over the ten weeks from 29 October to 31 December, St Pancras scored a 6.2 per cent sales growth year-on-year. This compared to a growth of 1.7 per cent across [...]
Higher Germany inflation raises pressure on ECB to tighten monetary policy January 30, 2017 Inflation in Germany rose to just short of the target set by the European Central Bank on price stability, raising pressure further on a historically loose monetary policy stance. Headline inflation rose to 1.9 per cent year-on-year in January, up from 1.7 per cent the month before, according to the German statistics office. Most of [...]
Fund management firm opens Dublin office to combat Brexit uncertainty January 30, 2017 A Luxembourg-headquartered fund management company today announced plans for a Dublin office, in a move prompted by the UK’s Brexit vote. FundRock, which has 70 staff in Luxembourg, is also due to move into the UK with the acquisition of Fund Partners, subject to regulatory approval. It is understood that Ireland was chosen as a [...]
Injuries revealed: The Premier League’s worst hit teams of the 2016/17 season January 30, 2017 As the business end of the football season approaches, it's far from unusual for managers and fans to crack open excuses to explain performances that don't make the grade. And one of the more common explanations noted by managers through gritted teeth in their post-match interviews is that their team is has been blighted by a raft of injuries. [...]
Fitbit’s seriously feeling the crunch as it cuts jobs and lowers guidance January 30, 2017 Fitbit shares have dived as much as 13 per cent after revealing it will cut six per cent of its global workforce and double down on other cost saving measures while revenues will fall short of guidance to the tune of around $150m. The wearables maker expects revenues of "$572m to $580m, compared to the company’s previously [...]