What you need to know before the US open March 13, 2014 US stock futures are pointing to a slightly better open for markets today, and no doubt the slew of data just out – all of which is better-than-expected – means investors have plenty to digest. Bonds have slipped after the encouraging data, with the dollar gaining ground against the euro, too. Initial jobless claims fell [...]
In a field of his own: FarmDrop’s Ben Pugh talks crowdfunding and the future of our food July 27, 2014 In the time it’s taken FarmDrop founder Ben Pugh to discuss his company with me, it crowdfunded £13,000. After just eight days on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube, FarmDrop raised more than its £400,000 investment target. A new way of doing food is, it seems, quite popular. The FarmDrop concept is simple: it streamlines the food [...]
Waterstones’ new owner cuts full-year losses February 2, 2014 HIGH street bookseller Waterstones has narrowed its losses by more than a third in its first financial year since being snapped up by Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut. Accounts filed last week on Companies House show that pre-tax losses fell to £23m in the year to 27 April from £37.3m the previous year. This includes £5.4m [...]
Balderton starts $300m tech fund April 1, 2014 LONDON tech startups are being targeted as part of Balderton Capital’s new $305m (£183m) early stage investment fund for Europe, that it announced yesterday. Balderton, the tech venture capital fund whose investment record includes Lovefilm and Betfair, said the new fund would focus on companies seeking Series A funding – which is funding that was [...]
How smaller business can use big data to help drive growth May 28, 2014 Your company may be sitting on an unused information goldmine BUSINESSES are in the middle of an information explosion. In 2012, IBM estimated that 90 per cent of the data in existence had been created in just the two prior years. The International Data Centre, meanwhile, forecasts that the market for big data will reach [...]
How to master the art of negotiation June 9, 2014 From the “win-win” approach to more unusual strategies, here are some key deal-making tips FEW OF us could forget Cuba Gooding Jr’s infamous line, “Show me the money!” in the 1996 Oscar-winner Jerry Maguire. But most negotiations will require a little more nuance. Even sports agent Leigh Steinberg (on whom Tom Cruise’s eponymous character was [...]
How the high street’s keeping the edge over online retailers May 12, 2014 Edison Investment Research is far from convinced the internet premium seen in retail is a) the thing changing the UK high street or b) something that’ll stick around. In a research note published today, the investment specialist challenges how justifiable the current e-tail premium is, saying the future of retail is very much multi-channel. For [...]
New York Report: Slump in tech shares weighs on the Nasdaq April 7, 2014 US STOCKS fell yesterday, with the S&P 500 posting its biggest three-day drop in two months, as investors bid down internet stocks and rotated into defensive names to protect against further declines. Internet stocks were among the day’s biggest decliners with Amazon down 1.6 per cent and Yahoo off 3.5 per cent. The Global X [...]
Netflix subs added to inflation basket March 13, 2014 The UK's official statisticians have elected to add "video streaming services" to a basket of goods used to measure inflation. Now items like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video will be included in the consumer price inflation measure, a decision taken as part of the annual review of the CPI basket of goods and services. The [...]
Why today’s results may be as good it gets for Royal Mail May 22, 2014 Shares in the recently-privatised Royal Mail have fallen by six per cent after the company warned it may never reach its targeted profit margin. At first glance Royal Mail's results appear to be encouraging, with reported profit before tax jumping by 83 per cent, to £1.6bn. Net debt is also down a hefty 39 per [...]