Industry 4.0: How disruptive technology can rescue British manufacturing April 7, 2016 Industry 4.0 is revolutionising the way international manufacturers and construction companies approach business, but the UK has a long way to go if its industry is to keep pace with its European rivals. This new world is based on digitisation, which blurs the line between the virtual and the physical. Connected products and “smart” machines [...]
RBS is replacing several financial advisers with “robo advice” and the FCA has welcomed the news – it’s time to stop worrying and learn to love the robots March 15, 2016 RBS slashed hundreds of jobs this week, replacing some of its financial advisers with so-called “robo advice”. The announcement was closely followed by news that the City’s watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has welcomed our new robot overlords employees. A seven-month FCA study into the financial advice sector, conducted with Treasury assistance, concluded that [...]
Lexus RX review: Will hybrid SUVs take over the market after VW’s dieselgate? March 7, 2016 Few things are as unwelcome in central London as a big, gas-guzzling SUV. One of them is a big, diesel SUV sporting a Volkswagen Group badge. Anti-diesel resentment has been bubbling for a number of years, culminating in the VW “dieselgate” emissions scandal that rocked (and continues rocking) the motor industry. However, one manufacturer has [...]
Moneysupermarket.com share price rises as price comparison company reveals boost in profits and revenues for year ended December 2015 March 1, 2016 Share price in Moneysupermarket.com closed up today after the company revealed a boost to both its profits and revenues in its preliminary results. The price comparison website announced adjusted operating profits for its year ended December 2015 of £100.1m, up 15 per cent from £87.3m the year before. Meanwhile, group revenue grew to £281.7m, up 14 per cent [...]
Facebook is biggest new TV advertiser as total ad spend passes record £5bn February 23, 2016 Facebook was the biggest spending new advertiser on British television last year as total spend hit record levels. Spending on TV advertising – from traditional 30 second spots to sponsorship, on-demand catch up platforms and product placement – hit £5.27bn in 2015, a rise of 7.4 per cent on the previous year and growth not seen since the end of the financial crisis. [...]
Foreign graduates are helping to fill the skills gap in the UK’s financial sector February 22, 2016 The UK's financial sector is relying heavily on graduates from abroad to plug skills gaps in, according to new research published this morning. Foreign university graduates make up 28 per cent of the current graduate pool who have been working in finance for less than four years, salary bench-marking site Emolument said. For compliance workers the [...]
Tesla shares jump on increased revenue as losses widen February 10, 2016 Tesla Motors reported revenue of $1.2bn (£825m) for the three months to 31 December 2015, up from $956m in the same period of 2014. The electric car company's results fell short of analysts' expectations of $1.85bn in revenue. Meanwhile, losses for the quarter widened to $320m from $108m. Shares in the company were up by over four [...]
The Big Short interview with director Adam McKay: “Outrage with banks comes naturally… they’re street hustlers” January 22, 2016 The Oscar-nominated director of financial film The Big Short, Adam McKay, wasn't afraid of throwing the cat among the pigeons when I caught up with him yesterday. On the eve of his latest film's release he launched a stinging attack on Wall Street, branding bankers “street hustlers” and labelling the SEC’s response to the crisis “disgusting”. [...]
The terminal flaw at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s low oil strategy January 18, 2016 “If people want to know who I am, it is all in the work.” – Alan Rickman Like everyone I know with a soul, I find myself in genuine mourning for the great British actor Alan Rickman, who died last week. It is impossible for me to think of anyone who brought me as much [...]
The highest flyer: Harriet Green talks Everest, flying cars and building a hi-tech business aged 18 with Gilo Cardozo January 11, 2016 To tell the truth, drones don’t really interest me at all – I like manned aircraft,” says Gilo Cardozo, founder of aviation firm Gilo Industries. He’s not being flippant – he’s got an army of specialist engineers working on engines for unmanned aircraft – but someone so passionate about his work can afford to be slightly [...]