Saudi Arabia set to come under fire at OPEC meeting but not expected to back down over production levels December 3, 2015 Smaller nations are expected to put further pressure on Saudi Arabia to reduce oil production levels later today when cartel members meeting in Vienna. OPEC made the historic decision to maintained its production levels last year despite a more than 50 per cent fall in price over the past 18 months. City A.M. understands Saudi Arabia [...]
House price growth to slow across the country in 2016 December 3, 2015 ANNUAL house price growth nationally is expected to slow to between 4 per cent and 6 per cent by the end of 2016, according to economists at the Halifax. The slowdown is being blamed on the increasing difficulty in getting on the housing ladder, as well as the looming prospect of an interest rate rise [...]
Battle for the mobile privacy market heats up as Silent Circle moves into enterprise software December 3, 2015 In a bid to win a larger share of the secure communications market phone maker Silent Circle is moving into enterprise software. Silent Circle, which also makes the controversial Blackphone that has run into trouble due to unexpected demand from Islamic State militants, is shifting its focus from consumer products to supplying businesses and governments. [...]
Aberdeen Asset Management said to be further diversifing as Bank of England backs stress tests December 2, 2015 Aberdeen Asset Management, having recorded outflows of £12.6bn over the three months to the end of September, is reportedly eyeing up bond fund manager Rogge Global Partners. Aberdeen is one of three potential firms that could bid for Rogge, following financial services group Old Mutual putting it up for sale, it was yesterday reported by [...]
Cigars bring the stars into Canary Wharf’s smokey awards party December 2, 2015 Canary Wharf doesn’t usually have the honour of entertaining London’s celebrity set. The City’s younger sibling is more used to seeing John McFarlane than Jonathan Ross, but there is one thing that brings the capital’s high-flyers together: expensive booze and cigars. To Boisdale of Canary Wharf, where the grandiose dining hall played host to the annual Celebrity Cigar Smoker [...]
CVC set to buy up almost half of the RAC December 2, 2015 CVC CAPITAL Partners, the largest shareholder in Formula One, will reportedly announce the purchase of almost 50 per cent of breakdown company RAC later today. CVC will purchase the stake from rival private equity group Carlyle which bought the company in 2011, it was reported late last night. Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC, will retain [...]
Time to cut students from migration target December 1, 2015 For months, years even, a row has been brewing at the heart of government. It’s not about air strikes in Syria or tax credit reforms. It’s not about devolution or departmental spending cuts. It’s about immigration. Specifically, it concerns the question of whether international students should be counted in the official net migration figures. The [...]
Bank of England signals end of the financial crisis era December 1, 2015 The Bank of England has declared the banking crisis officially over, and yesterday sent Britain’s biggest lenders a dovish message on future capital requirements. Following the publication of a biannual Financial Stability Report, the UK's central bank signalled an “inflection point” that marks the conclusion of the post-financial crisis era. Bank of England governor Mark Carney said British [...]
Ofcom warns BT that internet status quo is likely to change as Vodafone, TalkTalk and Sky pile on the pressure December 1, 2015 OFCOM yesterday said Britain is doing well in rolling out superfast broadband compared with other major European economies, yet it added that the status quo in the industry is likely to be altered. Service providers, such as TalkTalk and Sky, have demanded that Openreach, which provides the infrastructure connecting people to the internet, be spun [...]
Would you make an evening meal of it at Starbucks or Pret? No? Then how about Greggs or Subway? December 1, 2015 Starbucks and Pret a Manger have started trialling late-night opening hours, offering their customers evening menus and even serving wine and beer. YouGov assessed the attitudes and opinions of more than 60,000 consumers to evaluate whether high street coffee outlets are really an attractive venue for dinner and drinks. The blunt answer is “not yet”. Almost [...]
