Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer: Brexit could be good for the UK’s car makers October 5, 2016 Which way would James Bond have voted in the EU referendum? We'll never know the answer for the fictional 007, but the chief executive of his favourite car brand has finally waded into the Brexit debate. In the run-up to the referendum, the UK car industry was among the loudest voices on the Remain side. [...]
New car sales ease onto the brakes in September October 5, 2016 September is a golden month for two things: 1) Vogue magazine (it's a bumper edition, don't you know) and 2) new car sales, which tend to jump as consumers go mad for the new plate. But alack, alas, in contrast to August, last month was rather a disappointment, according to new figures from the Society of [...]
City A.M. Unregulated podcast: Aston Martin’s chief executive talks Brexit and Bond, James Bond October 5, 2016 Aston Martin may be a byword for luxury, but it has a troubled past, after seven administrations (which, incidentally, is the number of James Bonds there have been). With a Midlands twang and a background on the factory floor, chief executive Andy Palmer isn't what you'd expect from a luxury boss – but he may be just the tonic [...]
The new Boaty McBoatface? Sainsbury’s has renamed its vegan cheese following a customer rant on Facebook October 4, 2016 It's Sainsburys' own Boaty McBoatface moment: the supermarket has given its vegan cheese a rather less descriptive name, after a customer suggested on Facebook it should "call it Gary or something". The anonymous cheese lover posted an exclamation mark-laden rant after she objected to Sainsbury's referring to its coconut-based cheese alternative as "cheese". "CHEESE IS NOT MADE WITH COCONUTS," [...]
FTSE 100 smashes through 7,000 as investors cheer falling pound October 4, 2016 The FTSE 100 smashed past the 7,000 mark this morning as the falling pound continued to keep investors' spirits high. The market opened at 7,004 points, 0.28 per cent up on yesterday's closing price, before rising more than one per cent to 7,054 points in early trading. Although the market edged towards the psychologically important milestone yesterday, it finished [...]
It’s all coming up roses as Baring Asia buys Cath Kidston October 3, 2016 Cath Kidston, the brand which put such English country staples as cabbage roses and polka dots in kitchens across the UK, is about to take on a decidedly Asian flavour, after Baring Asia took a controlling stake. Reports suggested Baring has bought a stake owned by US private equity firm TA Associates, giving it a majority shareholding. [...]
This former Apprentice contestant wants to invest £150,000 in a homeless person’s business idea October 3, 2016 It's unlikely it would set Lord Alan's world alight – but one of his former Apprentices has decided to do his bit by creating what he calls a "Homeless-Preneur". Raj Dhonota, who was a contestant in the first series of The Apprentice back in 2005, said he has £150,000 to invest in the business idea of one homeless person [...]
The Midlands Engine is getting a small but significant transport boost October 3, 2016 The Northern Powerhouse may be clinging on for survival at the moment, but its trendier, younger cousin, the Midlands Engine, has received quite a bit of attention lately. Not only has it received public support from Theresa May and a great deal of talking-up from John Lewis boss and wannabe Birmingham mayor Andy Street – but [...]
Weak pound, strong manufacturers: UK manufacturing PMI hits its highest since June 2014 October 3, 2016 UK manufacturers are having a ball, it seems, after a closely-watched survey hit its highest since June 2014. Markit's UK manufacturing PMI rose to 55.4 in September, up from 53.4 in August. Any figure above 50 denotes growth. Markit said the rebound in sentiment since the EU referendum was "sufficient to make the third-quarter average (52.3) the [...]
“Encouragingly solid”: Eurozone manufacturing ticks up in September October 3, 2016 The Eurozone's manufacturing sector ticked up to hit a three-month high in September, new figures have shown. Yep, fresh from the news prices in the bloc rose at their fastest pace in two years in September, Markit's purchasing managers' index for the industry showed similarly encouraging signs, hitting 52.6, up from 51.7 in August. Any figure above 50 denotes [...]
