Market debut for investor in UK mutuals February 23, 2014 CAPITAL for Colleagues, an investment vehicle that focuses on opportunities in the employee-owned-business (EOB) sector, will today unveil its plans to list on the London-based ISDX growth market and raise more than £2m. The firm invests in businesses that are owned by their employees, in the same model as department store chain John Lewis. “Through [...]
Ladbrokes to link executive pay to responsible gaming measures February 23, 2014 LADBROKES is planning to link executive pay with responsible gambling criteria in response to government pressure over fixed-odds betting terminals, the e-gaming giant will announce today. According to Sky News, chief executive Richard Glynn wrote to gambling minister Helen Grant and certain industry stakeholders last Friday to inform them that Ladbrokes will start linking executive [...]
Chancellor told to tackle energy costs for firms February 23, 2014 CHANCELLOR George Osborne should address the damaging cost of energy for manufacturers and the UK’s dire productivity situation in his upcoming budget, business groups urged this morning. “Rising energy costs represent a major threat to growth and could damage efforts to support and sustain long term recovery,” said Terry Scuoler, chief executive of manufacturers group [...]
BHP finance chief bullish on US as shale brings industrial revival February 23, 2014 THE CHIEF financial officer of BHP Billiton has said he is confident of a “real” US economic recovery, backing up the mining giant’s decision to invest in what he called the country’s “transformational” shale market. “US unemployment is coming down steadily, consumer confidence is up and consumption is up,” Graham Kerr told reporters last week. [...]
Consumers feeling most upbeat since 2010 as confidence grows February 23, 2014 CONSUMER and business confidence is continuing to climb as the year gets underway, according to two surveys released this morning. Sentiment among consumers is now at the highest level since November 2010, when Lloyds first carried out its spending power report. Attitudes towards discretionary spend income are also at an all-time high, with more people [...]
Rents across the UK rose by 10 per cent in 2013 February 23, 2014 RENTS in the UK have risen by nearly a tenth in the past 12 months to more than £750 per month, according to new research from a lettings agent. But London rents rose less steeply, climbing just one per cent over the past year – although the average rent in the capital remains nearly twice [...]
Taxman cracks down on builders February 23, 2014 Construction firms coughed up £122m in extra tax to Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) during the last year, according to accounting services group NoPalaver. The figure is a 55 per cent increase on the previous year, when only £78.9m was taken in extra tax. The charges are levied through the construction industry scheme, which [...]
Soros keen to invest in Europe February 23, 2014 Billionaire investor George Soros wants to invest in Europe’s financial sector, according to a German magazine interview yesterday. “I believe in the euro,” weekly Der Spiegel quoted him as saying. “Therefore my investment team is looking forward to make a lot of money soon in Europe by, for example, pumping money in banks which urgently [...]
Metro Bank: First London – next, the rest of the UK February 23, 2014 Metro Bank’s chairman and founder tells Tim Wallace he wants to take the Southern-focused lender out to a national audience IT HAS shaken up London’s retail banking scene, with bright new branches on busy high streets, and a bold American-style service ethos. But although Metro Bank startled the market as Britain’s first lender in more [...]
G20 members giggle at blushing George’s walk of shame in Sydney February 23, 2014 JET-LAGGING behind George? The chancellor rocked up late to the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors official photo in Sydney at the weekend, prompting a round of applause from fellow dignitaries (including Mark Carney) and big grins as he walked past to take his place at the back.
