A Christmas competition with a difference – and the chance to win a bottle of champagne December 22, 2015 For the prolonged holiday break, a quiz is appropriate. But one with a difference: not just questions, but comments to go with them. A prize of a bottle of champagne to the best answers – just email them to me. The last couple of years have seen the rise of populist left-wing movements. Syriza [...]
Best of the Brokers for 22 December 2015 December 22, 2015 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com BOOHOO.COM As the end of 2015 approaches, fast-fashion retailer Boohoo will be celebrating its first full year as a listed company, or perhaps taking some time for reflection following a profit warning in January. In its first coverage of the company, Shore Capital [...]
ITV and miners gain but FTSE finishes down – London Report December 22, 2015 LOSSES from Associated British Foods and Smith & Nephew during yesterday’s trading dragged the FTSE 100 index down, as ITV, Glencore, and Antofagasta surged. The UK’s top blue-chip index closed 0.29 per cent down at 6,034 points. ITV led the pack after it emerged Comcast’s NBCUniversal was reportedly bidding to takeover the home of Downton [...]
Hell of a year: What rocked markets in 2015 – From Grexit to the commodity crash via a China meltdown and the VW scandal December 22, 2015 2015 was a truly turbulent year for investors, from Grexit and the China stock market crash, to commodities falling to record lows, volatility spiking, bond markets making losses across the board, the most uncertain UK election in a generation rankling investors, the US Federal Reserve's first rate rise in 9 years… the list goes on. [...]
VW: Will it go from Naughty to Nice in 2016? – CNBC Comment December 22, 2015 Volkswagen’s Supervisory Board has taken bold steps in the final weeks of 2015 to put the diesel cheating scandal to rest. But with three days to go before Christmas, I expect Santa has made his list, is checking it twice, and is sending a sleigh full of coal to the carmaker’s Wolfsburg headquarters. That’s because [...]
End of the Delaware flip: Why US investors are targeting UK startups December 22, 2015 Pfizer's record-breaking $160bn deal to take over the Irish pharmaceutical company Allergan, which will result in the former becoming an Irish company, has been attacked in the US as “unpatriotic”. However, it also highlights the increasingly compelling advantages to basing high-growth technology and life sciences businesses in the UK and Ireland. US venture capitalists have [...]
The New Year Resolutions all City workers should make December 22, 2015 If it's not in there already, here’s a date for your diary next year: on 7 March 2016, the Senior Managers Regime (SMR) will be introduced. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) says that it is not looking for “heads on sticks” – but the new rules coming into force will undoubtedly make it easier for [...]
City Moves for 22 December 2015 | Who’s switching jobs December 21, 2015 PETS AT HOME Graeme Jenkins has been appointed as chief financial officer at Pets at Home. Graeme will become an executive director and member of the board, upon his commencement date, which will be announced in due course. Ian Kellett, the current group CFO, will transition fully into the role of chief executive officer of [...]
Obamacare and tech help boost Wall St – New York Report December 21, 2015 BOUNCES in Apple and Microsoft yesterday as well as a rally in hospital stocks after more Americans signed up for subsidised health insurance helped US stocks to end stronger. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.72 per cent to end at 17,251.48 points and the S&P 500 gained 0.78 per cent to 2,021.16. The Nasdaq [...]
Leaving the EU is the only way Britain can regain control of its economic destiny December 21, 2015 As the referendum gets closer, we will hear lots about whether Britain could flourish economically outside the EU. On the face of it, the answer is obviously yes. Countries inside and outside show membership of the European Union is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for economic prosperity. Far more important is what happens domestically. [...]
