Best of the Brokers for 22 May 2015 May 21, 2015 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com MARKS & SPENCER Numis reiterated its “hold” rating on the retail group, following a positive full year results presentation. The broker noted that while the 2015 financial year “clearly did not progress according to plan”, the company’s strategy is looking “increasingly robust and focused [...]
China stimulus plan boosts energy firms as FTSE nears peak – London Report May 21, 2015 PLANS out of Beijing to boost further stimulus to boost its economy also propelled the FTSE higher, to just below last month’s record highs yesterday, with expectations China will launch further stimulus, helping miners and energy stocks tracking gains in oil prices. The UK Oil and Gas index rose 0.9 per cent as crude rose [...]
S&P 500 closes at record high – New York Report May 21, 2015 THE S&P 500 closed at a record high yesterday after disappointing economic data bolstered expectations that an interest rate hike is likely to come only later in the year. Traders warned that below-average volume in recent sessions suggests that not all of Wall Street may be confident in the market’s gains. Brian Battle, director of [...]
Clicks vs bricks is gone: Even savvy e-commerce firms need to do both May 21, 2015 The retail industry is in a state of flux. Consumers and technology are driving fundamental changes. And now, the line between in-store and online is increasingly blurred. When online shopping began to gain popularity, the future of retail was painted by numerous commentators as being a battle: clicks versus bricks. But recent events [...]
Why it’s highly unlikely that David Cameron’s immigration crackdown will work May 21, 2015 The government yesterday unveiled its latest plan to crack down on illegal immigration, by making it significantly less attractive for people to remain in the UK, working illegally. To achieve this, it is proposing to introduce a new criminal offence – “illegal working” – together with plans to seize the wages of those working illegally. [...]
Thomas Cook Corfu deaths tragedy: The government must reform paltry damages May 21, 2015 Much has been said about the PR disaster surrounding Thomas Cook’s handling of the Corfu carbon monoxide poisoning, which killed Robert and Christianne Shepherd in 2006. But the case also throws into the spotlight one of the fundamental injustices in English law: the level of damages awarded following a fatal accident. The current level [...]
As non-cash payments overtake hard currency, are we a few years off being a cashless society? May 21, 2015 Dennis Jones, chief executive of Judo Payments, says Yes This development isn’t surprising. One of the key drivers for this is the growth of lower-value transactions being made with cards. TfL alone has seen over 60m contactless transactions in the last six months, which were historically made with cash. And London’s buses are now cash-free [...]
What can misfit entrepreneurs teach business? May 21, 2015 The underground economy is a hotbed of creativity and innovation It is not often the case that chief executives and managers turn to pirates, hackers or highly disruptive entrepreneurs for advice. But as business writers Alexa Clay and Kyra Phillips suggest, that’s exactly what they should be doing. Indeed, leaders trying to boost innovation [...]
Royal Institute of British Architects awards the gongs for the year’s best cutting edge building designs May 21, 2015 If you work in London, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to great architecture. Whether we’re renaming iconic office buildings like The Gherkin, dining in converted churches in the East End or catching a train from an 18th century masterpiece, we take our superb architectural blend of the contemporary and the historic for granted. [...]
Small Project of the Year: DPQ architects make bijou living the height of sophistication May 21, 2015 The winner of this year’s Small Project of the Year is an ingenious solution to London’s lack of building space. As living space has become more of a luxury in London, architects have had to adapt by coming up with creative ways to use small buildings. But architects at Dallas Pierce Quintero (DPQ), winner [...]
