Sol is gunning for a Tory seat March 1, 2015 IS IT April fool’s day already? Sol Campbell, the ex-England footballer, yesterday said he could be the next MP for Kensington, succeeding Sir Malcolm Rifkind who resigned after the cash for access scandal. Campbell, formerly a member of Arsenal’s 2004 “Invincibles” side, indicated while speaking to Sky that he is potentially being lined up to [...]
City Moves for 02 March 2015 | Who’s switching jobs March 1, 2015 Newcourt Residential The luxury property developer has appointed Graham Weiss to its board as a non-executive director. He was previously managing director of Octagon Developments, and has over 30 years’ experience in the UK luxury property industry. Hitachi Capital (UK) The financial services firm has appointed Robert Gordon as chief executive. He joined Hitachi Capital [...]
Best of the Brokers for 02 March 2015 March 1, 2015 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com KENNEDY WILSON EUROPE REAL ESTATE Deutsche Bank analysts have downgraded the company’s stock to a “hold” rating after slashing its target price from 1,240p to 1,170p. The investment trust delivered a lower than expected net asset value for the end of 2014, driving [...]
Housing data shows lending and price rises – London Report March 1, 2015 HOUSING data due this week is likely to show increases in both prices and the number of mortgages being taken out. Bank of England mortgage approval figures, out today, are forecast to show that the number of housing loans rose modestly for a second month running in January after falling for five successive months to [...]
US stocks may be vulnerable after jobs data – New York Report March 1, 2015 THE US stock market was quiet last week – too quiet. Wall Street has traded in a tight range of late, with both volatility and trading volumes drying up as the earnings season winds down and Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen’s recent Congressional testimony delivered no surprises. While markets have held near record levels, there [...]
India rising: The re-awakening of this sleeping giant is the best news of 2015 March 1, 2015 “The Indian economy is a super giant, which moves slowly but surely.” – Arun Jaitley, Indian finance minister. After starting the year perpetually commenting on the gloomy tidings of the Greek crisis, Isis, and Putin, it is with palpable relief that I turn to what remains the single most positive international development of recent months [...]
Two cheers for Jean-Claude Juncker: The process of EU reform is already underway March 1, 2015 The business view of Britain’s membership of the European Union is clear: the UK needs to be in the EU and to be fully engaged. While this view is not unanimous – there are those businesses that legitimately have a different perspective, either because of the nature of the business or the priorities of the [...]
Dark side of the sharing economy: Don’t let short-lets ruin life for Londoners March 1, 2015 There has been much trumpeting of a change in legislation in the government’s Deregulation Bill that will allow Londoners to participate more fully in the “sharing economy” by renting their homes out on a short-let basis for up to 90 days a year. While many may be excited at the prospect of earning some extra [...]
As Lloyds resumes dividends, have UK banks now turned a corner from the financial crisis? March 1, 2015 Steve Davies is co-manager of the Jupiter UK Growth Fund, says Yes. Lloyds Bank’s return to dividend payments is a very significant step forward, and RBS may not be as far behind as people think either. The most encouraging news from Lloyds is that its capital position is now extremely strong, which not only gives [...]
The Golden Age: Octopus’s George Whitehead on an extraordinary five years for UK technology and enterprise March 1, 2015 It's been an impressive five years for the UK technology and enterprise industry. From the establishment of Tech City to the development of world-leading accelerator programmes, and the international success stories of businesses like Deep Mind, Asos, Zoopla, CSR and Shazam, it is no secret that Britain has become a leading light in entrepreneurship. DISPROPORTIONATE [...]