Non-exec pay rises to £65,000 with extra legal responsibilities January 26, 2015 Directors’ pay is rising faster than the average worker’s income, as non-executives are being loaded up with extra legal responsibilities, PwC said this morning. The average non-executive director (NED) saw their fees rise seven per cent in 2014 to £65,000. Fees stayed flat in 2013, so the increase in 2014 marks a return to the [...]
Special payouts mask poor UK dividend performance over 2014 January 26, 2015 UK COMPANIES paid out dividends worth £97.4m last year – 21 per cent higher than 2013 – but underlying growth fell short of expectations, it emerged yesterday. According to Capita Asset Services’ latest UK Dividend Monitor, headline dividends beat its forecast of £97.1bn on the back of stronger special dividends over the year, which totalled [...]
Over-70s most enthusiastic online bankers January 26, 2015 More than two million over-70s use online banking, and almost half a million over-60s have downloaded mobile banking apps, according to the British Bankers’ Association. Despite common perceptions that modern technologies are mainly adopted by the young, older customers are among the most enthusiastic users, according to the figures from RBS Group, Lloyds Banking Group, [...]
Consumer confidence dented in December by Christmas splurge January 26, 2015 CONSUMER confidence fell in December from its record high the previous month as Christmas spending put pressure on household budgets. The Lloyds Bank spending power report for December showed a reading of 150 points for consumer confidence, down from 154 in November but consistent with the previous year’s drop for December. “As with previous years, [...]
Debrett’s 500 adds business titans to influential list January 26, 2015 It’s all change on the Debrett’s 500 list this year, with 311 new entries on the annual roll of honour, which names Britain’s most influential people. Hats off, then, to the new financial heavyweights including Virgin Money chief executive Jayne-Anne Gadhia, Newton Investment chief and 30 Percent Club founder Helena Morrissey and Aberdeen Asset Management [...]
Top of the (book) pile… What the experts read January 26, 2015 Edward Lam, Somerset Capital Management fund manager 1 The Textualization of the Greek Alphabet by Roger Woodard. For anyone interested in language/ linguistics, etymology and ancient Greek history. 2 Three and a Half Minute Transaction: Boilerplate and the Limits of Contract Design by Mitu Gulati and Robert Scott. An excellent way into the mysteries of [...]
Crunch day for frackers: UK shale gas industry in the hands of parliament January 26, 2015 The future of UK fracking will be subject to the scrutiny of parliament today, as part of the debate on a wider infrastructure bill. The government wants to make it easier for companies to drill without permission from those who own the land or property, yet Labour is proposing a set of amendments to the [...]
Profit warnings at FTSE listed companies soar to crisis levels January 26, 2015 Profit warnings from UK-listed corporates hit a six-year high last year, despite stronger economic growth across the country. FTSE-listed firms issued 299 profit warnings last year up from 255 in 2013. The figure is the highest since the peak of the financial crisis in 2008. A fifth of the warnings were sparked by contract delays [...]
Scottish Labour leader Murphy under fire for ScotRail proposal January 26, 2015 THE SNP has hit back at Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy’s proposal that ScotRail would become nationalised if he becomes first minister. Murphy had proposed a new “People’s ScotRail”, as part of a devolution settlement put forward by the Smith Commision, which will allow public, non-profit organisations to bid for a franchise. However, a spokesperson [...]
Premier League bids heat up as TV broadcast deadline nears January 26, 2015 WITH a fortnight remaining until bids are due in the multi-billion pound auction for the TV broadcast rights of three seasons of the most-watched football league in the world, BT, Sky and Discovery are preparing for battle. Before Christmas the Premier League said it had opened up bidding for seven packages of live broadcasting rights [...]
