Tech will disrupt the City more than Brexit May 2, 2019 The City’s roof gardens may be opening up for the summer but the fog of Brexit still hangs over the Square Mile. Businesses have been unequivocal about the consequences of uncertainty but the policy debate rages on, while political manoeuvring (or even the lack of it) tests the collective patience of the nation. You’d be [...]
Londoners are bolstering the latest fintech generation April 30, 2019 Have you ever thought about the role of Londoners in guaranteeing the UK as the fintech capital of the world? Our capital is currently hosting UK Fintech Week, an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the businesses transforming our best export: financial services. On Crowdcube, the crowdfunding platform I work for, there are now over 67,000 [...]
The worst may still be yet to come for Boeing, after it takes a $1bn revenue hit from 737 Max disasters April 25, 2019 Describing Boeing’s past two months as “turbulent” is both a cliche and an understatement. It's found itself at the centre of not one but two aerospace disasters and its mighty brand now risks becoming synonymous with aviation risk. This is intensely dangerous territory for the world's largest commercial aircraft manufacturer. Worse still, as Boeing's boss [...]
Aim-listed Savannah Resources set to take control of Portuguese lithium mine in £12m move April 15, 2019 Aim-listed miner Savannah Resources will today set out plans to take 100 per cent control of its lithium mine in Portugal, in a deal valued at around $12m. The remaining 25 per cent interest in the mine will be bought from minority shareholders including Slipstream Resources, which itself currently holds a 5.1 per cent stake [...]
Anti-social media: Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark on social media harm after the Christchurch terror attacks April 8, 2019 I Interrupt the former leader of my native New Zealand, Helen Clark, in the middle of a Twitter and Facebook purge. “Social media management” she says, dictating a response to one of the provocateurs or well-wishers. It’s all part of overseeing a social media following of more than 200,000, I’m sure, but especially fitting since [...]
Professional services firm BDO plots out break-up plan April 7, 2019 Accountancy and professional services firm BDO is plotting out how it will carve off its auditing arm from the rest of its UK business, following a withering report from MPs on the embattled sector. BDO's head of audit Scott Knight said the firm had run through a range of scenarios in response to the report from the [...]
Food prices increased at their fastest rate since 2013 in March April 3, 2019 The weekly supermarket shop hit bank accounts a little harder last month as food prices rose at their sharpest rate in five years in March. Food inflation accelerated last month to 2.5 per cent, up from 1.6 per cent in February. This is the highest inflation rate November 2013. The data out today from the [...]
Easyjet shares lose altitude on weaker passenger traffic outlook April 1, 2019 Easyjet was the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 today – closing down 9.7 per cent – after investors baulked at the low-cost carrier's 'cautious' outlook for the second half. Budget airline Easyjet said earlier today it is “more cautious” in its outlook for the second half of the year, blaming macroeconomic uncertainty and Brexit for [...]
Top banks to field MEP candidates across the UK to protect the City’s interests April 1, 2019 Top banks to field MEP candidates across the UK to protect the City's interests The prospect of British voters being asked to participate in next month's European Parliament elections has triggered an audacious move by some of the UK's biggest banks to field candidates in a bid to protect the Square Mile's interests, City A.M. [...]
John McDonnell’s Marxist ideas for financing would be a disastrous experiment March 31, 2019 While the Brexit process pushes the British constitution to its limits, the Labour party continues to develop and promote policy proposals that, if implemented, would make the UK’s torturous departure from the European Union look like a modest tweak to our political operating system. While all of Westminster focuses on the near collapse of functioning [...]