G4S backs auction winner Allied Universal in £3.8bn takeover bid, as Gardaworld bows out February 23, 2021 Private security and outsourcing firm G4S this morning recommended shareholders to vote for Allied Universal's final offer valuing it at £3.8bn, a day after a rare auction battle with Canada's GardaWorld.
Mercedes-AMG A45 S review: the hottest hatchback February 23, 2021 The 421hp Mercedes-AMG A45 S is a five-door hatchback that outpaces some supercars. Tim Pitt spends a week driving it.
Saudi prince to sell £195m stake in London skyscraper February 23, 2021 A Saudi prince is close to selling his stake in a City skyscraper to an American investor for around £195m. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Fahd owns 25 per cent of Salesforce Tower in Bishopsgate. The tower has attracted interest from New York-based investment firm Madison International Realty. The 46-storey tower took four years to complete [...]
Cruise liner firm Carnival plans $1bn stock sale to stay afloat February 23, 2021 Cruise operator Carnival today announced that it would sell $1bn (£700m) worth of its stock through a public offering. The firm said that it would place 40.5m shares at $25.10 per share, a slight discount on yesterday’s closing price of $25.97. The offering, which is being run by Goldman Sachs, closes tomorrow. Carnival said that [...]
Facebook reverses Australia news ban after law changes February 23, 2021 Facebook has backed down in its feud with Australia after negotiating changes to a new law that will force tech firms to pay publishers for news. The social media giant last week blocked access to news in the country in protest at the upcoming legislation, drawing widespread criticism. But following talks between the government and [...]
Holiday Inn owner IHG swings to annual loss as Covid takes hold February 23, 2021 InterContinental Hotels Group declared 2020 as the most challenging year in its history on Tuesday as the company slumped to an annual loss. IHG, whose brands include the Crowne Plaza, Regent and Hualuxe hotel chains, reported a group operating loss of $153m for the year ending 31 December. This compares with a profit of $630m [...]
Is technology a new asset class? February 23, 2021 With Covid-19 accelerating digitalisation, the question facing many companies is no longer whether technology is important, but just how important? What percentage of their time should a bank or retailer’s top executives spend thinking about technology? How much investment should a company make in tech? What weighting should institutional and retail investors give the sector? [...]
IG Group suspends leveraged bets in 900 shares February 23, 2021 IG Group is withdrawing leveraged share bets on hundreds of firms as the London-based company reacts to the day-trading trend gripping financial markets.
Boris Johnson’s lockdown roadmap needs short-term hope and yes, takeaway pints February 23, 2021 In two weeks, we will be legally allowed to sit on a park bench with a friend and have a coffee. In five weeks, two whole households will be given the go-ahead to see one another outdoors. Boris Johnson’s plan to exit lockdown seems completely oblivious to what is happening outside his front door. It [...]
Business rates from the 16th century are ruining the high-street and an online sales tax isn’t enough February 23, 2021 The pandemic is in many ways not a break from the past but a rapid accelerator, and nowhere has the world sped up as much as in our shopping habits. In the last year, more retail sales shifted onto the internet than had done so in the previous decade. UK consumers spent £24 in every [...]
