GIP joins forces with Blackstone and Cascade in $4.7bn Signature Aviation bid February 5, 2021 The former owner of Gatwick Airport has teamed up with Blackstone and Cascade to bid for private jet firm Signature Aviation. The offer values the London-based aviation company at $4.7bn, the parties said on Friday. It emerged that Signature was up for sale in December, prompting a bidding war between several investors. Commenting on the [...]
Wall Street opens at record high on stimulus progress February 5, 2021 The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq opened at record highs on today on signs of progress towards more economic stimulus, while a closely watched jobs report confirmed the labor market was stabilising. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 38 points, or 0.12 per cent, at the open to 31093.81. The S&P 500 rose 6.6 points, [...]
Amazon to hire 1,000 UK apprentices as revenue surges February 5, 2021 Amazon will hire 1,000 apprentices across the UK this year as the ecommerce giant continues its rapid expansion amid a pandemic-driven trading boom. The US tech firm said the roles will cover more than two dozen different programmes ranging from engineering, safety technicians and broadcast production to IT and HR. The plan includes 100 degree-level [...]
Year of the unicorn: 24 companies have surpassed $1bn valuation this year already February 5, 2021 There has been somewhat of a stampede of companies reaching unicorn status since the start of the year following a strong year for the tech sector. Some 24 companies have already reached $1bn valuation since the start of the year with a particularly strong showing from e-commerce and fintech companies, according to research by Tipalti. [...]
Energy prices to rise for millions of households in April February 5, 2021 Ofgem has today announced that the energy price cap will return to pre-pandemic levels from April due to changes in wholesale prices. The price cap will increase by £96 to £1,138 for 11 million default tariff customers. There will be an £87 increase to £1,156 for those using payment meter. Ofgem has allowed the increases [...]
Londoners could face tougher face mask rules in transport crackdown February 5, 2021 Tube and bus passengers in London could be made to wear higher-grade face masks to help combat new mutant strains of Covid-19. Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London have both launched reviews of current guidance amid concerns about the rapid spread of the so-called Kent strain across the UK. Face coverings have been mandatory [...]
Permanent staff recruitment falls sharply in January February 5, 2021 The latest national lockdown led to permanent staff hires plummeting in January, according to a UK jobs report. Research conducted by KPMG and REC shows the reduction was driven by the return of tough coronavirus measures and greater economic uncertainty. The resurgence of Covid-19 also caused growth in short-term vacancies to weaken in most sectors. [...]
When Zoom goes wrong: Is this the worst video meeting of all time? February 5, 2021 The Handforth Parish Council Planning and Environment Committee is, one assumes, a sleepy affair. But that does not seem to have been the case before Christmas — with a heady mix of Zoom confusion, playground squabbling and extremely English insults. A video of the meeting — of which the written minutes simply do not do [...]
The Kalifa Review can be the launchpad for UK fintech to take off February 5, 2021 When the Fintech Founders group that I chair recently hosted an event with Ron Kalifa, to discuss his ongoing Fintech Review, the energy and enthusiasm of the founders on the call was palpable. Many of the men and women who took part, all of them Fintech entrepreneurs, have been struggling over the last twelve months. [...]
New Amazon chief needs to think about his company’s role in society February 5, 2021 Amazon’s recent financial report saw it hit another huge milestone, delivering its largest quarter by revenue of all time at $125.56 billion – reaching the $100 billion mark for the first time. This success has much to do with founder Jeff Bezos’s relentless focus on the customer and their unchanging needs: value, choice and convenience. [...]
