Who’s afraid of Jerome Powell? October 28, 2020 I see charts of central bank balance sheets everywhere. Maybe it’s because I am so adamant that quantitative easing (QE) isn’t going to create inflation that I notice them so much. But then again, there is a reason these charts pop up time and again. After all, the US Federal Reserve has increased its balance sheet by $2.8 trillion, [...]
John Lewis to convert almost half of Oxford Street store into offices October 28, 2020 John Lewis has been given the green light to convert almost half of its flagship Oxford Street department store into office space amid turmoil for the UK’s retail sector. Westminster City Council last night granted the high street store conditional planning permission to transform three to eight floors into dual-use space. The local authority voted [...]
DeFi Hacks: A Cybersecurity Perspective October 28, 2020 The decentralized finance market (DeFi) has been one of the most explosive trends in the crypto industry since the ICO boom of 2017. Crypto-assets locked away in DeFi protocols over 2020 have increased by a staggering 1,740%, from $676 million to a peak of $12.44 billion – according to figures from Defipulse. This dramatic rise [...]
DEBATE: Is Sadiq Khan right to refuse to expand London’s congestion charge zone? October 28, 2020 Is Sadiq Khan right to refuse to expand London’s congestion charge zone? JOIN THE DEBATE Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North, says YES When Boris Johnson was mayor of London he promised Londoners: “I am not going to be having any more congestion charges”. Yet now, his government is trying to force exactly that [...]
BT taps Ericsson to provide London 5G networks October 28, 2020 BT has chosen Swedish telecoms firm Ericsson to provide 5G radio equipment in London, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and other major UK cities. The deal means that when rollout is completed, Ericsson will manage around 50 per cent of BT’s 5G traffic. It comes just months after the government said it would ban Chinese firm Huawei [...]
Institutions don’t share retail investors’ optimism on returns October 28, 2020 Schroders’ studies suggest retail – or individual – investors are more optimistic about future returns than investors at large institutions. Individuals have indicated that they expect average annual returns of nearly 11% over the next five years while institutional investors anticipate a more moderate 6%. Schroders’ Institutional Investor Study is an analysis of views from [...]
Aston Martin capital raise subscribed after Mercedes deal boosts shares October 28, 2020 Aston Martin has said all shares available in its £125m capital raise have been placed or subscribed, as it looks to turnaround its business. The capital raise, which represents approximately 13.7 per cent of the company’s shares, comprised 250m shares at a price of 50p per share. Shares in the beleaguered carmaker jumped 6.24 per [...]
‘Cultural relevance’ is the key to brands connecting with Generation Z sport fans October 28, 2020 ‘Cultural relevance’ is a phrase increasingly being discussed in boardrooms of brands and advertising agencies across the world. As reaching Gen Z becomes more important every year, the need to go beyond traditional marketing and connect with the values and beliefs of this audience is now vital. At Ear to the Ground, we know that [...]
Exclusive: MPs call for clarity on Bounce Back Loan replacement as lenders shut door on SMEs October 28, 2020 An influential group of cross-party MPs has called for the government to replace the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) as soon as possible after lenders shut the door on new applicants for the state-backed coronavirus funding. All but one of the 28 banks eligible to lend money under the scheme have closed to new customers, [...]
Next hikes profit forecast after stronger than expected sales October 28, 2020 Next has hiked its profit forecast for the year after sales in the third quarter were stronger than expected. The high street retailer said full-year profit before tax is now expected to be £365m, £65m higher than the forecast given in September. Full price sales in the three months ended 24 October increased 2.8 per [...]
