Government issues sustainable finance standards for fund managers October 28, 2020 The UK has issued a set of standards for asset managers within the sustainable investment sector as it shores up its green credentials. Interest in environmental, social and governance-related investing has taken centre stage in recent years. Inflows into active ESG funds reached a record £392m in September, taking the quarterly total to £1bn, according [...]
Octopus Ventures ‘extremely optimistic’ about investment landscape October 28, 2020 Investors have spent most of this year looking inwards as they sought to shore up their portfolio companies in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. But even as the UK continues to grapple with uncertainty amid another round of lockdowns, some investors are starting to look for opportunities to expand their portfolio. London-based VC firm [...]
Paris overtakes Heathrow as Europe’s busiest airport October 28, 2020 Paris has overtaken Heathrow as Europe’s busiest airport following a sharp drop in passenger numbers at the London travel hub. Heathrow’s chief executive John Holland-Kaye called on the government to introduce pre-departure coronavirus tests and to create an airbridge with the US as the number of travellers using the airport continued to fall. He warned [...]
Deutsche Bank swings to surprise profit in third quarter October 28, 2020 Deutsche Bank reported a surprise profit for the third quarter this morning despite its ongoing restructuring and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The lender posted a profit of €309m as its net revenues grew 13 per cent year-on-year to €5.9bn during the quarter. It saw profit attributable to shareholders rise to €182m, compared with [...]
Rush to beat stamp duty rise sees UK house prices jump again October 28, 2020 The stamp duty holiday and pent-up demand have led to a stampede into the housing market, with 140,000 more buyers currently waiting to complete their property transactions than a year earlier, according to a new report. The high demand saw UK house prices jump again in September by three per cent year on year, the [...]
UK maintains position as leader of Europe’s fintech community October 28, 2020 The UK continues to reign as the leader of Europe’s fintech community as investment among its peers lags behind. Investors in the UK’s fintechs remain bullish even as the country heads towards a no-deal Brexit, according to new figures from the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME). The AFME’s ranking is based on a [...]
Octopus Ventures leads seed funding round in pet-tech firm Katkin October 28, 2020 London-based pet food company Katkin has secured £4.5m of funding in a seed round led by venture capital firm Octopus Ventures. Katkin was set up by siblings Brett and Nikki O’Farrell to produce healthy cat food after realising the options available didn’t provide cats with the nutrition they needed. The wet food contains 95 per [...]
Guinness brews up strong brand performance with alcohol-free beer October 28, 2020 Global drinks company Diageo recently announced an alcohol-free version of Guinness in Britain and Ireland, with a global rollout set for 2021. “Guinness 0.0” will initially go on sale in supermarkets and off-licences, with pubs and restaurants to follow later in the year. Data from YouGov Plan & Track indicates that the move, in conjunction [...]
Mercedes-Benz to take 20 per cent stake in embattled British icon Aston Martin October 28, 2020 Mercedes-Benz will take a 20 per cent equity stake in beleaguered Aston Martin, the iconic British carmaker announced this afternoon.
Woolworths may not be making a return, but our love of retail is October 28, 2020 Admit it, you did it, I did it, we all did it at least once — pinching from the pick n mix at your local Woolworths. And sadly, all that came to an end in December 2008, when all remaining Woolworths stores were shuttered for good. As a nation we mourned. We mourned the loss [...]
