Five reasons why tech stocks are in trouble November 27, 2018 For months, technology stocks have been the holy grail for growth, with valuations reaching dizzying heights. So, considering that what goes up must come down, perhaps it’s not surprising that stocks started tumbling last week. Share prices for each of the five tech giants – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google (the so-called Faangs) – [...]
Have faith, the UK can weather the political storm November 27, 2018 Winston Churchill once said that Brits are “the only people who like to be told how bad things are, who like to be told the worst”. In these turbo-charged political times, I would take it one step further and say that Brits not only like to be told the worst, but they often expect the worst. [...]
Mark Zuckerberg is a modern wartime chief executive November 26, 2018 Facebook was meant to revolutionise and make everything better wasn’t it? It was a friendly social networking platform that would allow us to share photos and videos, and stay in touch with those we needed to: friends, family, and the loved ones we were separated from by distances in time and geography. But the revelations [...]
Public speaking 101: Stick to what you know November 23, 2018 "The problem with your method”, the head of organisational behaviour of a tier-one investment bank tells me, “is that our bankers are often asked to speak about subjects that they know little about. Can you help them with that?” My client was referring to the main premise of my presentation training: that in a presentation, [...]
How Brexit could help mortgage prisoners break free November 22, 2018 In the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, lenders were dishing out large mortgages and asking for tiny deposits in return. Property values were rapidly outpacing wage growth, and buyers were being allowed to borrow eight times their annual salary. For many homeowners, the problems started after the crash when the regulators forced [...]
Given the upcoming Brexit hurdles, what’s in store for sterling? November 21, 2018 The long-awaited draft withdrawal agreement was unveiled last Wednesday, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like we were finally getting somewhere. News that Theresa May had reached a deal pushed the pound up a notch against the dollar. But, as is often the case with anything Brexit-related, optimism was short-lived. May’s deal was fiercely [...]
Erm… How your speech skills could be holding you back November 21, 2018 I remember a speech that an influential central banker made recently. The introductory comments contained a lot of filled pauses, like “ums” and “ahs”, as well as stretched and repeated words. When the speaker switched to using a script (that is, reading aloud from paper), the speech pattern totally changed. In speech terms, it was [...]
Whatever the CIA says, the west could turn a blind eye over Khashoggi’s murder November 21, 2018 The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has put a strain on political and economic relations between Saudi Arabia and the west. On Sunday, word came that the CIA blamed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder, with sources close to the agency saying that it had assessed the evidence in detail. The [...]
This government will use free enterprise as a force for good November 20, 2018 Last week, Cabinet Office staff visited a company called Clarity, a soap-making social enterprise established in 1845. In addition to sampling some of the excellent soap they supply to our department, they met the employees who make their products, all of whom have disabilities or long-term health conditions. Clarity is deeply committed to supporting and [...]
After last week’s evictions, what next for Big Brother: Brexit edition? November 19, 2018 How could they do it? After 18 years on UK television, Channel 5 has waved goodbye to hit show Big Brother. But fear not, the fun format has been reborn. And it’s no mere house this time, it’s a palace – the Palace of Westminster. If the pilot is anything to go by, this one [...]
