Where do markets go from here? March 31, 2020 One thing’s for sure: as the Prime Minister has already said, the Covid-19 outbreak is going to get worse before it gets better. But with Asia showing that social distancing can work and with recent lockdown measures put in place in the UK, the question becomes: what next? Where’s the floor? For our part, we [...]
City Moves for 31 March – Who’s switching jobs at Quantuma, Medica and FRP? March 31, 2020 Today’s City Moves includes Quantuma, Medica and FRP Quantuma Business advisory firm Quantuma has announced the appointment of Philippa Robinson as a director in its corporate finance team. Philippa joins Quantuma after qualifying with KPMG to become a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. In her role at KPMG, she [...]
Music to the ears: How the music industry has been revived by the digital age March 31, 2020 A lot has changed in the music industry from the position it found itself in 20 years ago. In 1999, with Westlife, Fatboy Slim and Britney Spears at the top of the charts, global music revenues peaked at more than $39bn. A decade later, the emergence of digital technology and file sharing had brought about a dramatic [...]
Covid-19 will hit emerging economies hard March 31, 2020 Coronavirus has stopped both the medical and economic worlds in their tracks. If last week’s preliminary data flashes are anything to go by, the global economy is en route to a recession that will surpass 2008 both in speed and in magnitude. The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) estimated last week that the [...]
Don’t leave the South East behind as Britain levels up March 31, 2020 The Big Smoke dominates — our economy, our culture and our, well, pretty much everything in the UK. In Westminster, just a small corner of the behemoth that is London, life-changing decisions — for better and worse — are being made that will dramatically impact public services, businesses, and families for years to come. That [...]
Competitive sectors face the hardest hit from coronavirus March 31, 2020 The package of economic support offered by the Treasury — from a standing start — is one of the most impressive among any western country. But the cascading consequences of the coronavirus crisis mean that there are all kinds of areas where the pleas for help continue to come. Small businesses, for example, are the [...]
Why you’re more likely to fail in business if you don’t continually learn March 31, 2020 Failure is something that we all experience. Regardless of career, everyone faces times when they make mistakes and don’t achieve planned objectives. In business, 90 per cent of startups fail and some of the most prolific people in history have failed at some point. Oprah Winfrey, a billionaire famed for her candid interviews, was fired [...]
Coronavirus: UK business confidence falls to lowest level since October March 31, 2020 Overall UK business confidence fell to its lowest level since October amid the coronavirus crisis, reflecting a drop in both trading prospects and economic optimism. The Lloyds Bank Business Barometer shows a 17 percentage point drop to six per cent last month. Economic optimism dropped from 23 per cent, its highest level for 17 months, [...]
Aston Martin furloughs workers as production suspended March 30, 2020 UK sports car-maker Aston Martin said today it would furlough some of its workers after the coronavirus crisis forced it to close factories. Under the government scheme employers can claim for 80 per cent of wage costs of up to £2,500 for staff they place on leave. The company suspended production at its Gaydon and [...]
Standard Chartered to freeze staff and cut bonuses to weather crisis March 30, 2020 Ftse 100 bank Standard Chartered has told staff it is freezing hiring for two months and said it is likely to cut bonuses, as it grapples with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The Asia and Africa-focused bank said it would also re-prioritise discretionary investment for the time being, the company said in a memo [...]
