Q and A: High growth segment February 23, 2014 Q What’s the High Growth Segment? A It’s an attempt by the London Stock Exchange to keep British technology firms in the country, rather than waving off the UK’s next answer to Google as it takes the well-trodden path to the Nasdaq or NYSE once it becomes big enough to list. Q What makes it [...]
The West has killed its entrepreneurs and replaced them with bureaucrats February 23, 2014 IF WESTERN economies have lost considerable ground to emerging powers over the last two decades, it is not simply because we lack the cheap labour of China and India or the natural resources of Russia and Brazil. It is because we have killed our own entrepreneurs at a time when our competitors made business creators [...]
The Federal Reserve has finally released minutes from its 2008 meeting February 21, 2014 The minutes from the 16 September 2008 meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee have finally been made public. That meeting took place the day after Lehman Brothers went bust. Then Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke sums up the mood pretty well: Obviously, we started late. We have a lot to talk about. Bernanke didn't [...]
DEAL FRENZY: Pets At Home lines up to follow King, Poundland and ISS to market February 18, 2014 STOCK markets roared back into life yesterday after discount retailer Poundland, Candy Crush Saga producer King Digital Entertainment, and services firm ISS fired the starting gun on flotation plans, with UK pet store Pets at Home expected to follow suit as soon as today. UK retailer Poundland revealed plans to list in London in March, [...]
Bottom Line: London just needs to wait a bit for lift-off February 18, 2014 ON ONE level and after a superficial look at developments, it might seem as if London is in danger of missing out on the impending flood of new issues that are about to hit the financial markets. Yesterday’s flurry of statements revealed that ISS, the giant services group, is floating in Copenhagen; King.com has chosen [...]
Retail investors to be courted in biggest Nordic flotation in years February 18, 2014 ISS, the Danish outsourcing group, intends to attract retail investors to its stock market flotation in Copenhagen, the biggest Nordic flotation in 14 years. “There’s potential to have strong demand,” chief executive Jeff Gravenhorst said yesterday. “The percentage that goes to the retail investor will depend on their appetite.” ISS, which is part-owned by Sweden’s [...]
Candy Crush maker King’s $500m IPO on its way February 18, 2014 The developer of addictive puzzle solving games, King, has confirmed that it's going to market. The company has filed for a $500m initial public offering. It boats 324m monthly unique users, and offers a portfolio of over 180 games. King hopes to list ordinary shares on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticket symbol [...]
Man Utd chief: If success-starved Liverpool can still sell shirts we don’t need to worry February 12, 2014 Mirth might be in short supply among Manchester United fans this season but that did not stop executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward making an apparent joke at Liverpool’s expense while announcing financials today. Woodward delivered the pointed quip during an investor conference call while rebutting fears that United’s dreadful recent on-field performance would affect their famous [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 05 February 2014 February 4, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Deutsche aims to regain lost ground Deutsche Bank has appointed a new New York-based co-head of fixed income trading as the lender adds senior staff and billions in capital to its US business to regain lost ground in the largest investment banking market in the world. Rich Herman has been elevated to the [...]
US stocks pare losses as steady data calms bears February 4, 2014 US STOCKS bounced back yesterday, following Monday’s sell-off and the bigger slump that hit Asian markets, buoyed by better data on the health of American industry. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) assessment of January factory conditions in New York came in slightly stronger than expected, and although factory orders fell 1.5 per cent from [...]