Surge in spoof humour book sales boosts WH Smith on the high street – but travel’s still the stationer’s lifeblood January 25, 2017 Well, it couldn't rely on adult colouring books forever, could it? The fad around adult colouring books might be slowing, but WH Smith has instead seen a surge in sales of spoof humour books, such as Five on Brexit Island and Five Give Up the Booze, spoofing Enid Blyton's The Famous Five. There's also the Ladybirds for Grown-Ups series, [...]
Pay-as-you-go insurtech startup Cuvva has raised cash from a top VC January 25, 2017 A fintech startup offering motorists flexible pay-as-you-go insurance by the hour as landed new investment from one of the UK's top venture capitalists. London-based Cuvva has landed £1.5m seed capital from Robin Klein's LocalGlobal, a backer of Zoopla and Citmapper, to target urban drivers who use their cars infrequently and tapping into the same habits which [...]
The year of the stock picker: Which value shares look underpriced in 2017? January 24, 2017 We've heard it before. When there is greater volatility and more dispersion in the market, canny investors should be able to beat the index. The great rotation in equities which markets are anticipating due to looser fiscal policy and higher interest rates under Donald Trump is filling active managers with optimism that they can use [...]
The number of female executives at BFGEI member firms increased by a quarter in one year January 23, 2017 The number of female executives increased by more than a quarter between fiscal year 2014 and 2015, according to figures released today by Bloomberg. The group's 2017 Financial Services Gender-Equality Index (BFGEI) found an average of 24.2 per cent female representation on the 52 boards it surveyed, which include Barclays, American Express and Royal Bank of Scotland. Read more: The [...]
Theresa May and Philip Hammond stick up for the City in Davos after banking job threats over Brexit January 19, 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May and her chancellor Philip Hammond came out fighting at Davos yesterday following reports that London’s banking sector faces job losses in the wake of Brexit. Ahead of a crunch meeting between May and global investment banking bosses including Lloyd Blankfein, German newspaper Handelsblatt said that Blankfein’s bank – Goldman Sachs – could [...]
Brexit hit to operations expected by institutional investors but they will continue to hold UK assets, according to “Brexometer” January 19, 2017 Big institutional investors think Brexit will change their operating models but are determined to hold on to UK assets despite fears of a slowdown, according to a new survey. Of the institutional investors surveyed by State Street for its new “Brexometer” poll, 80 per cent expect Brexit to impact their operations, as the UK faces [...]
Pan-European trade body to scrutinise Brexit impact for EU, as the UK prepares for life outside the Single Market January 19, 2017 A leading trade body for Europe's financial markets has launched a study into what fallout the EU can expect from the UK leaving the Single Market. Prime Minister Theresa May laid out her vision for a post-Brexit Britain in a hotly-anticipated speech on Tuesday, including, as many had suspected, plans to leave the Single Market. [...]
Philip Hammond warns Europe the UK will “find ways” to compete without a trade deal January 19, 2017 Chancellor Philip Hammond reiterated his warnings that the UK will “find ways” to compete if it is unable to secure a “comprehensive trading relationship” after Brexit. Hammond stressed that while the UK did not want to cut taxes to remain competitive, the decision was "not entirely in our gift". “We have to remain competitive. The best way [...]
Barclays boss: London will continue to be the “financial lungs” of Europe post-Brexit January 19, 2017 The boss of one of the UK's biggest banks has today come out fighting for the City's post-Brexit status, likening London to an essential organ for the continent's financial health. "I don't believe that the European finances system, our centre, will leave the City of London," Jes Staley, chief executive of Barclays told the BBC in [...]
Goldman Sachs is considering halving its London workforce January 19, 2017 Goldman Sachs is considering cutting the number of staff in London to 3,000 after Brexit, it has been reported – effectively halving its workforce in the UK. German newspaper Handelsblatt reported that the US banking giant is mulling moving 1,000 jobs to Frankfurt as part of the plans, while other key operations would move to New [...]