The Crown Prince’s UK trip shows Saudi means business March 5, 2018 The arrival of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week presents a unique opportunity for our two countries to usher in a new era of trade and investment. Relations between these nations have considerable history. Saudi Arabia and Britain have enjoyed a close friendship dating back 100 years. What makes the timing of Prince [...]
Beware the real Beast from the East: Chinese tech giants March 5, 2018 The last week has seen the UK battered by the worst snow we’ve seen in years, thanks to freezing temperatures coming from the east. But cold weather and heavy snow is not the only thing that is making the move from east to west. Chinese tech giants Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu and JD.com have started to [...]
Blockchain and artificial intelligence to cause a flurry of tech M&A, but private equity’s bubble could burst warns new report from Hampleton Partners March 5, 2018 A flurry of technology mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are set to happen before 2020, a new report predicts. However private equity firms – which have recently been elbowing trade buyers out of the way to splash the cash on tech targets, such as in the $5.3bn (£3.8bn) buyout of Nets – could soon see their [...]
Samsung Galaxy S9, Nokia 8110, Sony Xperia XZ2, Asus Zenfone 5: The biggest announcements from this year’s Mobile World Conference February 28, 2018 Samsung Galaxy S9 ETA: 16 March £739, samsung.com Place the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S9 beside last year’s Galaxy S8 and you’d be hard-pressed to spot the difference. “Shoot him,” one phone would implore during a climactic fight scene in which you must decide to execute the phone you believe to be the impostor. “I’m [...]
Property gloom is not really justified February 28, 2018 The amount of construction going on in the City of London makes the British capital look like a boomtown. Yet, following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, the market has been distinctly downbeat on the value of London office space and the share prices of London-listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) has collapsed. [...]
Commodity outlook in the Year of the Dog February 23, 2018 We are now in the Chinese Year of the Dog. With China being the main driver of commodity markets – and Britain’s blue chip miners enjoying a long bull run – what is the outlook for commodities for the rest of the year? China’s seemingly insatiable desire for commodities will slow. The country is seeking [...]
Five habits of good investing February 21, 2018 Taking a long-term view History suggests the stock market is the best way to grow wealth over the long term, easily outpacing interest rates on cash. However, significant market falls are also a part of investing and notoriously difficult to predict. It is worth remembering that the longer you invest for the greater your chances [...]
Chanel invests in London tech startup Farfetch February 19, 2018 French fashion house Chanel has bought a stake in London-based fashion retail platform Farfetch, as the two companies plan digital projects together. Chanel is set to introduce an “augmented retail” element to its boutiques with the help of Farfetch. This will include elements of ultra-personalisation, using Farfetch’s digital know-how to give insights on customer preferences. [...]
Where next for markets as Europe moves from recovery to expansion? February 16, 2018 Market volatility rose at the start of February against a backdrop of strong economic data, causing many investors to question whether the bull-run for the stock market was over. Can Europe’s economic momentum continue and how will tighter monetary policy affects investments? At the 2018 Schroders Investment Conference investment experts discussed the economic outlook for [...]
FTSE 100 shares fall again after steep drops on Nikkei, Hang Seng and Sensex February 9, 2018 The FTSE 100 was falling again in morning trading today, after sharp falls among Asian stocks overnight. The drop came after US markets closed in correction territory last night, with both the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 falling more than 10 per cent since their most recent highs. Today the FTSE 100 fell as [...]