Passive versus active fund management: Why the rise and rise of passive funds should strengthen corporate governance May 2, 2017 A growing proportion of world financial assets are held in passive funds of one kind or another. In the US, more than one third of all mutual funds are passive. In the UK, one quarter of all money under management is managed under a passive strategy. The arguments in favour of passive include lower costs [...]
Mergermarket rebrand fuels speculation of possible sale April 23, 2017 Financial information giant Mergermarket will rebrand this summer, raising speculation among City figures that the company is about to be sold. Mergermarket Group, which is owned by private equity firm BC Partners, provides specialised market news and analysis to a number of top City investment banks, hedge funds and law firms. Read more: Mergermarket continues [...]
China’s Bright Food loses its taste for Weetabix and sells it to the American Post Holdings: Where did it all go wrong? April 19, 2017 It was announced yesterday that Chinese company Bright Food is to sell Weetabix to the American Post Holdings. Bright Food acquired the British stalwart in 2012 with a view to introducing breakfast cereal to the lucrative Asian market, but recently put the brand up for sale when it became clear it had struggled to crack [...]
Gold prices: The yellow has found a new pocket of opportunity April 18, 2017 “Don’t gain the world and lose your soul; wisdom is better than silver or gold.” You may have to read the quote more than once, but Bob Marley knew what he was talking about. At the moment, investors seemingly disagree a bit with him, and they have pushed spot gold up around 8 per cent [...]
London must take a leaf from Hong Kong’s book to thrive amid Brexit uncertainty April 4, 2017 With Article 50 signed, sealed and delivered, we are heading into a new chapter of uncertainty. And this is the reason why, after 20 years building my career as an entrepreneur and investor in Hong Kong and Asia, I am uprooting and returning to London. I have seen first-hand how Hong Kong has evolved since [...]
Commercial property investment in London’s West End hits record high of £1.93bn in the first quarter of 2017 April 3, 2017 Commercial property investment in London’s West End has hit a record high of £1.93bn in the first quarter of 2017, driven by buyers from Hong Kong. According to Cushman & Wakefield (C&W), the figure is up by 22 per cent on the five-year first quarter average, surpassing the West End’s previous record of £1.8bn in [...]
Article 50 and sport: What triggering of Brexit process could mean for Britain’s sport industry, from player transfers to stadium projects and intellectual property March 28, 2017 The highly-anticipated triggering of Article 50 is now upon us and, on Wednesday, the UK will begin the two-year untangling process from the European Union. But what impact will this have on the UK’s sports industry which last year, according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, contributed more than £35bn to the British [...]
Lack of online experience at major luxury brands undermining growth opportunities March 20, 2017 Lack of senior experience in ecommerce and emerging markets could be holding back profitability at top luxury brands, according to research by executive search firm DHR. The study of the world’s top 50 luxury goods businesses found that just five per cent of board members have experience in ecommerce, and only 16 per cent have [...]
Holiday Homes: The property market in Lisbon is so hot right now, it’s being called ‘the California of Europe’ March 17, 2017 One of Europe’s most beautiful cities is also now one of its most vibrant and dynamic. For decades Lisbon’s development and historic architecture was neglected, but things are looking better for the city, tourism is up, unemployment down, and foreign money is bringing in new investment. One of the drivers of this surge in vitality [...]
Focus On Twickenham: Families flock to TW1 for period houses, riverside walks, and a 25min commute March 17, 2017 As the Six Nations tournament comes to a close this Saturday, all eyes are on Twickenham. This leafy south west London suburb may buzz with life around match days – with the thoroughfare between Twickenham station and the stadium getting particularly boisterous – but the rest of the time, it’s the picture of modern, aspirational [...]