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 [...]
Slew of insurance deals are on the cards for 2017 as Solvency II bites March 17, 2017 Dealmaking in the insurance sector will shift into top gear in 2017 as the need to set aside regulatory capital "forces companies to grow or go", according to a report by experts. Nearly all firms (94 per cent) surveyed by accountancy firm KPMG expect to make at least one divestiture during 2017, with the lion's share (84 [...]
Who owns London? The capital’s biggest landowners: Qataris own as much land as the Queen and TfL put together March 17, 2017 A company part-owned by the Qataris own almost as much land in the capital as Transport for London and the Queen put together, a new ranking has suggested, while the City of London was ranked second. Figures compiled by Datscha for property trade bible Property Week showed Canary Wharf Group, which is joint-owned by Qatari [...]
Marks and Spencer has shut down its Beijing branch as it heads out of China March 14, 2017 Marks and Spencer has pulled out of China, closing its prestigious Beijing branch earlier this month, the company confirmed. The retailer said it also closed two stores in February in the country and three more in January. Three remaining stores in Shanghai are scheduled to close by 1 April. Adam Colton, Marks & Spencer managing [...]
Prudential share price jumps on news of record operating profit driven by Asian growth March 14, 2017 Prudential shares rose over two per cent in early trading after the FTSE 100 insurer posted record annual operating profits, driven by a seventh year of double-digit growth in Asia. The figures Operating profit on longer-term investments rose by seven per cent to £4.3bn with underlying free surplus generated increasing 18 per cent to £3.6bn. [...]