More tourists came to the UK in 2016 than ever before February 17, 2017 No, it's not your imagination – there were more tourists visiting the UK than ever before in 2016. Last year, a record-breaking 37.3m inbound visitors filled the streets of Britain, up three per cent from 2015 and even more than the predicted number of 36.7m, VisitBritain's latest figures show. The numbers point to strong growth from North America. [...]
Winning the battle for completely free trade post-Brexit will vastly increase UK prosperity February 16, 2017 Economists for Free Trade (of which I’m part) is launching today to make the case for the UK to run completely free trade once we leave the EU in 2019. Our aim is simple. We want Britain to lead the world on free trade. Our group has been formed to fight the battle which needs [...]
Have Manchester United reached peak noodle partner? Why the club’s status as football’s commercial kings may be under threat February 11, 2017 Manchester United’s commercial power could be plateauing. Figures revealed this week in the club’s second quarter report suggest United, who have been more effective at selling their brand to sponsors than any other football club in the world in recent years, may have finally reached peak noodle partner. United’s commercial income came in virtually unchanged compared [...]
ArcelorMittal rides surging steel prices to post earnings 20 per cent up February 10, 2017 ArcelorMittal rode the surging steel and iron ore prices in 2016, to record a 20 per cent rise in profits in full year results. The company's shares rose by more than four per cent in morning trading in Amsterdam. The figures Earnings for 2016 grew to $6.3bn, a fifth more than the $5.2bn recorded in [...]
Skymoons delivers eastern promise in game changing UK investment February 9, 2017 Chinese mobile games giant Skymoons has announced its first European investment – a games development studio in Edinburgh – as part of its global expansion in the digital entertainment market. Skymoons, one of the most established publishers of mobile games in China, will now develop an MMO (multi player online game) from its Edinburgh studio, [...]
The new indifference: Why markets just don’t care about political risk February 9, 2017 The market reaction to excessive political turmoil has been extraordinary over the last year. Any investor with a crystal ball would have shunned risk assets, given the traditional relationship between political uncertainty and equity market volatility. But they would have been wrong. Incredibly, markets dismissed each event with increasing disdain. There is no sign of [...]
Huawei Mate 9 review: The latest Huawei flagship fills the phablet gap left behind by Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 February 8, 2017 Having had its reputation scuttled by the exploding Galaxy Note 7 – a phone that’s now as welcome on an aeroplane plane as a wet fart – Samsung has left a slightly singed gap in the phablet market. Men and women with very large hands who need giant telephones to make them feel momentarily normal [...]
Projections that the Chinese economy will overtake America’s any time soon are fanciful February 8, 2017 Possibly the single most important of the tensions stoked up by President Trump is the rivalry between the United States and China. Economic strength will be the ultimate determinant of this struggle for the position of Top Nation. Comparisons of the size of economies, particularly ones at very different levels of income per head, are fraught [...]
The UK is losing out on foreign direct investment due to the uncertainty following Brexit vote February 7, 2017 The UK is losing out on foreign direct investment (FDI) due to the uncertainty following last year's Brexit vote, according to a new study by accountancy group UHY Hacker Young. The study, which looked at FDI inflows last year in 45 major economies, found the amount of investment fetched by the UK is lagging behind [...]
January transfer window 2017: Premier League clubs record profit for the first time as Manchester United and Chelsea earn over £100m February 1, 2017 Premier League clubs recorded a transfer profit for the first time in last month's transfer window, despite spending more money than ever before in January. A record £215m was spent by top flight teams on new signings in this year's January window, according to Deloitte's Sport Business Group, yet teams still enjoyed a collective £40m [...]