Investment trust winners of 2016 November 29, 2016 Investment trusts focused on Asia are on course to deliver some of the best returns in 2016, according to data for trust sectors. Investment trusts are an alternative to more commonly held open-ended funds or unit trusts, offering some advantages. This is explained here: investment trust v open-ended funds Here, we look at the [...]
The City will remain at the vanguard of financial innovation post-Brexit November 24, 2016 A year ago, London Stock Exchange celebrated the first Green Bond from China to be listed internationally, a landmark renminbi and dollar issuance by the Agricultural Bank of China. I wrote here at the time how London was leading the world in financing the global shift to a low carbon economy – a transition endorsed [...]
Here’s what Skyscanner’s biggest shareholder had to say about £1.4bn sale November 24, 2016 The biggest shareholder in unicorn tech startup Skyscanner, snapped up by Chinese firm Ctrip for £1.4bn, has told City A.M. the deal is a good one for the UK's tech industry, just a day after chancellor Philip Hammond announced measures to counter the trend of the UK's brightest companies selling rather than scaling up. "This is [...]
Deutsche Boerse exec warns US and China will dominate if London Stock Exchange merger is blocked November 24, 2016 A Deutsche Boerse executive has warned rival firms from the US and China will dominate if the German’s merger with the London Stock Exchange falls through. The exchanges are expecting a statement of objections to their tie-up from the European Commission next month and analysts remain doubtful the deal will complete. Read more: Stock exchanges [...]
Bang for your buckwheat – here’s where Londoners say they pay over the odds for dinner November 24, 2016 While there are plenty of budget-friendly food options in England's capital, dining in some restaurants – and in some neighbourhoods – can come with a staggeringly steep price tag. Harden's London Restaurants Guide for 2017, released Wednesday, revealed the results of its 26th annual survey of 7,500 regular restaurant-goers to determine not only which restaurants [...]
Mothercare’s boss isn’t prepared to throw the baby out with the bathwater despite stalling sales November 24, 2016 Shares in high-street darling Mothercare fell over one per cent after its chief exec said both sales and profit margins had "stalled" over the last six months. The figures Half-year UK like-for-like sales fell by 0.7 per cent from £237m to £231m. International like-for-like sales fell by 2.9 per cent but increased in actual currency terms, [...]
Asian investors have poured over £1.5bn into London property since the Brexit vote November 21, 2016 Asian investors have been pouring their money into London commercial property following the Brexit vote. Figures from Cushman & Wakefield seen by City A.M. show that Asian buyers have spent over £1.5bn in the capital since June 2016, snapping up properties in the City and the West End. Read more: Apple's move to Battersea Power Station boosts [...]
Bonmarche blames BHS and the weather for sales hit November 21, 2016 Womenswear retailer Bonmarche has blamed the weather and BHS for its declining sales. The company said this morning that like-for-like sales were down 8.6 per cent, which could be in part attributed to the clearance of BHS' stock ahead of the store closing down. Bonmarche also said the weather "was a major variable" in its poor performance [...]
Have investors jumped the gun in thinking that the era of low inflation is now over? November 21, 2016 Jason Hollands, managing director at Tilney Bestinvest, says Yes. Deep tax cuts, looser banking regulation, massive spending on infrastructure and the military, alongside higher tariffs on imports and tighter immigration restrictions – Donald Trump’s economic policies are inherently inflationary for the US economy, especially against a background of low unemployment. Global bond markets have reacted [...]
“Co-storytelling”: How US business magazine and media company Forbes plans to upset the journalism establishment… again November 20, 2016 City workers may be surprised to learn that it is rare, and even frowned upon in some areas, for journalists to familiarise themselves with the business-end of their trade. But, with revenues, profits and headcounts at publishing companies falling each year, editorial staff may increasingly find themselves having to familiarise themselves with how their companies [...]