Burberry puts more emphasis on the Chinese market as it buys up the remaining stake in its retail operation there August 1, 2016 Asia has proved a mixed bag for UK businesses in recent months, with some banks doing everything they can to manoeuvre out of the continent as volatility continued to rock markets. But now Burberry has taken the bold decision to move further into the Chinese market, buying the remaining 15 per cent stake in its Chinese [...]
China’s Ant Financial is testing out blockchain technology July 31, 2016 Ant Financial, the Chinese fintech giant spun off from Alibaba, is testing out blockchain technology for the first time to build a more transparent process for donating money. The group's charity platform, Ant Love, will use blockchain technology to track donations to one project being funded via the site. “We are trying to bring small and [...]
Megabrew: SABMiller share prices fizzes up as AB InBev’s takeover cleared by Chinese authorities, but deal’s outcome still unclear July 29, 2016 China's ministry of commerce has given conditional approval to Anhueser-Busch InBev's takeover of SABMiller, but the deal is still on the rocks after the British drinks giant paused integration activities earlier this week. The competition authority's decision is the final milestone for the deal, dubbed "megabrew", which has been cleared in the three other key markets of the [...]
Odd couple? Axa and Alibaba team up to sell insurance online July 29, 2016 There are some things that are just meant to be together. Salt and pepper. Jelly and ice cream. French insurance giant Axa and Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba. The two companies announced today that they have plans to team up, alongside with Alibaba-affiliate Ant Financial Services, to distribute AXA's insurance products and services through Alibaba's global sales platforms. The new financial services [...]
How Britain can boldly seize the new opportunities created by Brexit in trade and beyond July 28, 2016 After the historic Brexit vote, the UK faces an inflection point, as does the world itself. What Britain does in the next few months and years will have a big impact on the global economy. We may choose to be timid about our future and limit ourselves to a muted conversation with the EU about [...]
This Soho property boss is “on a mission” to make China town less Chinese July 28, 2016 China town is getting a revamp – and it's going to become less Chinese. Speaking to City A.M., the chief executive of Shaftesbury – which owns 3.2 acres of land in Chinatown – said there are too many Cantonese restaurants in China town, and he hopes to attract more varied set of restaurateurs to the heart of London. Read [...]
Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open July 28, 2016 Last night the US Federal Reserve signalled the way to an interest rate rise before the US Presidential Election and investors are busy digesting the flood of earnings reports. Here's what you need to know before the US market open at 2:30pm. The pre-market is pointing lower ahead of the open but looks to be broadly [...]
The case for Hinkley Point C has collapsed: It’s time to scrap it July 28, 2016 Assuming its unions have not succeeded in stopping it, the board of EDF is today expected to wave through a decision on Hinkley C, the first new nuclear power station in the UK for 20 years and, at £18bn, the world’s most expensive power station. It’s easy to forget, Hinkley C was the future once. [...]
Coca-Cola sales fall flat on low Chinese and Latin American demand July 27, 2016 Global drinks giant Coca-Cola’s share price fell more than three per cent yesterday after it reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenue. The figures Weakness in the Chinese and some Latin American markets drove a 5.1 per cent fall in net revenues, coming in at $11.54bn (£8.8bn) in the quarter ended 1 July. Revenues were expected to reach [...]
Watch out Apple? Huawei revenue jumped this year July 25, 2016 Revenues at the Chinese smartphone maker Huawei jumped 40 per cent in the first half of the year. The figures Revenue for the year to the end of June came in at 245.5bn (£28bn), up 40 per cent on last year's 175.6bn yuan, however, its operating margin fell to 12 per cent from 18 per cent in [...]