Do luxury products have a pricing problem? November 13, 2024 At some point, luxury brands all face the same question: How do you price a good at a level that implies desirability and exclusivity without making it completely exclusionary? The vast majority of luxury brands rely on the aspirational consumer just as much as the super-wealthy. McKinsey has estimated that around half of the luxury [...]
Ahead of the Game: Reading FC hero emerges as potential saviour November 13, 2024 Also in Ahead of the Game: Mendy's record payout; Badenoch to oppose football regulator; ICC chief to stay on.
Astrazeneca: FTSE 100 giant shrugs off China worries with profit upgrade November 12, 2024 Pharmaceuticals giant Astrazeneca has reported double-digit sales growth on higher demand and said it remains committed to China despite the detention of a high-ranking staff member there. The FTSE 100 firm told markets this morning that total revenue rose 19 per cent to $39.2bn (£30.6bn) in the first nine months of the year. The London-listed [...]
What a second Trump term could mean for Tiktok and Big Tech November 11, 2024 By the eve of returning US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Tiktok must find a foreign buyer to replace its Chinese owner or risk being banned from the US entirely, due to a law passed in April. But Bytedance, the app’s parent company, is pushing back. It has lodged a legal challenge calling the measure unconstitutional [...]
Astrazeneca: How a fraud investigation crashed a FTSE 100 giant November 10, 2024 Not too long ago, pharmaceutical giant Astrazeneca reached a £200bn valuation—one of only a few London-listed FTSE 100 companies to do so. The major milestone was a testament to CEO Pascal Soriot’s strategic overhaul over the past decade, which has steered Astrazeneca away from its historic focus on respiratory and primary care toward a successful [...]
Trump and Tesla shares soar as Republicans secure victory November 6, 2024 Shares in Trump Media & Technology Group and Tesla soared in early trading on Wednesday as investors rallied behind stocks associated with newly elected US President Donald Trump and one of his key backers, Elon Musk. Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), owner of the Truth Social platform, spiked as much as 35 per cent [...]
FTSE 100 falls back as traders digest Trump presidency November 6, 2024 The FTSE 100 pared its gains and sterling tumbled on Wednesday as traders digested how Donald Trump's presidency will impact the global economy and the UK.
Smith & Nephew slashes guidance as China slowdown continues October 31, 2024 Hip and knee implant maker Smith & Nephew has cut its full-year guidance as it continues to grapple with a slowdown in China. It booked third quarter revenue of $1.4bn (£1.08bn), up four per cent year on year, but Chinese sales dragged as the region experienced “worse than expected headwinds” across the surgical businesses. The [...]
Fifa lands first sponsor for controversial Club World Cup October 30, 2024 Fifa’s Club World Cup has received a much-needed shot in the arm after electronic appliance brand Hisense signed up as its first sponsor. The deal comes less than eight months before the revamped and expanded 32-team competition is due to take place for the first time in the US next summer. Preparations have been blighted [...]
Aston Martin slashes loss by over £100m October 30, 2024 Aston Martin slashed its pre-tax loss by 90 per cent during its latest financial period after being boosted by a rise in its wholesale volumes. The Warwickshire-headquartered luxury car maker has reported a pre-tax loss of £12.2m for its third quarter, down from the £117.6m loss it posted during the same three-month period in 2022. [...]