Can AI replace the boardroom? April 30, 2025 AI is quietly taking over strategic decisions and that’s a mistake. If strategy is going to stay human, then it has to stay messy, says Paul Armstrong Automation used to mean invoices, scheduling and sorting PDFs. Now it means suggesting layoffs, flagging underperforming units, reshaping go-to-market strategy, and proposing M&A targets. AI isn’t just in [...]
Hand-outs for middle class parents don’t help the poorest children April 25, 2025 In a tight spending environment, anyone who cares about child poverty should be advocating for policies that have a real impact – not free school meals for wealthy families, says Ben Gadsby The government is marking the post-Easter return to school with a focus on poverty, as they begin rolling out breakfast clubs to every [...]
The Fed shouldn’t hit back at Trump, just talk louder April 24, 2025 The problem with Trump’s “major loser” jibes at the Fed isn’t that they’re wrong (though they are), it’s that they’re being heard, says Tim Focas If you closed your eyes and listened to President Trump lambast Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, you might think you were watching this Sunday’s Wrestlemania, not a political announcement. “Major [...]
Don’t abolish the Mayor, just get rid of Sadiq Khan April 24, 2025 The problem facing London is not the institution of the Mayor or the London Assembly that scrutinises him – it’s the incumbent, Sadiq Khan, says Neil Garratt Tony Lodge’s recent article in City AM questioning the value of London’s Mayoralty after 25 years provokes an important debate, but reaches the wrong conclusion. The problem facing [...]
Argentex considers sale to IFX Payments after tariffs trigger cash squeeze April 23, 2025 Currency management company Argentex is in “advanced discussions” over an acquisition by IFX Payments after the firm faced a critical cash crunch amid President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff agenda. In a statement on Wednesday, Argentex said whilst discussions had progressed with IFX, no certainty had been reached. But, its board had “unequivocally rejected” an offer [...]
Iniesta face of FedEx-backed Champions of Business list April 22, 2025 Former Barcelona great Andres Iniesta has thrown himself into the corporate world, as face of the FedEx-backed Champions of Business list. Spaniard Iniesta, who played for Barcelona over 400 times and is an international centurion, is part of the campaign which aims to thrust SMEs into the spotlight. The complete FedEx list includes grassroots football [...]
Will the price of gold keep going up? April 22, 2025 The US-China trade war rumbles on. Investors are digging their trenches. The dollar is losing its force while the price of gold is going ballistic. A week ago, UBS made what some saw as a bold prediction that gold would reach $3,500 per ounce by December 2025. That milestone has already been hit. Scarred stockholders [...]
Pound on best run since 1971 as FTSE 100 claws back gains April 22, 2025 The pound and the FTSE 100 continued their strong runs on Tuesday on the back of US instability. Sterling was on track for its 11th day of gains, which would be its longest streak since January 1971 – when the currency switched to the decimal system. It was up 0.6 per cent to $1.34 against [...]
FTSE 100 down after US stocks slump April 21, 2025 The FTSE 100 opened seven points down on Tuesday morning, following a major US market slump on Bank Holiday Monday. US stock markets took another hit on Monday, with the S&P 500 closing down 2.38 per cent – at 5,158 – while the Nasdaq fell 2.5 per cent and and Dow Jones slumped 2.48 per [...]
Dollar ‘disruptions’ could rattle global financial system April 17, 2025 A fragile dollar could wreak havoc on the global financial system unless US authorities intervene and provide a backstop, a new report has suggested. President Donald Trump’s full-blown trade war with China has sent markets around the world sliding while the dollar index on Thursday afternoon was 8.7 per cent below levels seen three months [...]