The cost of talent and housing threaten London’s digital crown March 2, 2017 The government yesterday unveiled its digital strategy – an action plan for growing the digital economy and making the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a digital business. This ambition is undoubtedly very welcome. London is already the best place in Europe for digital startups and scaleups, boasting excellent access [...]
Ultimate Products’ London IPO has been priced at £105m ahead of it joining the main market next week March 1, 2017 Ultimate Products' offer price has been set at 128p, which will equate to a market capitalisation of approximately £105.2m. The offer comprises 41,084,800 shares, representing 50 per cent of the company’s issued share capital on admission. Shore Capital is acting as sponsor, global co-ordinator and bookrunner to the Company, and Cenkos is acting as joint bookrunner. [...]
Consumer goods group Ultimate Products heads for a £100m-plus IPO in the next few days March 1, 2017 Ultimate Products, the innovative consumer goods group, is set for a £100m-plus IPO in London within days. It will list on the main market under the name of UP Global Sourcing Holdings. The IPO’s pricing could take place as early as today. The placing is understood to be substantially oversubscribed with investors taking part believed [...]
Insurer Hiscox is planning to move its EU HQ to either Luxembourg or Malta February 27, 2017 Hiscox has narrowed down its shortlist for a new EU base to two countries and says Brexit is unlikely to impact the firm strategically. The insurer today announced record annual results, with profits soaring and its retail operations growing to represent half of the firm's business, and the firm also revealed it is eyeing move to Malta [...]
Storm Doris: Insurers reveal a spike in claims after the UK’s worst storm of 2017 makes landfall February 24, 2017 The insurance sector has started to count the cost of the 100mph plus gales that have lashed the British Isles over the last few days. Storm Doris has led to a spike in activity for insurers, primarily in relation to land and buildings cover, with one provider saying it had already seen a 300 per cent increase in [...]
Barclays boss Jes Staley spills the beans on Dodd-Frank, Brexit and robots February 23, 2017 Barclays boss Jes Staley was in a chatty mood today – perhaps unsurprising given his bank just announced it had nearly tripled its yearly profits. However, it wasn't just bottom lines and capital ratios the banking chief executive spoke about, as he shared his words of wisdom on a slew of other issues weighing on the [...]
Working Lunch review: Anglo in Farringdon is a constantly surprising, gastronomic take on modern British cuisine February 21, 2017 Anglo 30 St Cross Street, EC1N WHAT? Though it bills itself as ‘modern British’, Anglo is gorgeously gastronomic, but without the fuss and frills. Elegantly-arranged tasting dishes are served up on pristine earthenware in a tiny, contemporary dining room that lets the food do the talking. WHERE? It was pretty much hidden by a dirty [...]
Why is M&A rising? The bigger the company, the more likely it is to survive February 20, 2017 Investor sentiment is still skyrocketing as Donald Trump continues his victory lap and investors revel in the fanfare. The markets are behaving as though the White House’s as-yet-undetailed economic policies will cure all ills, from the simmering uncertainty around French, Dutch and German elections to the biggest pain for chief executives – technology disruption. The [...]
It’s official: Bruce Carnegie-Brown has been confirmed as Lloyd’s of London’s new chairman February 20, 2017 The chairman of Moneysupermarket.com has been confirmed as the new chairman of Lloyd's of London, after days of speculation over the appointment. In a statement today Lloyd's said Carnegie-Brown, who is also vice-chairman of Banco Santander, will take up his new role in June, subject to approval from the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial [...]
Celebrate the businesses that go the extra mile to support their local communities February 20, 2017 The most important part of my role as lord mayor of the City of London is to represent the UK’s financial and professional services industry. Since my election last September I have been regularly meeting employees, employers, entrepreneurs and opinion-formers from across the UK – and one thing is increasingly clear: as a nation we [...]