Aston Martin shrugs off Brexit fears with plan to double production by 2025 November 25, 2018 James Bond may have to change his car if he wants to stand out from the crowd as Aston Martin’s chief executive today revealed plans to double production by 2025. The company is shrugging off concerns around Brexit and slowing Chinese demand as it looks set to make 6,400 cars this year, but it has [...]
Guest notes: Boatman’s analysis on Babcock should be treated with scepticism November 23, 2018 All the noise around Babcock and its financial woes have left me feeling distinctly uncomfortable. It’s not the fact that the company has issues, as do most outsourcers. My problem is with the source of the recent vicious bear raid on the business – the so-called Boatman Capital. It is a month since Boatman and [...]
West End retailers go to town on promotions to ensure expected £150m Black Friday boost November 21, 2018 Retail sales on London’s busiest shopping streets are expected to see a £150m boost over the Black Friday weekend amid challenging conditions on the high street, according to a trade group representing retailers in the area. Sales are expected to equal those of last year among around 600 retailers on Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street, [...]
Ikea cites rapid change in the retail sector as it cuts 7,500 jobs worldwide November 21, 2018 Ikea will cut 7,500 jobs worldwide over the next two years as it focuses on developing its website and inner-city stores, it said today. The cuts, which include 350 roles in the UK, will not hit the headcount of Ikea's 160,000 employees worldwide as it also plans to add 11,500 new jobs to its global workforce. [...]
City heavyweight Kate Swann says she’s leaving Upper Crust owner SSP with ‘petrol in the tank’ November 21, 2018 City veteran Kate Swann revealed today that she plans to step down from food and beverages giant SSP Group, saying that she wants to leave the Upper Crust owner with "petrol in the tank". Investors digested the news of the former WH Smith chief executive’s departure from SSP this morning, with shares tumbling on the announcement despite the [...]
Crypto A.M. shines its Spotlight on CityBlock Capital November 21, 2018 This year has been a tumultuous year for cryptocurrency markets, but here on Wall Street, blockchain technology and the development of a regulatory compliant, digital asset ecosystem is moving full steam ahead. Over the past several months, the London Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and Fidelity have all announced plans to launch digital [...]
Upper Crust owner SSP’s share price falls as chief executive set to step down November 21, 2018 The chief executive of SSP Group, which owns popular food and beverage brands such as Upper Crust, Millie's Cookies and Ritazza, is set to step down next year. City veteran and former WH Smith chief Kate Swann will leave the firm at the end of May, to be succeeded by current UK and Ireland regional head [...]
Online trader Plus500’s shares rise as 2018 results expected to top estimates November 20, 2018 Online trader Plus500 has predicted better-than-expected results at the end of the year, building on an upbeat third quarter trading report last month. In a trading update ahead of its results for the financial year ending 31 December 2018, Plus500’s board said the “strong momentum” reported in its 23 October report had carried through to [...]
Banks should watch out – the fintech era has barely begun November 20, 2018 The fintech sector makes a lot of noise in London. There’s an endless stream of news about open banking and challenger banks, while the traditional finance sector watches on with a mixture of admiration and suspicion. Banks have come under attack, not only from the hype-machine, but more meaningfully from startups. Traditional finance providers that assumed [...]
How worried should we be about the slowdown in German manufacturing? November 19, 2018 German industrial production contracted by 1.2% in Q3 and is behind the general slowdown being seen in eurozone manufacturing. What is causing the decline and how concerned should investors be? Kaputte Autos Taking a closer look at the breakdown of Germany’s production data reveals that most of the economy’s manufacturing sub-sectors are performing well. The [...]