UK businesses and consumers see rosy economic prospects peak at the end of 2016, as confidence in Europe rises January 6, 2017 UK business confidence in the economy’s prospects increased to a 2016 high in December as Eurozone companies also saw a strong improvement in trading conditions, according to the European Commission. The buoyant services sector drove UK economic sentiment to an increase of 1.3 per cent, reflecting recent news of a rise in the services purchasing [...]
City Moves for 6 January 2017 | Who’s switching jobs January 6, 2017 Hilco Capital Hilco Capital has appointed Paul McGowan, the founder and chief executive for the last 17 years, to the new role of executive chairman, as a result of the continued international expansion of its business and its investment portfolio. Henry Foster (pictured), who has been an investment director at Hilco Capital since 2007, will assume the role [...]
Calls for better governance at Sports Direct heighten, after Mike Ashley defies the will of the company’s other shareholders January 5, 2017 Sports Direct has today sparked more ire over the state of its corporate governance, including calls for a rethink on how listed firms are overseen The comments come after a second vote in less than half a year on whether to keep Keith Hellawell as chairman was waved through at the company's general meeting, as chief [...]
Three important investment lessons to take from 2016 January 5, 2017 Did anybody anywhere in the world put an accumulator bet on the UK voting to leave the European Union, Donald Trump winning the US presidential election and Leicester City winning the Premier League? The bookmakers believe not and you’d think they might have noticed – after all, these events were considered so unlikely that [...]
Three important investment lessons to take from 2016 January 5, 2017 Did anybody anywhere in the world put an accumulator bet on the UK voting to leave the European Union, Donald Trump winning the US presidential election and Leicester City winning the Premier League? The bookmakers believe not and you’d think they might have noticed – after all, these events were considered so unlikely that just [...]
A Lidl competition: Aldi becomes the highest-paying supermarket in the UK January 5, 2017 Aldi has given its employees a late Christmas present as it unveiled new pay rates this morning – and boasted that the new deal will make it the highest-paying employer in the supermarket sector. The supermarket is known for offering the cheapest groceries in the UK, but is now insisting it won't settle for a [...]
Professional advisers cash in on the carcass of BHS January 5, 2017 Professional advisers working on the BHS case have raked in £1m in just six weeks even as the retailer's former workers wait on Sir Philip Green to make a contrbution to the BHS pension black hole. According to Sky News, firms such as DLA and Savills earned £1.125m between 25 October and 2 December, and the [...]
Equity crowdfunding’s leading founders predict what’s in store for the sector in 2017 January 5, 2017 Equity crowdfunding will look even more grown up by Christmas 2017. More regulation is coming to the sector: the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said it’ll consult this year on new rules, in a bid to improve protection for retail investors and increase transparency around financial promotions. Read more: The FCA is cracking down on [...]
Currency trading firm shelves IPO plans, citing FCA spreadbetting crackdown January 4, 2017 A currency trading broker has shelved plans for a stock market flotation, citing uncertainty caused by a City watchdog probe into spreadbetting. FxPro began lining up an initial public offering (IPO) in 2015, but reportedly put the plans on hold last year. The flotation plans have now been shelved again amid a Financial Conduct Authority [...]
This is what consumers are most worried about this year January 4, 2017 It's only day four of 2017 and we're already tearing our hair out about what the new year will bring. Top of the list of consumers' concerns is that poorly-defined political concept: Brexit. Read more: More money in your pocket? Not for much longer, say economists Few of us even know what Brexit means – Prime Minister Theresa May [...]