Last minute ski bargains can be had if you shop around in Westendorf, Austria April 4, 2016 Eevery dedicated skier fantasises about buying a property in the mountains. With interest rates on euro mortgages at record lows and sterling strong against the euro, now may be the time to take the plunge. For many Brits, France is the obvious choice, given the cheap flights and easy access via the Eurostar. Some ski [...]
Qatari Diar unveils plans to turn US embassy in Mayfair into luxury hotel April 4, 2016 The Qatari owners of the US Embassy in London’s Grosvenor Square have unveiled plans to turn the Grade II-listed landmark into a five star hotel as the US government prepares for its move to Nine Elms next year. Qatari Diar, a subsidiary of sovereign wealth fund the Qatar Investment Authority, will launch a public exhibition next Monday before submitting plans to Westminster [...]
Here’s how we’re spending with contactless since the limit went up to £30 April 4, 2016 Millions of pounds have been spent by people simply swiping a card or mobile device after an increase to the limit on how much people can spend using contactless pay. There have been 36m cashless transactions worth nearly £900m since the limit went up from £20 to £30 in September last year. Transactions between £20 and £30 have grown at a rate of [...]
April Fools Day 2016: From breast milk protein to McDonald’s landing on the moon, here are the best, worst, laziest and weirdest fake tech stories April 1, 2016 When in comes to April 1st, Britain's press officers like to break the boundaries of physics. City A.M. has been drowning in scientific discoveries, technology advancements and new product launches ahead of April Fools, but did any of them catch you out? Food for thought Upmarket takeaway group Deliveroo has pledged to make eating a burrito even easier, as [...]
Brockton Capital buys into Shoreditch Village scheme April 1, 2016 Two families regenerating a derelict site in London's trendy Shoreditch area have brought new investors on board after selling part of the scheme to Brockton Capital. The run-down site between Shoreditch High Street and Great Eastern Street was originally a Victorian timber yard and has been privately-owned by the Hall and White families for over 40 years. The proposed scheme, [...]
Tesco prepares to sell off restaurant chain Giraffe March 31, 2016 Tesco is preparing for another disposal and sounding out potential buyers for restaurant business Giraffe. The supermarket bought the chain in 2013 for £49m, with plans to open Giraffe branches beside its stores. At the time, Tesco said the deal was an "opportunity to develop some of the space in our larger stores to create retail destinations [...]
World’s wealthiest sportsmen: David Beckham and Michael Jordan top rich list for retired athletes March 31, 2016 Michael Jordan and David Beckham are living proof that there's plenty of life left to be lived after retirement. Despite earning unprecedented riches in their chosen field (or court) of dominance, both men are making more money now they've traded trainers and trackies for a suit and tie. Basketball icon Jordan has topped a Forbes list of [...]
Ladies who don’t lunch: Maike Currie talks to Jane Andrews about religion, money and fund management March 31, 2016 Britishness dictates that one should never discuss money, politics or religion in polite company. It’s right up there with knowing your place in the queue and keeping up to speed with the weather. But not if you’re having lunch with Jane Andrews, veteran fund manager at investment house Smith & Williamson, who specialises in finding [...]
Byron avoids a grilling, serves up healthy profits for its “proper hamburgers” in 2015 March 30, 2016 Still pursuing its goal to turn the UK into a nation of "proper hamburger" lovers, Byron saw healthy growth in sales and expanded into eight new venues (mostly outside of London) in 2015. The figures Profit after tax at the posh burger chain remained flat at £4.4m, while turnover jumped by 25 per cent from £55.2m to [...]
Why some IPOs aren’t all they’re cracked up to be March 30, 2016 Despite a high number of hotly anticipated flotations in recent years, 2016 has been slow going for initial public offerings. Now the dust has settled, it is interesting to examine the wide variations in performance. Compare Just Eat, Auto Trader, Poundland and AO World. All four came to market in the first few months of [...]