Co-operative Group appoints former Asda man Allan Leighton as chairman February 19, 2015 The Co-operative Group has brought in former Asda chief executive Allan Leighton to chair its board. Leighton will take over with immediate effect from Ursula Lidbetter, who was parachuted into the role at the end of 2013 after then-chairman Len Wardle stepped down. It's another string for Leighton to add to his bow: as well as [...]
Profit growth is just the charm for jewellery maker Pandora February 17, 2015 Shares in Danish jewellery maker Pandora soared almost 17 per cent yesterday after full-year results showed a near 40 per cent increase to net profits, powered by strong US sales and new ring ranges. The performance represents a turnround for the Denmark-listed company, famous for its charm bracelets, whose shares fell nearly 80 per cent [...]
US budget to be released – The week ahead on Wall St February 1, 2015 BARACK Obama will be in the spotlight today, as the White House unveils its budget for the 2016 fiscal year. The President is expected to call for an increase in domestic and military spending, as well as a tax on firms’ foreign earnings. Employment, automobile and sales data, all due out this week, are expected [...]
Angela Merkel and Syriza are about to open Pandora’s box: Watch out, Eurozone January 11, 2015 It is not often that I feel sorry for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Having lived in her country since 2006, for me she is the most overrated of modern politicians, having accomplished almost nothing in terms of substantive policy achievements, while somehow being lionised for her lack of ambition. She is the archetype of this [...]
Taylor Swift right to shake off Spotify: Why music streaming services are bad economics January 8, 2015 Did Taylor Swift make the right call when she withdrew her music from Spotify? A new report on the profitability of the music streaming industry suggests she was. Strategy Analytics, a technology advisory and consultancy firm, argues that despite the music streaming industry’s rapid growth, it will continue to struggle to provide adequate royalty [...]
2014 Christmas gift ideas: Luxury treats from Smythson totes to Tiffany bracelets December 2, 2014 Be the star of the show on Christmas day with these festive treats. Davidoff Cool Water £40 (125ml) Harrods.com Burberry blanket Stay cosy this winter with this wool and cashmere blanket £995 mrporter.com Ernest Jones exclusive jewellery Le Vian chocolate & vanilla diamond ring, £8,499; Le [...]
YouTube could be about to lose 20,000 songs, including videos from John Lennon and Pharrell Williams November 20, 2014 There's a fight brewing between YouTube and a group representing 46 artists and songwriters including Pharrell Williams, John Lennon and, er, Ira Gerschwin, which could result in all their songs being removed from YouTube. Let's put it this way: Pharrell is not Happy… Global Music Rights (GMR) is the company behind the dispute. It was [...]
EU warns Cameron: Not paying €2bn bill will open a Pandora’s box October 27, 2014 As the Prime Minister stood up in parliament to proclaim Britain "will not be paying" the €2bn bill that landed on his doorstep last week, a senior member of the European Commission was warning the British government that not to pay would be to "open a Pandora's box". Jacek Dominik, the EU's budget commissioner, told [...]
Apple CEO Tim Cook explains Beats Electronics purchase in wide-ranging interview September 14, 2014 Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook has said it was the strength of Beats Electronics' subscription service that persuaded him to sign off on the $3bn (£1.8bn) purchase of the company earlier this year. In a wide-ranging interview with Charlie Rose on American network PBS last week, Cook touched on a number of topics ranging [...]
Bovis Homes, Direct Line and Pandora change guard at the top August 28, 2014 THERE was a changing of the guard yesterday as three high profile City figures made their move at Pandora Bovis Homes and Direct Line. The Danish jewellery designer announced that Allan Leighton would be stepping down as chief executive after a year at the helm. Anders Colding Friis, the chief of Scandinavian Tobacco Group, will [...]