Superdry up as board faces potential battle with founder Dunkerton December 27, 2018 Superdry gained eight per cent today as a battle is brewing for the future of the company. The shares rose by 34p to 460p by early afternoon, making the company the fastest riser on the London Stock Exchange today. The rise on the markets comes after it was reported at the weekend that Julian Dunkerton [...]
Earthquake hits Sicily after volcanic eruption from Mount Etna, injuring 30 on Boxing Day December 26, 2018 A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit Sicily early this morning, damaging buildings and injuring about 30 people around the city of Catania, on the slopes of active volcano Mount Etna, officials said. The quake follows an eruption from the volcano two days ago, which sent a huge plume of ash into the sky, forcing the temporary [...]
Chinese tech giant Ant Financial in talks to buy WorldFirst December 24, 2018 Chinese tech giant Ant Financial is in advanced talks to buy currency exchange start-up WorldFirst in a deal that could be worth up to $700m (£550m). Ant Financial, part-owned by China’s biggest internet tech company Alibaba, could complete the takeover within weeks, Sky News reported. The company has been in talks with WorldFirst for months and [...]
Gatwick drone pair released by police without charge December 23, 2018 A pair of suspects arrested in the Gatwick Airport drone inquiry have been released without charge today. A 47-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman from Crawley were arrested by Sussex Police yesterday on suspicion of "the criminal use of drones" near the Gatwick airfield on Wednesday and Thursday. More than 140,000 passengers were hit by delays [...]
Barclays snubs Bramson after activist investor moves for seat on the bank’s board December 22, 2018 Barclays has snubbed Ed Bramson after the activist investor moved for a seat on the bank’s board. Bramson floated the idea of his investment vehicle Sherborne Investors being given a seat on the board at a meeting a few weeks ago, according to Sky News. But the lender told Bramson, who has called for the [...]
Why cryptocurrencies are here to stay December 21, 2018 If common perception is to be believed, we’re currently watching the death of cryptocurrencies. Without doubt, there is cause for some concern. This year has been terrible for speculators, with a deeply entrenched bear market taking hold, and the price of bitcoin falling by around 80 per cent. The year also hasn’t resulted in the envisaged uptake [...]
British Gas owner Centrica wades into legal battle with regulator Ofgem over price cap December 20, 2018 Centrica, the owner of British Gas, this evening confirmed it will tomorrow kick start a legal battle with regulator Ofgem over the energy price cap soon to be introduced in the UK. The energy giant will apply for a judicial review of the regulator’s decision to change the dates within which wholesale prices were used [...]
The UK’s ‘Brexit-proof’ tech startups land Christmas number one for European funding December 20, 2018 British tech firms brought in more funding from venture capital firms than any other country in Europe in 2018, as well as achieving the highest amount of exits. Startups in the UK attracted £6.3bn in venture backing this year, according to new figures released today by Tech Nation and Dealroom. In the same period, the [...]
Nex Group founder Michael Spencer to invest millions in blood testing startup December 20, 2018 Nex Group founder Michael Spencer is set to invest millions in a pioneering blood testing company. Spencer’s private investment company will subscribe to a “significant” amount of shares being issued by Osler Diagnostics in its £30m funding round, Sky News reported. The fundraise, which is expected to value the firm at £70m, is set to [...]
Outsourcer Kier Group’s lenders face underwriting headache after rights issue flounders December 20, 2018 Kier Group’s shares were down 6.49 per cent today after it admitted investors only bought 38 per cent of the new shares it had issued as part of a fundraising effort. The beleaguered outsourcer's banks will now be forced to fork out millions to buy shares in Kier, after some of its biggest investors opted [...]