Sky and Severn Trent bids talk pushes FTSE up – London Report June 22, 2015 BID SPECULATION boosted media group Sky and utility Severn Trent, pushing the FTSE 100 equity index upwards yesterday, while hopes of a Greek debt deal lifted stock markets worldwide. The blue-chip index rose 115.22 points, or 1.7 per cent, to 6,825.67 points at the close, its strongest daily gain since the results of the General [...]
David Cameron pledges tax credit reform as part of government’s drive to cut £12bn from welfare budget June 22, 2015 Tax credits are under fire as part of the government’s pledge to eliminate £12bn from the welfare budget, with David Cameron insisting Britain must not continue with the current “merry-go-round” system. The speech, in Cheshire, will attack the system introduced by Tony Blair’s Labour government, whereby low paid workers will have money taken in tax [...]
George Osborne insists £12bn in welfare cuts will go ahead June 22, 2015 Chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne has said that he will push ahead with plans to cut £12bn in welfare spending, despite previous reports that Conservative party campaign promises would be reined in under the new government. Writing with work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith in The Sunday Times, Osborne said that he would [...]
Government to sell stake in green infrastructure investment vehicle June 21, 2015 THE GOVERNMENT is reportedly getting ready to sell off shares in its Green Investment Bank (GIB), a state-supported lender to green infrastructure projects, as part of chancellor George Osborne’s latest privatisation efforts. Sky News reported yesterday that advisers from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BoAML) are working with Whitehall officials on plans to sell a [...]
How entrepreneurs can gain from corporate social responsibility – Investec Comment June 21, 2015 Businesses of all sizes can enrich people’s lives through more than just the products or services they sell. Strategically chosen community partnerships can have valuable mutual benefits, and keep employees and clients inspired. To ensure your corporate social responsibility initiatives gain traction, you should partner with people whose values align with your own. A great [...]
Government to sell its share in Green Investment Bank June 21, 2015 The Conservatives are set to step up their privatisation push, with the first sale of shares in the Green Investment Bank (GIB). Read more: Green Investment Bank to set up £1bn offshore wind projects Advisers from Bank of America Merrill Lynch have been coordinating with Whitehall officials to sell the GIB, which lends money to environmentally-friendly [...]
Google could make joint bid for Tesco customer data unit Dunnhumby June 18, 2015 Google could soon be partnering with private equity fund Permira to make a joint bid for Tesco’s customer data business. The two firms are in talks to make a bid for Tesco’s data wing, Dunnhumby, which gathers and analyses data from about 1bn shoppers across the world, according to reports from Sky News and Reuters last [...]
Government hires Goldman to advise on sales of bank shares June 18, 2015 Goldman Sachs will advise the government on the sale of its remaining stakes in Britain’s banks. Goldman was hired as the privatisation adviser to UK Financial Investments (UKFI), a holding company tasked with managing the taxpayer stakes in businesses across the economy, Sky News first reported last night. Chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne [...]
Walkie Talkie to smash City office records as top floor goes under offer June 18, 2015 The top floor of the City's towering 20 Fenchurch Street – nicknamed the Walkie Talkie – is believed to have smashed new rental records, after it went under offer to a mystery firm, City A.M. can reveal. Read more: A storey-by-storey breakdown of everything in the Shard The highest rent achieved in the [...]
Guardian Media Group to name new chief exec June 17, 2015 GUARDIAN Media Group (GMG), owner of the Guardian newspaper, is set to appoint deputy chief executive David Pemsel for the top role. A board meeting on Tuesday decided the promotion, which is due to be announced today, according to Sky News. Pemsel has reportedly seen off competition from an unidentified UK-based Google executive and will [...]