Focus on Hammersmith: The town where prices have grown by half February 26, 2015 When it comes to neighbours, Hammersmith has struck lucky. There can’t be another location in London that’s surrounded by such a cluster of affluent residential neighbourhoods. With Kensington to the east, Chiswick to the west, Fulham to the south and Shepherd’s Bush to the north, it’s a wonder this area is still known primarily as [...]
Sky share price reaches 15-year high of 1,005p on pan-European status February 25, 2015 Despite more cost pressure than ever on European pay TV broadcaster Sky, its shares touched a new high yesterday as investors remained optimistic about the group’s future. Shares rose 3.18 per cent to 1,005p on the London Stock Exchange, even as Sky prepares to swallow a huge £4.2bn bill to hold on to its Premier [...]
Why everything is awesome for Lego, in four charts February 25, 2015 Lego goes against all the stereotypes of a multinational company: partly because it's based in Denmark, and partly because when it comes down to it, it only has one product – little plastic bricks. But today it posted figures showing that, in the words of the blockbuster Lego Movie, everything is awesome. Last year represented [...]
Sky Sports wins US Major League Soccer TV broadcast rights February 24, 2015 Sky Sports will today announce it has added exclusive TV broadcast rights of live US Major League Soccer (MLS) in the UK, from March. The four-year deal to show at least two games a week comes as Sky prepares to swallow its huge £4.2bn bid to hold on to an improved package of Premier League football [...]
The Oscars are over, but popular culture is still a driving force behind inequality February 24, 2015 The Oscars have come and gone for another year. Winning an Academy Award is very often the basis for either making a fortune or turning an existing one into mega riches. Jack Nicholson has an estimated net worth of over $400m, and stars like Tom Hanks and Robert De Niro are not far behind. Even [...]
Wonga cuts 325 jobs in restructure amid payday lender crackdown February 24, 2015 Troubled payday lender Wonga, which became the face of sky-high interest rates, will cut 325 jobs in a significant restructure amid mounting regulatory pressure on the short-term loans industry. Its bid to save at least £25m over the next two years comes as the competition regulator announced new rules for lenders, after a price cap was [...]
Aldermore IPO: Challenger bank geared up to unveil £75m stock market float today February 23, 2015 Challenger bank Aldermore is set to reveal plans today for a stock market listing worth £75m. The company’s board met yesterday to rubber-stamp the announcement, a source close to Aldermore told Sky News. Backing is already provisionally in place from a number of blue-chip institutions. The initial public offering (IPO) to be announced will seek [...]
General Election 2015: ITV and BBC to show seven-way debates, Channel 4 and Sky share head-to-head February 23, 2015 ITV and BBC will broadcast two separate seven-way debates between political party leaders ahead of the general election, while Sky and Channel 4 will both share a head-to-head between David Cameron and Ed Miliband. The broadcasters drew lots to decide how to distribute coverage of the debates which will see party leaders given [...]
Audioboom user numbers soar ahead of Russell Brand’s arrival February 23, 2015 Online streaming service Audioboom has signed up controversial comedian Russell Brand to produce a twice-weekly podcast in an effort to attract a more "edgy, young" audience. The signing was part of plans, announced this morning by the service as part of its 2014 results, to boost the number of active registered user, as will as [...]
New Look hires JPMorgan as it eyes £2bn float February 23, 2015 Fast fashion chain New Look has taken a step closer to an initial public listing (IPO), having hired JP Morgan to work on options for a flotation. Reports suggest the retailer, which is currently owned by private equity firms Apax and Permira as well as founder Tom Singh, could be valued at as much [...]