Why Spain’s financial future is rosier than Italy’s November 11, 2013 Spain's fiscal prospects are brighter than Italy's, says Capital Economics' European economist Ben May. Although Italy's budget deficit is a fair amount better than Spain's, and the latter still faces some tough economic challenges, Spanish public finances are, in other respects, in something of a "healthier position". The medium-term outlook for the public finances remains "pretty [...]
BSkyB shares fall on BT Champions League news, but did BT pay too much? November 11, 2013 BSkyB is dragging the FTSE 100 down 4.4 points, as it shares dropped more than eight per cent this morning, after rival BT won the exclusive broadcasting rights to Champions and Europa League football matches. BT Sport will be the home of UEFA from 2015-2018, in a £900m deal announced on Saturday. BT has agreed to [...]
BT defends £897m deal for Champions League rights November 11, 2013 THE BATTLE between Sky and BT for dominance in televised sport came to a head this weekend with the surprise announcement that Champions League matches will be shown exclusively on BT Sport from 2015 as part of a £900m investment by the telecoms giant. New chief executive Gavin Patterson defended the huge price tag, more [...]
Good jobs: On that key measure, London is the world’s top city November 11, 2013 LONDON is a global city, and together with a handful of other ultra-successful urban centres worldwide, the closest we have today to the ancient Phoenician and Greek city-states. Successful, open-minded, commercial cities have always attracted the best and brightest, something that was just as true in the Mediterranean in 600BC as it was in early [...]
Bottom Line: The war between BT and Sky gets vicious November 11, 2013 WHEN you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” BT’s new chief executive Gavin Patterson has clearly been reading his Sun Tzu. BT’s massive bid for Champions League broadcast rights came out of the blue, scoring a key victory in its war with BSkyB for TV sports dominance. But the best generals have to consider if the [...]
UK’s biggest 350 firms showing a return to growth November 11, 2013 THE UK’s biggest 350 companies are mirroring the British economy’s nascent return to growth after companies on the index saw a steady rise in annual sales, fresh research out today shows. According to the latest year-end numbers from FTSE 350 firms that reported in the three months to September 2013, overall revenues are up 1.3 [...]
Government to launch project for investment November 11, 2013 THE government is to launch a new investment project aimed at raising billions of pounds from overseas for British urban regeneration projects. The Regeneration Investment Organisation (RIO) would be a “one stop shop” for foreign investors looking to put their money into UK assets, Sky News reported. RIO, developed by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), [...]
MPs summon bankers over Royal Mail sale November 8, 2013 Several of the investment banks associated with the sell-off of Royal Mail have been called up by MPs to an inquiry into the company's privatisation, reports Sky News' City editor, Mark Kleinman. The banks have been contacted by the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee (BIS) which has asked them to attend sessions later this [...]
Our guide to the best investments November 7, 2013 London property prices are sky-rocketing, so what better time to invest with the rest? RIGHT now, investing in a London home looks like a pretty smart move. Asking prices saw a 10 per cent increase last month and, with low-deposit schemes like the government’s Help to Buy initiative, more people are looking to invest in [...]
News UK in the running to buy Racing Post newspaper’s debt November 6, 2013 NEWS UK, the publisher of The Times, The Sun and The Sunday Times, was last night reported to be one of the bidders in the running to acquire the outstanding loans of the Racing Post newspaper. Bidders for the debt are hoping it would put them in a strong position to ultimately gain control of [...]