Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open August 4, 2016 The Bank of England has cut interest rates and markets are loving it. Here's what you need to know before the US market open at 2:30pm London time. US stock futures are pointing up ahead of the open. The S&P is up by 0.15 per cent, the Nasdaq is up by 0.05 per cent, while [...]
Tesla Motors loss widens despite putting pedal to the floor to ramp up production August 3, 2016 Elon Musk’s electric car giant Tesla Motors reported lower-than-expected second quarter results, driven by a dip in the number of cars delivered as it ramped up production. The figures Tesla’s total revenue rose 33 per cent year-on-year to $1.27bn (£959m) in the quarter ended 30 June. The company delivered 14,402 vehicles in the second quarter, [...]
Meet the most influential British innovator in the world August 2, 2016 Demis Hassabis, the man who founded the multi-million pound artificial intelligence company acquired by Google, has been named the most influential British innovator in the world. DeepMind hit headlines in 2014 when it was bought by Google for £400m and this year did it again when its machine learning technology beat the world-leading player of the [...]
The billion-dollar Tesla SolarCity merger is (El)on August 1, 2016 Green energy firm SolarCity has accepted a $2.6bn all-stock takeover deal from Elon Musk's Tesla. Both companies' stocks dipped on the news, with SolarCity's closing down 7.4 per cent to $24.72, while Tesla's share closed down two per cent at $230.01. SolarCity's stock also took a five per cent dive this morning after it snuck out a downgrade in its full-year [...]
Branding and buyouts: Brand Union’s Toby Southgate on corporate takeovers, Tesco’s farms and Tesla’s higher purpose August 1, 2016 Perceptions of brands change over time,” says Toby Southgate, worldwide chief executive of Brand Union. “And building them takes a long time. It’s not about the final push over the line.” A consultative arm of WPP, Brand Union specialises in brand strategy, and has shaped the identity of some of the world’s biggest names, including Vodafone, Absolut [...]
Ford share price swerves after it misses profit expectations and warns over full year earnings and the impact of Brexit July 28, 2016 Ford shares have dipped ahead of the open after the US car manufacturer reported its second quarter profit missed expectations. The poor performance was blamed on stalling markets in the US and China. Ford posted profit of $1.97bn, or $0.49 per diluted share, versus $2.16bn or $0.54 per share a year ago. Its earnings – excluding one-off items – came in [...]
This is the huge amount of money Apple is spending on R&D right now July 27, 2016 Did someone say iCar? The tech giant might remain coy about exactly what its plans are, but the numbers are clear – Apple is splashing some serious cash on developing new technology despite experiencing its second consecutive decline in revenues. Spending on research and development has rocketed, more than doubling in the last four years and Apple has spent a record amount on innovation [...]
Biotech, robots, Fangs – what’s the hottest tech to invest in? July 26, 2016 The sudden craze for mobile game Pokémon Go has brought the spotlight back onto the potential for investors in technology. The game became the fastest-adopted in history following its release two weeks ago, and shares in co-owner Nintendo rose a massive 70 per cent. The share price has since been tempered with a 17 per cent [...]
A solar-powered plane’s about to complete a historic round the world trip July 24, 2016 History is about to be made, as an aircraft becomes the first to complete a round the world flight powered by nothing other than sunlight. Solar Impulse 2 has embarked on its last leg of the journey in its record-breaking attempt, taking off from the Egyptian capital city of Cairo early on Sunday morning as it [...]
Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler launches drive to make three electric car models by 2020 July 23, 2016 Audi's chief executive has said the automobile maker is planning to have three electric car models by 2020. Rupert Stadler also said the firm is aiming for electric cars to account for up to 30 per cent of its sales by 2025, in an interview published today in German newspaper Heilbronner Stimme. The firm's push to move into the [...]