New US jobless claims back above 1m after surprise jump August 20, 2020 The number of Americans making new jobless claims jumped unexpectedly back above the 1m mark last week, in a worrying sign for the US economy. The total claims of 1.11m in the week ending 8 August were 135,000 higher than the previous week’s total of 971,000, the Department of Labor said. And the figure was [...]
The City View: Xavier Rees of Havas London on the value of creative ideas in the office August 20, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS Today Andy Silvester is joined by Havas London CEO Xavier Rees. The ad land boss offers his thoughts on the return to work, the value of creative ideas in the office, and why he’s changed the company’s articles of association to become a “B Corp”. Andy also looks at [...]
US stocks open higher as Wall Street eyes more records August 19, 2020 Wall Street opened higher on Wednesday and looks to be heading for another day of new all-time records. The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high yesterday after recovering all of the losses suffered during the coronavirus crash and was up once again on Wednesday morning by a further 0.28 per cent to 3,399 points. [...]
Apple becomes first US company to reach $2 trillion valuation August 19, 2020 Apple has become Wall Street’s first $2 trillion company, doubling its valuation in just over two years. As shares hit $457.77 in morning trading, the tech giant became the first Wall Street company to achieve the $2 trillion market cap in public markets. It is the second in the world to do so. The day [...]
Spotify crashes for users around the world August 19, 2020 Thousands of Spotify users were left unable to play music for more than an hour this afternoon after the service experienced technical difficulties. It appeared to affect customers around the globe, with the majority reported in Europe. According to outage tracker site DownDetector the issues started at around 1pm, with 92 per cent of the [...]
The City View: Adam Marshall of the British Chambers of Commerce on how to support an economic recovery August 19, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS In this episode Christian talks to Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, about the state of the economy and the prospects for a recovery. Adam believes that when government support schemes are withdrawn they must be replaced by more targeted schemes and that businesses must be [...]
FTSE 100 gives up gains despite S&P 500 hitting all-time high August 18, 2020 The US’s S&P 500 stock index hit an all-time high before slipping back along with the FTSE 100 and other global markets amid rising US-China tensions. The S&P 500 rose to 3,395 points, topping a high it hit in February, having been boosted by record levels of stimulus. But the index reversed course and slipped [...]
The City View: Beyoncé’s former manager on why classic hits are a hot asset class August 18, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS In this episode Christian talks to music industry veteran Merck Mercuriadis, a former manager of acts including Elton John and Beyoncé whose FTSE-listed investment firm has just hit a £1bn market cap after snapping up the rights to hits including Livin’ on a Prayer, Back to Black, Uptown Funk, Single Ladies and Don’t Stop Believing. [...]
The City View: City A.M. co-founder Lawson Muncaster on returning the newspaper to print August 17, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS In this episode Christian is joined by Lawson Muncaster, co-founder and managing director of City A.M., to discuss the challenges posed by the last five months and the decision to return to print for Monday 7 September. Lawson discusses how the company adapted to survive; what life could look [...]
The City View: Euan Blair on why apprenticeships are key to unlocking talent August 14, 2020 Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS In this episode Christian is joined by Euan Blair, co-founder of tech firm Whitehat which matches apprentices with employers including Facebook, Morgan Stanley and other blue chip giants. Euan is on a mission to change the way people think about apprenticeships and to provide opportunities for disadvantaged young people [...]