US manufacturing sector contracts for first time since 2009, survey says August 22, 2019 The US manufacturing sector contracted for the first time since the financial crisis in August, survey data showed today, in a sign that a global slowdown and trade tensions are damaging producers. Read more: Apple’s Tim Cook cautions Donald Trump over China tariffs A preliminary reading of the manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a closely-watched [...]
Dutch fintech Adyen sees core profit jump 79 per cent August 22, 2019 Adyen, the Dutch fintech company that processes payments for companies including Facebook and Netflix, has reported a jump in first-half core profit, helped by an increased volume of transactions. The figures Adyen said its core earnings (EBITDA) for the first half of the year were up 79 per cent to €125.8m (£115m), up from €70.3m [...]
Apple reportedly hikes streaming budget as it eyes November launch date August 20, 2019 Apple is said to be planning a November launch date for its eagerly-awaited streaming service, as it ramps up its spending on new films and TV shows. Apple TV Plus is considering a monthly subscription fee of $9.99 (£8.25) following a free trial period, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Read more: Apple’s [...]
Whatsapp in talks to launch mobile payments service in Indonesia August 20, 2019 Whatsapp is said to be in discussions with several digital payments firms in Indonesia over plans to offer mobile transactions over its platform. If a deal were reached, it would make Indonesia only the second country worldwide where Whatsapp offers the service. Read more: NSO denies Whatsapp spyware can hack data The firm is currently [...]
How useful are passwords for keeping our data secure? August 19, 2019 Every year, new research and new articles appear telling us that the most popular passwords are still things like “password1” and “qwerty123”. This “big” reveal is then followed up by a lecture on the importance of protecting yourself online. But we’ve been using passwords as digital identification tools for as long as we’ve had technology, [...]
Top US business bosses abandon shareholder-first principle August 19, 2019 The age-old principle that shareholders come first has been ditched by an influential lobbying group representing some of the world’s most senior business bosses. Maximising profits for investors should no longer be the main priority for firms, an organisation called The Business Roundtable concluded today, as it signalled a major corporate shift towards achieving wider [...]
Netflix snaps up Uxbridge production space in latest UK push August 19, 2019 Netflix has signed a deal to rent out production space in Uxbridge, just weeks after it unveiled its new UK hub at Shepperton Studios. City A.M. understands that the US streaming giant is set to take a 134,000 square feet unit called UX1 in an industrial park in west London as part of a 10-year [...]
Trump says he doesn’t want to do business with Huawei over ‘national security threat’ August 19, 2019 President Donald Trump has said he doesn’t want the US to do business with Huawei, following reports that his administration is set to extend a licence allowing the Chinese company to purchase US goods. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said he did not want to do business with Huawei over national security concerns. “At [...]
Apple’s Tim Cook cautions Donald Trump over China tariffs August 19, 2019 US president Donald Trump said that he has spoken with Apple chief executive Tim Cook about the impact of US tariffs on Chinese imports and that Cook “made a good case” that tariffs could hurt Apple. According to Trump, the pair spoke about competition between Apple and South Korean rival Samsung, with Cook arguing that [...]
City Moves for 19 August – Who’s switching jobs at 11:FS, Severfield and Sedgwick? August 19, 2019 Today’s City Moves includes 11:FS, Severfield and Sedgwick. 11:FS 11:FS, the challenger firm that builds digitally-native financial services through technology, product and design expertise, has announced that Michael Curds has joined the firm as head of talent. He brings a wealth of experience in scaling digtally-native business, having most recently led the talent team at [...]