Why strong brands are stock market darlings December 6, 2015 The marketing industry is built around the understanding that a strong brand can drive sales and therefore deliver returns to shareholders. But new research from brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance has now put hard numbers behind this. The consultancy releases an annual list of the world’s most valuable brands, the Global 500. In 2015, for [...]
Smartphone security software provider Defenx will finally launch on London Stock Exchange’s AIM market tomorrow after £2.1m fundraising last week December 2, 2015 Defenx, the smartphone security software business, is finally set to launch on the London Stock Exchange's junior AIM market after delays this week pushed back its admission. The company raised £2.1m in a new share placing at the end of last week. The 1.4m ordinary shares were priced at 148p, meaning Defenx has 6.1m shares issued [...]
Return of the dividend: Growth might be muted in the UK, but foreign firms are paying out December 2, 2015 The UK has a very good track record when it comes to companies paying dividends. Businesses understand the importance of looking after shareholders, who in turn understand the value of either reinvesting those dividends (which account for two-thirds of total returns over the very long term) or using them to supplement an income. So it’s [...]
German Gymnasium restaurant review: This menu has the best sausage in town December 1, 2015 1 Kings Blvd, N1C 4BU, germangymnasium.com FOOD ★★★★★ | VALUE ★★★☆☆ | ATMOSPHERE ★★★★☆ Cost for two with booze: £120 The name German Gymnasium evokes images of preening, glistening men flexing their biceps; of grunts of exertion and the repetitive fwap of fists against leather; of the distant scent of Lynx. Restaurant giant D&D’s new venture is so-called [...]
Parents will spend hundreds on gadgets for kids this Christmas December 1, 2015 It's not just adults eyeing up the latest gadget for their Christmas stocking. Parents will splash out £225 on buying tablets, games consoles and smartphones for their kids at this time of year, on average, with Apple and Samsung topping Santa's list. More than a quarter are budgeting even more to shower the latest technology on their kids, a whopping [...]
Apple Cyber Monday 2015 deals: Best UK sales for cheap iPhones, Macs, iPads, iPad Pro the Apple Watch and more – at Tesco, Argos, Currys PCWorld, John Lewis, eBay and others November 30, 2015 Just like Black Friday, Apple's not one to get on the Cyber Monday discounting bandwagon, but that doesn't mean you still can't bag a bargain on iPhones, iPads Macs and more. We've hunted high and low so you don't have to when it comes to bagging an Apple deal. Here are the bargains we found. Read more: [...]
London property prices: Luxury homes are so expensive in London, the uber-rich are going bargain hunting in New York November 30, 2015 Luxury homes in London cost "double" those in New York, new research has suggested – meaning super-wealthy Britons are increasingly going bargain hunting in Big Apple. The Transatlantic Wealth Report, by upmarket British estate agent Beauchamp Estates and New York equivalent Leslie J Garfield, found the value of luxury homes in London's most exclusive areas is typically [...]
Swatch’s Bellamy watch with Visa lets you pay with just a swipe of your wrist (but it’s not a smartwatch) November 30, 2015 First there was Oyster, and not far behind were contactless cards. Then came Apple Pay in the pay technology revolution, liberating commuters from pesky cash and flimsy tickets. It may have put paying with something other than a ticket into the popular consciousness, but there are other (admittedly less high-profile) options for non-Apple fans seeking to streamline [...]
Mastercard Monday: Free travel on the Tube, bus, train, DLR and tram for Londoners with Apple Pay on Cyber Monday November 30, 2015 As if everyone wasn't picking up enough bargains, there's another nice freebie for commuters on Cyber Monday too. It's the second week of a month-long offer in which Mastercard holders using Apple Pay will be able to tap in and tap out absolutely free across the capital's Tube, trains, trams, DLR and buses. Read more: There's a new way [...]
The self-made mastermind: Malwarebytes founder Marcin Kleczynski on giving away software and what it’s like making half a million bucks at 18 November 29, 2015 After I’d met Marcin Kleczynski, I came across someone who has known and worked with him for several years. A few seconds in and he said to me: “when you meet Marcin, the first thing you think is ‘I might be talking to the next Mark Zuckerberg… but this one’s a lot nicer’”. It’s hard [...]