Why is M&A rising? The bigger the company, the more likely it is to survive February 20, 2017 Investor sentiment is still skyrocketing as Donald Trump continues his victory lap and investors revel in the fanfare. The markets are behaving as though the White House’s as-yet-undetailed economic policies will cure all ills, from the simmering uncertainty around French, Dutch and German elections to the biggest pain for chief executives – technology disruption. The [...]
Lowest earning families have just £95 in savings pot as inequality grows February 20, 2017 Low income families have just £95 in their savings and investments compared to £62,885 among high income families, according to research by Aviva. The news highlights growing inequality in the UK as the savings gap grows by 25 per cent annually, up from £50,072 last year to £62,790 in winter 2016/17. Around one in four [...]
Locals lose out as Severn Trent’s Dee Valley Water takeover gets the go-ahead from the High Court February 8, 2017 Locals' attempts to thwart the takeover of a Welsh water company have failed after Severn Trent's bid to pick up Dee Valley Water has been given the go-ahead in the High Court. The court decided the £84m deal by the FTSE 100 firm, initially agreed on back in November, could go ahead. However, it adjourned until 10 [...]
Six Nations 2017 predictions: Ireland will give England serious competition for the championship, Ben Youngs set for a big year February 3, 2017 It will be a grand finale at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin when England take on Ireland for the final game of the Six Nations next month. England have gained momentum since their 2015 World Cup humiliation, and will have some tricky games in the shape of Wales in Cardiff in particular. But all eyes [...]
How can we get ourselves to save more? Use behavioural economics February 1, 2017 It's a convenient excuse – we all vow to save more when we earn more. A new survey by YouGov for Zurich UK of British adults in work found that more than two fifths (42 per cent) said that earning more would encourage them to save more into a pension. Unfortunately, they rarely actually do [...]
Top dogs: 37 of the hottest startups to watch right now January 25, 2017 Nearly 40 UK tech startups have been branded "ones to watch" and will be mentored by top entrepreneurs, founders and investors to get them scaling up to become tech giants. A startup which lets wannabe pet owners borrow other people's dogs, BorrowMyDoggy, and an innovative mapping company which just landed backing from Daimler, What3Words, are [...]
The year of the stock picker: Which value shares look underpriced in 2017? January 24, 2017 We've heard it before. When there is greater volatility and more dispersion in the market, canny investors should be able to beat the index. The great rotation in equities which markets are anticipating due to looser fiscal policy and higher interest rates under Donald Trump is filling active managers with optimism that they can use [...]
Aviva chief exec: Turnaround is complete, so let’s get on with post-Brexit business January 19, 2017 Aviva today announced a large organisational shake-up that will enable the insurance giant to capitalise on the significant opportunities present by the Brexit vote. The group's UK operations, previously separated into life, general and health insurance divisions will be brought together under the leadership of current Aviva life chief exec Andy Briggs. Read more: Aviva shares jump 4.5 [...]
Welsh water bidding war heats up after activist locals attempt to block Severn Trent takeover January 16, 2017 An investment company is still hopeful of buying a Welsh water company, with angry locals seeking to block the rival bid in an unprecedented case of shareholder activism. FTSE 100-listed utility firm Severn Trent agreed an £84m, £18.25-per-share, takeover for Dee Valley Water in November. However, in a never-before-seen move, the deal was blocked last week [...]
This noise-cancelling device means you can finally have office phone conversations in private January 11, 2017 Tired of leaping up from your desk every time you need to have a private phone conversation at the office? One company has unveiled the solution: a mask which absorbs your speech. The Hushme looks like a pair of headphones, but is designed to go around your mouth, absorbing noise so you can have conversations without your [...]