Aldi, Google and Lidl top Global Brand Simplicity Index: These are the best brands for getting their message across November 9, 2015 Aldi and Lidl are shaking up the supermarket sector in more than one way. Not only are they undercutting the competition and forcing the Big Four into a Mexican stand-off over prices, the German grocers are also showing them how it's done when it comes to getting their message across. Aldi has topped the sixth annual Global [...]
Quindell to make a new start with name change to Watchstone Group – as it seeks shareholder approval for £414m capital return November 9, 2015 After 18 months of horror, insurance claims processor Quindell is after a new start: the company today said it was seeking shareholder approval to change its name to the decidedly austere-sounding Watchstone Group. Quindell announced the plans for its new identity in a statement this morning, although it didn't give shareholders much of an indication why. Perhaps it's something to [...]
Forget your 40s: Life now begins at 60, it turns out – as middle age stretches until 68 November 6, 2015 US psychologist Walter B Pitkin may have said life begins at 40 – but because the average life expectancy has increased 20 years since he made his famous assertion in 1931, it's arguable the fun now starts when people hit their 60s. And it turns out those later in life agree: for 64 per cent of those over [...]
Pensions prove a sore subject for one London insurer’s chief exec… November 6, 2015 Don't throw stones in glass houses. Take the plank out of your own eye before removing the dust in another’s. there’s a lot of ways of saying it. Personally, The Capitalist favours “don’t bang on about the Treasury reviewing pension tax breaks while you’re busy downgrading your own company’s scheme”, but that doesn’t have the same lyricism [...]
Marks and Spencer, Randgold Resources, Partnership Assurance: Best of the Brokers for 6 November 2015 November 6, 2015 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com MARKS AND SPENCER Canaccord Genuity has changed its rating for Marks & Spencer to “hold” with a target price of 570p, after it was briefly “under review” and previously “speculative buy” at 550p. M&S released interim results on Wednesday that the broker thought [...]
FTSE 100 falls after interest rates are left on hold – London Report November 6, 2015 The Bank of England’s (BoE) decision to keep interest rates at record lows for the 80th month wasn’t able to prevent the FTSE closing down last night, finishing with a loss of 0.8 per cent at 6,364.9 points. The FTSE had been trading in negative territory throughout the morning ahead the BoE’s announcement but rallied [...]
The government is perversely incentivising corporate debt November 5, 2015 Sometimes attitudes are so entrenched that we go about our business and daily lives and never question them. And for me, there’s one particular facet of the world of corporate funding that is not questioned enough – the imbalance in the government’s treatment of equity and debt. It is not only harmful to the interests [...]
First-time buyers need £50k per year to get on the property ladder – GoCompare November 5, 2015 The average UK salary of £22,000 is less than half the average needed to get on the property ladder, research from comparison website GoCompare has found. On average a minimum household income of £50,000 is required, with a 90 per cent mortgage. Unsurprisingly, London was found to be the most unaffordable, with household incomes of [...]
FTSE 100 index opens marginally down despite gains from RSA, AstraZeneca and Glencore November 5, 2015 The FTSE 100 opened marginally lower this morning, despite a positive outlook from AstraZeneca and RSA, and continued support for Glencore following on from yesterday. The UK's top bluechip index was down 0.25 per cent at 6,395 points, led lower by supermarket Morrisons, which reported sales continued to tumble this morning. Total sales excluding fuel were down two per cent, while [...]
RSA share price soars as insurer insists turnaround is on track after collapsed Zurich deal November 5, 2015 The UK insurer has been pummelled by currency headwinds and volatile financial markets, but insists its turnaround remains firmly on track – despite the failed deal with Swiss rival Zurich. The figures RSA reported underlying premium income of £4.4bn for the year to date, up one per cent against last year. The insurer said profit [...]