Bank of England prepares for crucial QE test August 15, 2016 All eyes will be on Threadneedle Street tomorrow afternoon as the Bank of England gears up for its next bond-buying mission. To the market's surprise, the Bank of England could not find enough willing sellers of long-term government debt on the open market last week, leading to the first ever time when the Bank was [...]
Disney interest? Third parties? Bidding wars? Here’s what analysts think will happen to Peppa Pig owner Entertainment One August 15, 2016 Analysts have named Walt Disney, Vivendi, Lionsgate and Studio Canal as possible suitors for Peppa Pig owner Entertainment One. EOne’s share price was trading at 251p on Monday – up more than 25 per cent from below 200p at the beginning of last week. [stockChart code="ETO" date="2016-08-15 16:40"] This rise has come after the board [...]
Why Mallorca is up there with Tuscany as one of Europe’s top retreats August 15, 2016 In the first half of the 20th century, Mallorca was a relatively poor island, its inhabitants eking out a largely pastoral existence. But the Balearics, which include Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera, boast some of the most stunning scenery in the world, especially the former, by far the biggest of the four main islands, which [...]
Investors Peppa Pig out on EOne shares as more takeover interest emerges August 15, 2016 Peppa Pig owner Entertainment One’s share price soared on Monday morning after more takeover interest in the company emerged over the weekend. Broadcaster ITV had a £1bn bid for EOne rejected last week, with the target company saying the offer “fundamentally undervalues” it. Read more: Competition emerges for ITV in pursuit of Peppa Pig owner [...]
Sage leads FTSE 100 fallers after data breach August 15, 2016 Shares in Sage opened more than four per cent lower and as the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 on monday morning after it revealed nearly 300 UK company records may have been compromised. The accountancy software firm told affected customers on Friday that their information — including employee bank details and salary information — may [...]
Barter for a living: Astus co-founder Frances Dickens talks media barter, tackling China and risk aversion August 15, 2016 "I can't think of anything more stupid than setting up my own media barter company,” says Frances Dickens candidly. “But it has worked.” Since 2003, the Astus co-founder and her partner Paul Jackson have grown Astus into the largest barter company in the UK, Ireland and Australia, and with it, the size of the market [...]
How Edinburgh is driving the fintech revolution August 14, 2016 According to recent figures published by Innovate Finance, global investment in fintech has rocketed from $930m in 2008 to $12.5bn in 2015, with recognised tech clusters such as Edinburgh supporting London’s global dominance. Fintech is, to coin a phrase, white hot right now. It’s not only empowering new start-ups with the ability to launch disruptive [...]
Competition emerges for ITV in pursuit of Peppa Pig owner EOne August 14, 2016 Private equity giant KKR is said to be considering a bid for Peppa Pig owner Entertainment One. News of the interest comes after ITV had a £1bn bid for EOne rejected last week. Read more: Peppa Pig maker turns down £1bn takeover offer KKR held talks with EOne’s main shareholder, Canadian pension fund CPPIB, before ITV’s [...]
Charlton fan asked to sign contract agreeing not to criticise club on social media after buying season ticket August 12, 2016 Charlton Athletic have been blasted by fans after a supporter was told they had to sign a contract precluding them from "posting derogatory or inflammatory comments" on social media about the club. Last week a fan who has performed volunteer work for the club in the past received a letter from new duty safety officer Cliff Eager [...]
It’s time to purge the stock market’s noticeboard of PR puff and let activist investors report on what really matters August 12, 2016 It's not exactly needle-in-a-haystack stuff: trawl through the reams of regulatory news announcements on most days and you will spot numerous examples of public relations puff masquerading as crucial investor information. So it’s disappointing that this week has thrown into sharp focus yet another of the perversities of London’s listings regime – and one which [...]