Keep an eye on these shares during General Election November 8, 2019 The UK is holding a general election on 12 December. All the political parties are keen to return discussion to domestic policies after years of neglect because of Brexit, but the UK’s proposed departure from the EU will continue to dominate the debate. Still, whichever party wins (or parties, if it results in a hung parliament) [...]
The legacy of the Berlin Wall is the city’s thriving tech scene November 8, 2019 Tomorrow marks the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, arguably the most symbolic political moment of the post-war twentieth century. On 9 November 1989, tens of thousands of people flooded across a barrier that had divided ideologies for 28 years. The German capital was transformed. Anniversaries like this are important because they [...]
Revealed: The 50 fastest growing tech companies in the UK November 8, 2019 Firms based in London dominate a new ranking of the 50 fastest growing tech companies in the UK. Fintech bank Revolut took poll position as the technology firm with the quickest revenue expansion in the index, compiled by audit firm Deloitte. Read more: Gocardless and Transferwise join forces for global recurring payments service Revolut racked [...]
Founder Masayoshi Son calls Softbank’s staggering loss ‘a mess’ November 6, 2019 Softbank founder Masayoshi Son has called the Japanese company’s disappointing results “a mess” and admitted a “problem” with his judgement, after the tech investment giant swung to an operating loss for the first time in 14 years. The group reported a $6.4bn quarterly loss this morning, driven by soured bets on tech prospects including Wework [...]
Tory chairman James Cleverly defends ‘fake news’ clip of Labour’s Brexit strategy November 6, 2019 Tory chairman James Cleverly has denied that a clip of Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary was edited to suggest the party has “no plan” for leaving the EU. James Cleverly defended the use of the clip of Sir Keir Starmer’s appearance on Good Morning Britain, saying it was not “doctored”. Read more: Most Brits are left [...]
Up in smoke: Imperial Brands profit shrinks as regulators knock vaping November 5, 2019 Imperial Brands blamed “tough trading” in its vaping division after full-year profits slipped and shareholders saw earnings per share fall by a quarter. Read more: BAT to axe 2,300 jobs as it focuses on vaping The figures Operating profit fell 8.7 per cent to £2.2bn in the 12 months to the end of September. That [...]
WTO authorises China to impose $3.6bn in tariffs on US November 2, 2019 The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has authorised China to impose punitive tariffs against the US after ruling the duties on steel and other products were illegally inflated by the US. It means China could now levy $3.6bn worth of tariffs on American goods with WTO arbitrators saying the “countermeasures” could be imposed as early as [...]
Office Space: Inside the opulent Mayfair base of luxury property developer Clivedale November 1, 2019 Real estate firms’ offices tend to fit into one of two moulds: a converted Mayfair townhouse, an old-fashioned relic left over from the days where Hanover Square was overrun with estate agents in braces and pinstripe suits; or a clinical, corporate space interchangeable with that of any other property company, law firm or accountant. Super-prime [...]
Insurance giant AIG fights back in third quarter results November 1, 2019 A huge drop in catastrophe losses propelled insurer American International Group (AIG) to a profit in the third quarter, with a reported net income of $648m (£500m). Total pretax catastrophe losses in 2019 narrowed to $511m, well down on last year’s $1.6bn. Read more: Volatile market movements boost TP ICAP revenues This included $254m for [...]
BT keeps dividend alive despite heavy network spending October 31, 2019 BT kept its dividend alive despite a hit to earnings and revenue in the first half of new boss Philip Jansen’s first financial year due to hits from regulation and legacy product declines. The telco posted a flat profit and interim dividend as it pushes to try and roll out fibre broadband to 4m premises [...]