London on Saudi Aramco listing shortlist along with Hong Kong and New York say reports January 11, 2018 London has made it onto the shortlist for potential listing venues for Saudi Aramco, as the state-backed oil giant looks to list in late 2018, according to reports. New York and Hong Kong are also on the shortlist, with a dual- or even triple-listing on the cards, according to Reuters. Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul exchange will [...]
Investment trust winners of 2017 January 11, 2018 Investment trusts enjoyed healthy investment returns last year, with funds focused on Japan delivering some of the best returns in 2017, according to data for trust sectors. Investment trusts are an alternative to more commonly held open-ended funds or unit trusts, offering some advantages. This is explained here: investment trusts vs open-ended funds. Here we [...]
Too big to list? Why the international scramble for the Aramco IPO might prove a wild goose chase January 4, 2018 Last week, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced a delay to its proposed introduction of a new listing category for the London Stock Exchange. The proposal – which has already endured a six-month consultation – is widely seen as an attempt by the regulator to bend its own rules on stock market flotations… in ways [...]
UK Prime Minister Theresa May heads to Wokingham to promote stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers January 3, 2018 The Prime Minister will today head to Wokingham to promote her government’s decision to cut stamp duty for first-time buyers. In the Autumn Budget, Philip Hammond scrapped stamp duty for first-time buyers purchasing homes worth up to £300,000. In London, first-time buyers also receive a stamp duty holiday for the first £300,000 on purchases worth [...]
Minor Hotels takes £58m stake in The Wolseley and The Delaunay operator Corbin and King December 18, 2017 The owner of some of London’s most iconic eateries has sold a £58m stake to a Thai hospitality group. Corbin and King, named after its founding partnership Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, is behind restaurants including The Wolseley, The Delaunay, and Brasserie Zedel. The majority stake in the company has now been snapped up by [...]
14 years of investment returns: history’s lesson for investors November 30, 2017 The stockmarket has provided the best returns among the major asset classes over the last 14 years. But the total profits belie wild fluctuations year by year. Such volatility can cause problems for those who need to draw down money from their investments at certain points of their lives. A sudden drop in the stock [...]
Unilever commits to keeping London listing but delays decision on moving headquarters November 28, 2017 Consumer goods giant Unilever today announced it will maintain its stock market listing in London but has delayed any announcement on the potential relocation of its headquarters until the political situation calms down. Unilever will simplify its complex corporate structure, unifying shares into a single class as it tries to make itself more agile when [...]
Autumn Budget 2017: Chancellor Philip Hammond’s speech in full November 22, 2017 You can read the chancellor's Budget speech in full here: Mr Deputy Speaker I report today on an economy that continues to grow, continues to create more jobs than ever before and continues to confound those who seek to talk it down. An economy set on a path to a new relationship with our European [...]
New Bond Street overtakes Champs Élysées to become Europe’s most expensive shopping street November 15, 2017 London’s New Bond Street has overtaken the Champs Élysées to become the most expensive place in Europe for retailers to have a store. With a price of $1,720 (£1,305) per square foot per year, New Bond Street is the third most expensive shopping hotspot in the world, after Upper 5th Avenue in New York and [...]
Swim with the pigs in the Bahamas: How domestic swine became big business for the paradise islands November 13, 2017 On 9 September the ocean around the Bahamas’ Long Island and the Exumas vanished. Where there should have been endless stretches of aquamarine, there was mile upon mile of muddy grey sand, flecked with seams of stringy kelp, all set against a foreboding backdrop of slate-grey cloud. Sandwiched between hurricanes Irma to the west and [...]