Insolvency firm Begbies Traynor’s boss says retail carnage expected to continue December 10, 2019 The executive chairman of restructuring and insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor said today that there was no sign of the carnage on the High Street ending as the growth in e-retailing and shaky consumer confidence continued to take their toll. “Headwinds in terms of consumer demand with uncertainty over what the future will hold and structural [...]
Indian hotel chain Oyo appoints new UK boss December 10, 2019 Oyo has announced Rishabh Gupta as the new head of its operations in the UK as the fast-growing hotel Indian chain seeks to grow its offering in the country. Gupta will take over from current UK head Jeremy Sanders, who is leaving the company to spend more time with his family. Gupta previously led Oyo’s [...]
SailGP is aiming to make a splash in its second year after the arrival of Sir Ben Ainslie December 10, 2019 If the first season of SailGP was about making a splash and proving that there is an audience for the sport, then the second is about expansion. The worldwide sailing series, the brainchild of American software billionaire Larry Ellison and former world champion yachtsman Sir Russell Coutts, enjoyed a successful first season this year. Teams [...]
How global cities are promoting sustainability and helping to fight climate change December 9, 2019 The 2016 Paris Agreement gave the world a sense of hope that politicians could work together to limit temperature rises to 2 degrees centigrade. However, much has changed since the milestone agreement. More frequent extreme weather events, increasing political nationalism and growing economic inequality are making the goal of a carbon neutral world by 2050 [...]
China hopes to secure trade deal with US ‘as soon as possible’ December 9, 2019 China said it hopes to secure a trade deal with the US “as soon as possible”, raising hopes of a breakthrough ahead of a fresh round of intense negotiations this week. Assistant Commerce Minister Ren Hongbin told reporters this morning that Beijing hopes to reach a trade agreement with the US that will satisfy both [...]
London luxury hotel market booms as weak sterling attracts tourists December 9, 2019 The London luxury hotel market has boomed in the last year as the fall of sterling against the dollar has attracted a surge in international tourists, new research showed. In total, 50 new luxury and premium hotels have opened in the UK in the last year, growing the number to 3,380. Meanwhile the number of [...]
FTSE 100 opens higher as China tariff waiver raises hopes of trade truce December 6, 2019 The FTSE 100 bounced back in early trading today as China’s decision to roll back tariffs on some US exports raised hopes of a pre-Christmas trade war truce. London’s blue-chip index was up roughly 0.8 per cent to 7,195.1 points this morning as traders reacted to developments in Beijing. Read more: Global growth to pick [...]
UK house prices bounce back with 2.1 per cent rise December 6, 2019 UK house prices were 2.1 per cent higher last month then they were a year ago at an average price of £234,625, according to the Halifax House Price Index. Prices also grow on a monthly basis, rising 1.0 per cent from October. Read more: UK house prices: Growth picks up in November It means an [...]
Debate: After the M&G property fund suspension, should illiquid assets be banned from funds? December 6, 2019 After the M&G property fund suspension, should illiquid assets be banned from funds? Yes says Ryan Hughes, head of active portfolios at AJ Bell. In simple terms, offering daily dealing in a fund when the underlying assets can’t be sold in the same timeframe is asking for trouble. Most of the time, it might not [...]
Property of the Week: A quirky Georgian terrace in Bow – complete with pool December 6, 2019 Bow, the formerly industrial district of East London, isn’t renowned for its grand period properties – so there is considerable excitement among buyers when one does come on to the market. Such is the case with this five-bedroom property on Bow Road, which is not only an example of a beautifully-preserved Georgian period house, but [...]