General Election 2015: Shares, bonds and the pound all end higher after shock Tory win May 8, 2015 Shares, bonds and the pound all rallied today after the Tories swept to a shock win in the General Election, sparing investors from the inevitable uncertainty which would have come with a round of coalition negotiations. The FTSE 100 closed up by 2.2 per cent at 7,035 points this afternoon as the Tory party prepared [...]
UBS’ investment bank roars back with deal successes and soaring profits May 5, 2015 If you believe everything US investment bankers tell you, it is only a matter of time before a handful of American giants rule the world, and Europe’s challengers crumble into the dust. You can see why they are so confident, with Britain splitting its would-be universal banks with a ring-fence, and a series of [...]
Election jitters, HSBC and US losses hit FTSE – London Report May 5, 2015 BRITAIN’S top share index closed lower yesterday, tracking sharp losses in the US market, with HSBC leading the banking sector lower, after saying that a bank levy was hampering its ability to pay a higher dividend. A survey showing growth in the construction industry slowed sharply in April, while uncertainty about the outcome of tomorrow’s [...]
General Election 2015: The three bold productivity-boosting policies the Big Three will never touch April 30, 2015 As we approach the General Election, politicians are battling over the question of what is wrong with Britain’s economy. The usual suspects are out in force: “benefit-scroungers”, “fat cat bosses”, “price gouging energy companies” to name but a few. What I find frustrating is the lack of substance behind many of these arguments. Rarely is [...]
US corporate results round up April 29, 2015 Carlyle Group impacted by $112m French court fine Carlyle Group reported a 13 per cent year-on-year drop in first-quarter profit, as it was asked to pay $112m in a French tax court case involving one of its real estate funds, yet it still beat most analysts’ expectations on performance. Carlyle had reserved only $82.5m for [...]
A sharing economy must be a trusting economy April 18, 2015 Trust is the foundation stone of all transactions. We traditionally rely on meeting people and building trust over time, but in an on-demand world, we don’t have the luxury of being able to wait. We’re moving from a world where people tend to know each other and interact with a few individuals, to a world where we are constantly interacting [...]
A sharing economy must be a trusting economy April 18, 2015 Husayn Kassai is CEO and Co-Founder of Onfido. Trust is the foundation stone of all transactions. We traditionally rely on meeting people and building trust over time, but in an on-demand world, we don’t have the luxury of being able to wait. We’re moving from a world where people tend to know each other and interact with a [...]
Is the Eurozone recovering? What traders need to know April 13, 2015 Improving credit conditions point to sustained growth. The Eurozone economy seems like it might finally be back on track, with stock markets rallying and greater confidence that activity is picking up in a region that has long been mired in crisis. Although German shares and the FTSE 100 fell slightly yesterday, European stocks are [...]
Investec Comment: How cheap oil is boosting small businesses April 12, 2015 THE extraordinary decline in the price of oil has been one of the most important economic stories of the past year. Brent Crude fell from over $110 per barrel in June 2014 to below $50 in January 2015, slumping to multi-year lows. Prices have increased marginally since then, but with factors like the interim deal [...]
In praise of solitude: What does time alone mean to you? April 2, 2015 Our phones never stop ringing. Emails flood our inboxes. Meetings are an integral part of our working lives (not to mention pre-meetings and de-briefings). Smartphones keep us connected with our friends and family during the day and our bosses when we’re at home at night. In 2015, most of us can quite honestly say they [...]